Conference
2025 Catalyst Annual Conference: Bright Spots
Friday, October 3 @ 8:00 am - 5:30 pm
Nonprofit tickets for this conference are now sold out. If you are interested in attending, please join the waitlist here and we will notify you if additional spots become available.
The challenges facing our region today demand both collective action and bold imagination, and our region is uniquely equipped for both. Catalyst’s 2025 Annual Conference: Bright Spots Igniting Change, Together is a call to all funders, nonprofit leaders, community builders, and social change agents to come together and illuminate what’s working — and explore how we can do more of it, together.
At this pivotal gathering, we’ll spotlight the “bright spots” in our region: innovative funding models, community-rooted solutions, and powerful cross-sector partnerships that are driving meaningful progress. By lifting up these successes, we can chart a path forward that’s grounded in a shared purpose.
The Catalyst Conference is more than a convening. It’s a space for deep connection, collaborative learning, and inspired co-creation. Through immersive sessions, interactive workshops, and candid dialogue, you’ll gain practical tools to strengthen partnerships, share insights across sectors, and catalyze enduring change.
This year’s annual conference will be held at A Reason to Survive (ARTS) in National City; a vibrant, creative space rooted in community, healing, and possibility. ARTS is more than a venue; it’s a testament to the power of imagination and using joy as a tool for transformation.
The magic can’t happen without you in the room! Join us to contribute your voice, connect with fellow leaders, and leave inspired to help our region shine even brighter.
Members of Northern California Grantmakers and SoCal Grantmakers are also invited to register at the Catalyst member price.
Stay tuned for more information on sessions and speakers coming soon!
MORNING PLENARY
Illuminating the Many Ways of Giving
The word philanthropy often conjures images of big foundations, formal grant processes, large-scale programs, and the work of it all. But at its heart, philanthropy is a culture of giving. By definition, we are all philanthropists in our own, individual ways, and the ways we give are as varied and diverse as the communities we come from.
In this session, we will have a diverse panel of speakers who will share stories about their own giving, which happens outside of traditional, institutional settings. From African lending circles to communities of care within mutual aid networks, the culture of philanthropy has many different avenues. Come ready to explore how both longstanding and emerging traditions of philanthropy can expand our understanding of the sector and stretch our view of who institutional philanthropy can partner with for the greatest impact for the communities they serve.
AFTERNOON SESSIONS
Igniting Change Beyond the Dollars
Grants and funding have always been powerful tools to support the work we care deeply about. But some of the most powerful change, particularly in our current environment, often happens outside of just a check.
During this interactive session, we will explore how funders can deepen their impact by moving beyond traditional grantmaking. Our panel of diverse philanthropists will share real-world case studies and next practices of how they’ve leveraged their networks, expertise, and other resources to strengthen their grantees’ work. Through guided reflection, participants will learn how to unlock the collective wisdom in their communities of practice and identify their own underutilized resources. Be ready to leave with actionable steps to start expanding your impact beyond just the grant cycle.
The Power of Partnerships
Earlier this year, Alliance Healthcare Foundation (AHF) made a bold move: transferring $7.5 million, about 10% of its endowment, to the Imperial Valley Wellness Foundation (IVWF). Rooted in trust, long-standing relationships, and a deep commitment to equity, this partnership reimagines what’s possible when funders share power and invest directly in community-led solutions.
Join this session to hear directly from the leaders who made this change happen. Participants will explore the values, conversations, and strategies that built the foundation for this unprecedented transfer and leave with practical ideas for how to cultivate equitable partnerships that can spark enduring change.
Fueling the Fire to Prevent Burnout
The nonprofit workforce is under intense strain, grappling with an overwhelming surge in community needs alongside a dramatic decline in funding. As resources dwindle, staff are pushed to the breaking point, exhausted and burned out, often sacrificing their own well-being to meet increasing demands. In this harsh reality, many nonprofit employees are forced to rely on the very resources they’re working to provide, struggling to maintain their own stability while delivering critical support to others. It’s crucial that workers are no longer left behind; investing in the mission must also mean investing in the people.
The conversation will also incorporate relevant nonprofit workforce data to ground the discussion in current realities, with a focus on sustaining the talent infrastructure our sector depends on through equitable retention and support strategies.
Access full speaker biographies here.
Grounding Speaker & Plenary Moderator
Brenda Solórzano
President & CEO, The California Endowment
Morning Plenary: Illuminating the Many Ways of Giving
Lorenza Fabre Vega
CEO, Latattore Foundation
Nyisha Green-Washington
Co-Founder and Co-Director, March for Black Womxn San Diego
Afternoon Session: Igniting Change Beyond the Dollars
Matt D’Arrigo
Director of Creative Youth Development, Clare Rose Foundation
Elizabeth Figueroa
Thriving Communities Program Manager, International Community Foundation
Kim Jones
President, Kinship Fund
Stephen Minix
Vice President of Community, UpMetrics
Afternoon Session: The Power of Partnerships
Roque Barros
Executive Director, Imperial Valley Wellness Foundation
SARAH LYMAN
Executive Director, Alliance Healthcare Foundation
Afternoon Session: Fueling the Fire to Prevent Burnout
Samuel Tsoi
Director of Leadership & Professional Development, Nonprofit Institute at University of San Diego
loretta turner
Founder, Do Good Leadership Collective
Headliner
Champion
Trendsetter
Contributor
Sustainer
