Arts Finance Training
Interactive training programs for arts workers, managers, administrators, and board members looking to develop their arts finance skills.“I’M GRATEFUL THAT THIS COURSE CENTERED THE HUMANNESS OF THIS WORK”
“This program was everything I hoped it would be and more. I deeply appreciated the cohort-learning model and Yesenia’s warm, organized, knowledgeable, and humorous take on the material… Most of all, I’m grateful that this course centered the humanness of this work. We were encouraged to be our full, complicated, intersectional emotional selves during our time together.”
– Program Graduate
Arts Finance Empowerment Camp
Series 1 - Financial Literacy
In Series 1 we unpack the basics of nonprofit arts finance to build your basic understanding and create a solid foundation of literacy. Get training in financial literacy, explore the arts finance ecosystem, and begin to develop your financial reporting skills in a safe and supportive environment.
By the end of this series, participants will be able to…
- Identify various financial relationships in the arts ecosystem
- Gain financial literacy through a basic knowledge of key financial terms
- Make financial choices with confidence
- Navigate the Big 4 of financial reporting – Profit & Loss, Budget vs. Actuals, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, and the narratives they tell
Series 1 is designed for artists, arts administrators and board members looking to gain skills in financial management.
- Limited to 10 participants
PROGRAM FEATURES
- 10 participant cohort
- 4 sessions, 3 hours each
- 1 hour of 1:1 Coaching with Yesenia
- 13 hours total
2023 DATES, TIMES + LOCATIONS
- Thursday, September 28, 2023 from 10am-1pm – ZOOM
- Thursday, October 5, from 10am-1pm – ZOOM
- Thursday, October 12 from 10am-1pm – ZOOM
- Thursday, October 19 from 10am-1pm – IN PERSON at Intersection for the Arts (1446 Market Street in San Francisco, CA
Series 2 - Financial Planning & Strategy
In Series 2 we take a deeper dive into what makes up nonprofit finances and get introduced to financial management tools.
Attendance in Series 1 is not a required prerequisite for Series 2 for those who already have an understanding of Profit & Loss, Budget vs. Actuals, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow.
“This program was everything I hoped it would be and more. I deeply appreciated the cohort-learning model and Yesenia’s warm, organized, knowledgeable, and humorous take on the material.” – Program Graduate
Series 2 is designed for nonprofit arts administrators and board members looking to build financial management confidence and competence.
By the end of this series, participants will be able to…
- Identify how good budgeting contributes to fiscal health and financial management
- Implement best practices for basic organizational budgeting
- Explore tools and models for different ways of budgeting based on organizational goals
- Understand the difference between a budget and cash flow projections
- Use a cash flow management tool
PROGRAM FEATURES
- 10 participant cohort
- 4 sessions, 3 hours each
- 1 hour of 1:1 Coaching with Yesenia
- 13 hours total
2024 DATES, TIMES + LOCATIONS
- Thursday, January 25 from 10am-1pm via Zoom
- Thursday, February 1 from 10am-1pm via Zoom
- Thursday, February 8 from 10am-1pm via Zoom
- Thursday, February 15 from 10am-1pm in person in San Francisco
Instructor

Yesenia Sanchez
Yesenia has 20 years of experience working with artists and arts organizations in many capacities. She has been an interim director, finance manager, administrative and program director, and executive coach and consultant. She is a finance trainer and coach for the Center for Cultural Innovation. Previously, she ran one of the largest artist incubation programs in the country at Intersection for the Arts. She received her coaching training in 2009 through the Coaching & Philanthropy Project’s Coach Training Pilot Program, where she had the opportunity to be a part of a year long cohort exploring the value of the coaching model in non-profit environments and in under-served communities. Yesenia specializes in business and finance coaching for individual artists, in addition to financial management, fundraising and development, facilitation, executive coaching and team building for arts organizations.
Build Confidence in Financial Literacy, Planning & Strategy
The Arts Finance Empowerment Camp is an interactive cohort learning program for individual arts workers, administrators, managers, and board members. We’ll unpack the basics of nonprofit arts finance in two series. Participants are welcome to join for a single series or both.
Explore how cohort learning will empower your understanding of arts finance. Gain financial literacy and develop your skills in a safe, supportive and collaborative environment, where together, we’ll go beyond the numbers and into a deeper exploration of the arts finance ecosystem. In Series 1 we build your basic understanding of finance to create a solid foundation of literacy. In Series 2 we take a deeper dive into financial management tools.
What you gain
- Immediately-applicable arts finance knowledge and tools
- Confidence and clarity
- Network of peers in your learning cohort
- Certificate of Completion
Program Info
Each series has 4, 3-hour sessions + 1 hour of 1:1 Coaching with Yesenia (13 hours total)
Series 1 sessions:
- Thursday, September 28, 2023 from 10am-1pm – ZOOM
- Thursday, October 5, from 10am-1pm – ZOOM
- Thursday, October 12 from 10am-1pm – ZOOM
- Thursday, October 19 from 10am-1pm – IN PERSON at Intersection for the Arts (1446 Market Street in San Francisco, CA)
Series 2 sessions:
- Thursday, January 25, 2024 from 10am -1pm – ZOOM
- Thursday, February 1 from 10am -1pm – ZOOM
- Thursday, February 8 from 10am -1pm – ZOOM
- Thursday, February 15 from 10am-1pm – IN PERSON at Intersection for the Arts (1446 Market Street in San Francisco, CA)
Tuition Fee for Each Series
Series 1 ~ $500 tuition
Series 2 ~ $500 tuition [Consider applying for a CCI QuickGrant by December 15, 2023 for possible funding].
To learn about payment plan options contact Amy at amy@theintersection.org
Bookkeeper Training
check back for upcoming program dates!
Training Topics
- Introduction to the Bay Area Arts Finance Ecosystem
- Financial Terms & Literacy
- General Bookkeeping Principles
- Accounting Software & Platforms
Materials Provided
- Computer
- Google Drive
- Trello
- Quickbooks Online Subscription
- Microsoft Excel
Instructor

Yesenia Sanchez
Yesenia has 20 years of experience working with artists and arts organizations in many capacities. She has been an interim director, finance manager, administrative and program director, and executive coach and consultant. She is a finance trainer and coach for the Center for Cultural Innovation and is a featured author in the Business of Art© book, authoring the chapter on financial literacy for artists. Previously, she ran one of the largest artist incubation programs in the country at Intersection for the Arts. She received her coaching training in 2009 through the Coaching & Philanthropy Project’s Coach Training Pilot Program, where she had the opportunity to be a part of a year long cohort exploring the value of the coaching model in non-profit environments and in under-served communities. Yesenia specializes in business and finance coaching for individual artists, in addition to financial management, fundraising and development, facilitation, executive coaching and team building for arts organizations.
Overview
This program will train 4 entry level bookkeepers in the field of nonprofit arts finance. Over 5 weeks we will introduce trainees to the basics of bookkeeping for an arts nonprofit, from financial literacy, to reporting, to software.
This program is intended to increase general competency in the field of nonprofit arts finance among artists, arts workers, and cultural practitioners for the benefit of the sector, as well as teach trainees the necessary skills to be hired as an apprentice to Intersection’s Arts Financial Services (AFS) program.
Learning Objectives
- Trainee will gain a general understanding of the arts finance ecosystem
- Trainee will learn entry level nonprofit bookkeeping skills
- Trainee will demonstrate a basic understanding of key financial terms and nonprofit financial reporting
- Trainee will be trained in and demonstrate entry level skills in key financial software
Compensation
Participants will receive $25 per hour for each hour of training.
Participant Profile
- Practicing artist, arts worker or arts and culture background
- Desire to begin a career in arts finance and bookkeeping
- Critical thinker
- Detail oriented
- Basic computer skills (MAC / PC)
- Basic knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Google Drive
- LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC encouraged to apply
This program was funded in part by the San Francisco Arts Commission.
Email Amy Kweskin, Director of Professional Development, at amy@theintersection.org with ideas and questions.