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.”
– Bookkeeper Training Participant
Arts Finance Empowerment Camp
January 2023 – March 2023
Series 1
Thursdays, January 26 + February 2 & 9, 2023, 10 am – 1 pm
Series 1 is designed for artists, arts administrators and board members looking to gain basic skills in financial management.
Objective
Get training in financial literacy, explore the arts finance ecosystem, and begin to develop your skills.
Content
- Arts finance ecosystem mapping
- Basics of financial literacy
- Overview of financial reporting
- Insights into governance, oversight and risk management
- Each participant receives one hour of 1:1 coaching with Yesenia (included in the program fee)
Series 2
Thursdays, February 23 + March 2 & 9, 2023, 10 am – 1 pm
Series 2 is designed for nonprofit arts administrators and board members looking to build financial management confidence and competence.
Objective
Take a deeper dive into what makes up nonprofit finances and get introduced to financial management tools.
Content
- Literacy refresher
- Guidance in Budgeting
- Concepts in Modeling
- Insights into Cash Flow
- Each participant receives one hour of 1:1 coaching with Yesenia (included in the program fee)
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.
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 get
- Immediately-applicable arts finance knowledge and tools
- Confidence and clarity
- Network of peers in your learning cohort
- Certificate of Completion
Cost
$450 tuition for Intersection for the Arts fiscally sponsored projects
$500 tuition for general public
TIP! Individuals in California may be eligible to apply for CCI’s Quick Grant to possibly cover the cost of Series 2. Applications are due on January 15, 2023 for Series 2.
To learn about payment options contact Amy at amy@theintersection.org
Program Info
- Each session includes 3 classes each, 3 hours each (9 hours per session, 18 hours total)
- Session 1 – Thursdays, January 26, February 2 & 9, 2023
- Session 2 – Thursdays, February 23, March 2 & 9, 2023
- 10 am-1 pm PT via Zoom
- PLUS, 1-hour of 1:1 coaching with Yesenia via Zoom
- Maximum 7 participants
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.