16th
April

2026

Marketing and Communications Practitioner Summit: 2026 Recap

Sarah Weintraub, OFN Senior Associate, Peer Learning

April 16, 2026 –

What nearly 80 CDFI communicators learned, shared, and took home from a day of peer-driven connection in Arlington, VA

Read time: 5 minutes

Welcome

Introduced in 2025, OFN’s practitioner summits are one-day convenings focused on specific job functions. These convenings are designed to create a dedicated space for CDFI practitioners to connect in person and collaborate on solutions with peers in similar roles. By strengthening individual practitioners, the summits aim to increase the collective impact of CDFIs across the country.

Following last year’s inaugural event, the Marketing and Communications CDFI Practitioner Summit returned to Arlington, VA on Tuesday, March 31. This year’s event focused on the increasingly strategic role marketing and communications teams play as CDFIs navigate complexity, change, and evolving expectations. With cherry blossoms in full bloom across the Potomac, nearly 80 professionals from CDFIs, mission-driven lenders, and partners across the country gathered for a day of peer learning and connection.

Morning Sessions

A welcome from OFN’s Chief of Staff and Head of Communications, Brendon Miller, framed the day around the challenges and opportunities CDFI practitioners face as they make decisions around storytelling.

Building on that framing, the morning continued with a panel on communicating complexity. Marketing and communications teams are often tasked with translating nuanced, complex work into messages that resonate across diverse audiences while maintaining credibility and trust. The panel, moderated by OFN’s EVP, Chief Public Policy Officer and Head of Government Affairs, Dafina Williams, explored the range of pressures practitioners face as they represent their organizations and communicate their impact.

The panel featured Tim Coxey, Director of Communications and Marketing at Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership, Erin Davis, VP of Marketing and Communications at Finanta, and Bianca Prade, SVP of Strategic Communications at OFN. Panelists shared approaches to simplifying messaging and refining language to better communicate their organizations’ work. Many discussed identifying messages that were not landing as intended and adjusting their approach to better align with audience needs and expectations. The conversation also highlighted how messaging shifts across audiences and in response to a changing external environment. Panelists emphasized the importance of strong internal communications to ensure alignment across teams and to better integrate communications into broader organizational priorities.

Following the panel, participants put these ideas into practice in a hands-on workshop facilitated by Ashley Austin (OFN), Rhema Nnadi (BBIF), and Erin Shull (BlueHub Capital). Facilitators introduced the SNAP storytelling framework and guided participants through exercises focused on adapting stories for different audiences while aligning those decisions with organizational goals and priorities. The workshop provided participants with tangible templates and a practical framework they could apply to their day-to-day work in pursuit of more engaging and memorable storytelling.

During the networking lunch, participants connected with peers working on similarly sized communications teams (solo, small, and large). This structured time created space for candid conversations about shared challenges and practical strategies for working effectively within different team contexts.

Afternoon Sessions

The afternoon began with lightning talks focused on approaches practitioners had intentionally moved away from, and what they learned in the process. Gustavo Banchero (Ascendus), Lindsey Solomon (Mountain BizWorks), Tiffany Taylor-Minor (Rural LISC), and Liska Wilson (Cooperative Fund of the Northeast) shared candid reflections on their experiences.

Topics included scaling back social media, rethinking visual representations of organizational mission, engaging staff more actively in communications through brand tools, and elevating brand identity as a driver of organizational impact. Each talk sparked thoughtful discussion and insights from peers.

During the afternoon’s solution salon, participants engaged in focused, small-group discussions to explore challenges and trending topics in greater depth and co-develop practical solutions with peers.

Topics included managing communications teams with limited capacity, prioritizing and allocating resources, sourcing content, practical applications and guardrails for using AI and other communications tools, and measuring effectiveness and value of communications and marketing work. Each group shared insights and approaches during a closing report-out, creating a shared learning experience across the room.

Reflections on the Summit

Sindhu Lakshmanan, OFN’s SVP of Development Services, closed out the day by highlighting ways to stay connected with the CDFI practitioner community, including CDFI Connect, the Marketing & Communications Peer Learning Community, and upcoming OFN events.

Through an interactive survey, participants shared their reflections on the day’s conversations. A few clear themes emerged, particularly around prioritization and capacity. Many noted a desire to set clearer boundaries in their work, focusing on what matters most and being more intentional about how they spend their time and energy.

Participants also highlighted the value of practical tools and shared learning. The SNAP framework stood out as a useful approach for adapting stories across audiences, alongside continued interest in plain language, consistent messaging, and building repeatable systems. Just as important was the opportunity to connect with peers facing similar challenges. Attendees shared that hearing what others are trying—what’s working and what’s not—was one of the most valuable aspects of the day. When asked how they were feeling at the end of the summit, participants summed up their experience with three key words: inspired, energized, and validated.

Looking Ahead

The summit reinforced the value of practitioner-focused convenings—providing a platform for candid exchange, shared learning, and relationship-building across the CDFI field.

We would like to thank our partners, Truist Charitable Fund and the Citi Foundation, for their support of this work and this convening. Their partnership makes spaces like this possible, and we’re grateful for their investment in strengthening industry talent.

OFN looks forward to continuing to provide more opportunities for peer learning, knowledge sharing, and connection among CDFI practitioners in the year ahead.

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