The purpose of the Flinn Foundation Educational Conference Center is to advance the Foundation’s mission and support its focused work in four areas of philanthropic interest: arts and culture, the biosciences, civic leadership, and education (the Flinn Scholars).
The Center features two fully equipped meeting rooms available at no cost to qualified nonprofit member organizations closely aligned with these areas of interest, based on availability, appropriateness of intended use, and upon approval of an online booking request.
Available meeting room configurations are displayed further down on this page.
Please review the Center’s Terms of Use and the following information before planning a meeting at the Center. Each topic below expands to provide additional information.
- Appropriate Uses
Typical uses of the Center include planning and training retreats for board and staff; workshops; and joint planning or collaborative efforts among tax-exempt nonprofit organizations. The Center may also provide a neutral environment for nonpartisan discussion and presentation of policymaking options. The facility is also used for lectures, panel presentations, and classroom-style educational workshops.
Inappropriate uses:
- Fundraising events or events where products are sold or auctioned;
- Sessions designed to promote or oppose a partisan purpose, specific pending legislative or ballot action, or political campaign;
- Meetings where the public is invited to attend without prior notification/RSVP to the booking organization; and
- Personal or family events, such as weddings, anniversaries, or memorials.
- Building Entry
Meetings may begin no earlier than 9:00 a.m. Monday-Friday and must end by 4:00 p.m. Access to the Center is available starting at 8:30 a.m. The building’s west lobby doors always remain locked; please advise meeting participants to use only the main (south) lobby doors to enter and exit the building.
- Parking
Limited onsite parking is available in the Center’s visitor parking lot, located on the east side of the building. Carpooling and/or use of public transportation is encouraged. (Central & McDowell is the closest light-rail station to the Center.) Overflow parking may be available for a fee at the BMO parking garage directly north of the Flinn Foundation; fees are the responsibility of meeting participants, as the Center does not validate parking.
- Food Service
Food and beverage services must be secured and paid by the booking organization through a Center-approved catering firm. A representative from the booking organization must be onsite to meet the caterer when they arrive.Beverages containing alcohol are not permitted for use or distribution, and no home-cooked or unpackaged food may be served. Purchased, pre-packaged food and beverage brought in their original sealed containers are acceptable in lieu of contracting with an approved caterer. Event attendees may bring their own brown-bag lunches; however, attendees should be made aware that no kitchen facilities, microwaves, or refrigerators are available for use onsite.
As a Certified Arizona Green Business, the Flinn Foundation is committed to sustainable practices. We encourage Center guests bring their own refillable beverage containers to use with our filtered water station. Further, our preferred catering partners are committed to providing compostable and recyclable supplies whenever possible. Please ask your guests to deposit all trash, recycling, and compostable materials into the appropriate bins during your meeting. We appreciate your support in these efforts.
- Audiovisual Equipment
Audiovisual equipment is available for use and should be requested through the online booking process. The meeting facilitator or other booking organization representative should arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the meeting start time to familiarize themselves with the proper use of the audiovisual console and other in-room equipment. Any videoconferencing platforms (e.g., Zoom, Teams, etc.) used during a meeting must be arranged through the booking organization’s own account.
- Conference Room Considerations
- Items may not be attached to the walls, floor, windows, ceiling, or other surfaces with nails, staples, or other substances.
- Meeting rooms will be set according to the standard room configurations (see bottom of this page), and tables may not be moved. Contact Center staff for assistance with any set-up questions.
- Lobby Areas
Because the Center building is primarily used for routine Flinn Foundation office business, please pay special consideration to the following:
- Be considerate and minimize gatherings and cellphone use in the lobby. Center guests should keep all food and beverages in their meeting room and not use the lobby areas for food breaks or to hold group meetings.
- Guests should not move or rearrange lobby or patio furniture or furnishings.
- Please keep meeting-room doors closed during meeting times. This will facilitate a more consistent room temperature and provide a barrier for sound.
- No Smoking
The Center is a non-smoking property. Smoking is not permitted anywhere inside the building, on the patios, or near any of the building entrances. Please remind meeting participants of this before your meeting starts.
- Media and Promotional Material
Promotional meeting materials about a meeting held at the Center, including news releases and media advisories, must be shared with Center staff before being issued. The Flinn Foundation reserves the right to edit materials describing or defining the Foundation, its programs, and Center facilities.
Organizations seeking to conduct a press conference at the Center must request Center approval during the booking process. If an organization anticipates live-remote media coverage, advance notice must be given to the Center. Flinn Foundation and Center staff are not available for media interviews during an event unless prearranged.
Event signage may be displayed on the room’s assigned registration table or inside the assigned meeting room only. Any additional collateral to attract attendance outside of the room is prohibited.
- Miscellaneous Reminders
- Remember to bring all items you will need for your meeting (e.g., nametags, copies of handouts, notepads, pens, computer adapters, etc.). Copy services and office supplies are not available onsite.
- The Center prohibits the possession or carrying of any weapons and/or firearms within the Center’s facilities or on the Flinn Foundation’s property generally pursuant to A.R.S. § 4-229. Only on-duty law enforcement personnel with jurisdiction and who are expressly authorized to carry weapons may do so while on Foundation property.
- Solicitation, including the distribution and/or posting of handbills, leaflets, circulars, advertising, posters, or other printed materials for the promotion, sale, or transfer of products, services, or memberships, is prohibited.
- Service animals are welcome within the Center, but no other animals are permitted.
- The Center’s meeting rooms are used regularly by many nonprofit organizations. Please respect the times approved for your meeting room use and ensure that all meeting participants vacate the premises at the scheduled end time.
- Please make sure all compostables, recyclables, and trash are discarded in the appropriate bins, and that audiovisual equipment and supplies are returned in good working order when your meeting ends.
- Please contact the front desk with any needs or questions you may have during your meeting.
