Center for Excellence in Nonprofits
Guided by our commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, access and liberation (IDEAL) principles, CEN, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, strives to engage and support all nonprofit professionals through continued learning and authentic community-building. Each of our programs is designed to foster an open space where everyone has a seat at the table and participants can explore opportunities to deepen their work and gain new resources.
COMING SOON
Video Testimonials
Hear from our nonprofit leaders!
Lisa McNaney
Executive Director
Culinary Angels
Our Programs
Support for Executive Directors & CEOs
We believe in strong, effective, and representative leadership. To support you, CEN offers a variety of professional and leadership development opportunities that were designed to address the unique challenges faced by nonprofit executives, especially now. Our programs leverage valuable curriculum and expert facilitation by also creating inclusive spaces for you to forge strong peer support networks in every session.
Opportunities for Nonprofit Staff & Board Members
At CEN, we work strategically to strengthen the sector's diverse pipeline with a wide range of training and programs that will support each of you throughout your nonprofit careers, your community-centered work, and your board service journeys. In response to COVID-19, we've moved our offerings (i.e. boot camps, workshops) online and have worked hard to maintain the high-quality facilitation we're known for while also creating a supportive virtual space for participants to connect authentically, especially during current challenges.
Organizational Consulting Services
Strong nonprofits value representative leadership, build effective board-CEO partnerships, support the development of their staff, and are guided by the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, access, and liberation. CEN offers a wide range of consulting support to empower organizations (staffs and boards) be more strategic, promote IDEAL principles, and explore leading practices to work more effectively and with a community-centered mindset.
Mahogany C. Roland
Executive Director
Culinary Angels
"CEN's Leadership Institute came at the right time for me! I really enjoyed our raw discussions, the speakers were phenomenal, and I was enlightened by my peer group every time we met. I recommend this program to any Executive Director in the sector, it will give an experience that will make you a better leader, person, and teammate. I learned so much, I used the tools immediately. Thank you CEN for this tremendous opportunity."
Lavinia Branden
Eˆxecutive Director
Asian Cultural Community Center (AC3)
“Thank you to everyone at CEN for hosting such an incredible class, and for all the guidance and resources you’ve shared. Leaders Institute has been truly helpful in so many ways, especially knowing I can tap into such an amazing and experienced group of professionals for that 'voice of reason' when needed.”
Ron Gonzales
President and CEO
Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley
"As the only Latino-led and managed public foundation serving Silicon Valley our "go-to" organization for nonprofit management policies and practices is CEN. They are the subject area experts who are always willing to share their knowledge with our Latino Leaders!"
CEN has supported nonprofit leaders for over 30 years. Visit our impact page to learn more!
Connect with CEN!
CEN's newsletter and social media are a great way to connect with the local and national nonprofit community. In addition to CEN updates (including upcoming learning and networking opportunities plus exclusive content and announcements from the CEN Team), we share special opportunities, events, and job postings from our nonprofit community members and foundation partners.