CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING

aka TheCIL   |   Berkeley, CA   |  www.thecil.org

Mission

The CIL supports and empowers people who aspire to achieve beyond the expectations others place on them and the expectations they place on themselves.

Ruling year info

1972

Executive Director

Stuart James

Main address

3075 Adeline Street Suite 100

Berkeley, CA 94703 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

23-7175191

NTEE code info

Civil Rights, Advocacy for Specific Groups (R20)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Founded in 1972 in Berkeley, California, the Center for Independent Living
(TheCIL) emerged from the Independent Living movement of the 1960s as a
powerful force for change. TheCIL helped to spearhead the fight for equal access
for people with disabilities through advocacy and legislation, resulting in the
implementation of new laws and access to physical and social structures. We are
now committed to bringing about a paradigm shift in the way people with
disabilities are perceived by society.

The opportunity for a person with a disability to achieve is limitless. As each
person grabs hold of this truth and makes a decision to be their own normal, we
believe society will catch on and see the power and solutions that people with
disabilities bring to the table.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Youth Transitions Program

The Youth Transitions program explores the 5 pathways to independence for youth aged 14- 24 to learn self-advocacy and independent living skills, participate in adaptive sports and join a growing community.

Population(s) Served
People with disabilities

TheCIL hosts monthly workshops about housing search skills, and share Bay Area housing resources and options. Clients are also able to work 1-on-1 with counselors to achieve to locate and secure affordable housing.

Population(s) Served
People with disabilities

The Living Well program has health and wellness focused workshops that promote goal setting and problem solving skills. These workshops provides seniors support and tools to address new limitations, improve their quality of life, and maintain independence.

Population(s) Served
People with disabilities
Seniors

TheCIL’s Residential Services works with residents of Alameda County to live more safely and independently in their homes. Our consultations may result in building or installing various home modifications such as exterior lifts or ramps, grab bars, standing poles, flexible shower hoses, flashing doorbells, tactile stair tread or handrails.

Population(s) Served
People with disabilities

TheCIL staff works 1-on-1 with individuals to empower others sharing resources, knowledge of living with a disability, and goal setting to live an independent life.

Population(s) Served
People with disabilities

The Assistive Technology program provides product demonstrations, consulting, workshops, peer discussion groups and online forums about assistive, adaptive or rehabilitation services for people with disabilities. The AT demo lab in Alameda allows individuals to try out in-home AT.

Population(s) Served
People with disabilities

Individuals can meet with work incentives benefits counselors for 1 on 1 counseling that addresses how to main their SSI and SSDI benefits, or how these benefits get affected once employed.

Population(s) Served
People with disabilities

The Sports & Recreation program encourages participants to practice and learn adaptive sports including quad rugby, wheelchair tennis, goalball, and media classes. Adaptive sports are open to disabled and non disabled community members. Participants have the opportunity to develop communication and social skills while building a sense of community through their shared interests.

Population(s) Served
People with disabilities

The travel coaches of the Community Connections program work with individuals to gain skills and confidence so they can independently navigate their routes in the Bay Area using Bart and AC transit.

Population(s) Served
People with disabilities

Where we work

Videos

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Total dollar amount of grants awarded

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Health

Type of Metric

Input - describing resources we use

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of Facebook followers

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Health

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Number of curricula designed

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Health

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Context Notes

Examples: -Self-Advocacy 101 -Travel Coaching Guidebook -Disability Employment Strategies Course

Number of training workshops

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Health

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Context Notes

Examples: -Living Well Workshop for Seniors -Disability Employment Strategies Workshop -COVID-19 Travel Safety Workshop

Number of website pageviews

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Population(s) Served

Health

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

The Center for Independent Living (The CIL) provides advocacy and services that increase awareness, collaboration, and opportunity among people with disabilities and the community at large.
Our programs provides people with skills, knowledge, and resources that empower them to eliminate damaging and stereotypical notions of disability so that they are able to strive toward realizing their full human potential.

TheCIL provides services that empower people with disabilities strive toward realizing their full human potential. TheCIL offers programs, workshops, classes, peer counseling and consultations to the the community members. Some focus areas include sports and recreation, assistive technology, the five pathways for transition-aged youth, travel training, housing modifications, housing consultations, and work incentives and benefits consulting.

TheCIL's staff work with clients on a 1-on-1 and group basis to assist them with the skills or knowledge so that they can pursue and often attain their goals. TheCIL strives to be a resource to people with disabilities.

TheCIL offers programs, workshops, classes, peer counseling and consultations to residents of Alameda County, and oftentimes we get inquiries from out of state and even internationally! In the last year, TheCIL opened a new office in Alameda, had more than 500 people members participate in programming, and answered nearly 8,000 disability related questions for members of the community. Additionally, in collaboration with Oakland Unified and Alameda Unified School Districts, TheCIL launched the Five pathways to Independence a youth focused initiative aimed to help students with disabilities be successful with their transition into postsecondary life. We've also kicked started TheCIL lifestyle division, launched an assistive technology internet video series Power On, and won a grant to expand our Living Well program to our Spanish speaking Fruitvale office.

In addition to growing membership, we also hope to further engage the larger community through these programs. Every adaptive sporting or technology demo is an open invitation for people with and without disabilities to engage with one another on a common field, enabling them to share experiences and develop communication and social skills while building a network of peers.

In this coming year, we plan to bringing presentations to schools and corporations to present adaptive sports as a team building activity, developing a online forum for technology users to connect users from all over the United States, and deliver our services to the needs of the Spanish speaking population.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • Who are the people you serve with your mission?

    The Center for Independent Living provides advocacy and services that increase awareness, collaboration, and opportunity among people with disabilities and the community at large in Berkeley, Oakland, and Alameda California. Our programs provide people with skills, knowledge, and resources that empower them to eliminate damaging and stereotypical notions of disability so that they can strive toward realizing their full human potential.

  • How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?

    Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Community meetings/Town halls, Suggestion box/email,

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,

  • What significant change resulted from feedback?

    We received feedback that many community groups and members of the disability community do not feel comfortable with in person services. Thus, our Advocacy Team redesigned our Disability Awareness Training to have a virtual curriculum. Now, we offer these trainings in person and over Zoom.

  • With whom is the organization sharing feedback?

    Our staff, Our board, Our community partners,

  • How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?

    TheCIL has put great effort into receiving survey feedback from low income and BIPOC individuals. By doing so, we are able to specialize our services to better assist underserved communities.

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We act on the feedback we receive,

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback,

Financials

CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING

Board of directors
as of 02/22/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board co-chair

Caleb Van Docto

Social Policy Research Associates


Board co-chair

Josh Halstead

Oportune

Owen Kent

Entrepreneur

Sherri Rita

Kaiser Permanente

Peter Sussman

Retired Journalist

Kanwar Singh

LifeLong Medical Care

Joan Leon

Retired

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 2/3/2022

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or Straight
Disability status
Person with a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 02/03/2022

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
  • We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.