Southern California Center for Nonprofit Management

Nonprofit organizations, like those served by CNM, succeed when their people – leaders, volunteers, and staff – are equipped with the skills and tools they need to achieve their organization’s mission. CNM’s goal is to provide purpose-driven leaders with the skills, tools and connections they need to drive change within the communities they serve.

Southern California’s nonprofit sector is an essential catalyst for addressing human need – hunger, healthcare, education, arts and culture, and can be a beneficial force for inclusion, racial equity, and fairness. CNM was established to reduce barriers, increase opportunity, and help organizations meet the essential needs of the disadvantaged individuals and communities they serve.

In March 2020, as the scope of the crisis emerged, CNM began responding to thousands of Southern California organizations seeking help. Since that time, more than 3,750 sector personnel have registered for webinars, virtual conferences, personalized coaching sessions, and peer-to-peer discussions. There is a deep need for solutions during this crisis, and CNM’s programs aim to equip nonprofits with the skills and knowledge assets needed to function successfully.

As management expert Jim Collins notes: A good vision is irrelevant if you do not have the right people on board to achieve that vision. Transformation is at the heart of all CNM does – teaching and guiding leaders so that nonprofit organizations are able to plan strategically, find solutions, deliver results, and adapt at an exponential pace.

CNM believes leadership is the starting point to effective performance, organization-wide. To successfully lead or move your mission forward, every nonprofit’s team needs a set of comprehensive skills that are responsive to the fast-changing and diverse environment of today and rooted in sound management principles.

CNM employs a comprehensive array of professional development services, including management and board training seminars; executive coaching and organizational consulting working with small groups to facilitate planning and decision-making; and a variety of published and online resources. We design our programs and services to meet the evolving needs of Southern California’s current and emerging nonprofit leaders working to increase their organizations’ impact and reach and use a three-tiered strategic approach:

Build skills and strengthen individuals:
- Our programs help build new skills, explore best practices, and connect with peers during management seminars and leadership academies.

Build organizations and drive change:
- CNM’s consultants work with organizations, networks, consortiums, or groups interested in successful leadership continuity, strategic planning, organizational and community impact assessments, effective governance, program evaluation, and facilitated collaboration.

Build peer networks:
- We bring together community members who represent diverse perspectives to exchange ideas, explore best practices, and discover collaborative strategies for achieving common goals.

CNM is made up of experts in professional and organizational development who are trained in adult learning. Our team has expertise in unlocking ideas and sharing what we know about what works; we offer practical, solutions to the real-time challenges organizations are facing and we are adept at finding creative solutions to complicated problems.

Our approach is grounded in a deep nonprofit and public sector experience, spanning a wide range of client types including Public Health and Safety, Foundations, Housing, Education, Transportation, and Community Partnerships.

Yearly, we serve thousands of nonprofit leaders who turn to our team of consultants, certified coaches, and experienced instructors to help nonprofit board members, sector professionals, and engaged volunteers get answers they can trust using our practical proven strategies and relevant tools.

We offer a range of instructive seminars, certificate programs, and conferences; all designed to offer the best practices for managing people, projects and organizations and to create new connections.

The organizations we serve rely on our thoughtful data collection and analysis, helping them to obtain the facts needed to address their specific challenges. We have experience at creating successful public/private coalitions and positively engaging community groups with a shared interest around a common social impact outcome.

We have a successful track record of working in under-resourced communities, and CNM’s dependable and relevant programs, services, and tools are designed to strengthen individual leadership in practical, actionable ways and build organizational strength in marginalized communities.

Through our consulting work, we have built effective consortia in South LA and other fragile, vulnerable communities in which the community is heard and engaged in making choices that, when implemented, improve the quality of life for the community.

Certification programs specifically focused on skilling and advancing social impact sector professionals and board members of color to date have seen more than 940 graduates, of which have better than 80% have gone on to assume larger roles within their organizations.

Organizations working on issues of systemic racism and inequality are increasingly turning to CNM for help with their organization’s evolution as they develop a robust infrastructure that addresses issues of inclusion and equity.

Going forward, we will continue to help the local nonprofit sector evolve to better represent the communities it serves through the equipping and professional development of diverse leaders. Likewise, as the nonprofit sector continues to become more professional, CNM will remain at the forefront of enlightened, evolved thinking and applicable best practices; thereby helping to drive community change.