CEN - Center for Excellence in Nonprofits

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CEN - Center for Excellence in Nonprofits

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CEN is a resource and training organization for nonprofit executive directors, emerging leaders, and board members. Interested in learning more?

At CEN we are committed to building strong relationships with our nonprofit colleagues. We fully understand the challenges our sector faces and work hard to provide access to exceptional resources and to connect nonprofit and community leaders in ways that strengthen all of us. As the established local resource for information on nonprofit leadership and governance, CEN works closely with nearly 200 member organizations serving chief executives, emerging leaders, and board members in a variety of unique ways. Please check out our services and events tabs for additional information. Welcome to the CEN community for nonprofits!

10/23/2026

November is just around the corner, and now is a great time to plan your learning for the month ahead.

Our November interactive learning opportunities are designed for nonprofit leaders at every stage, whether you’re leading a team for the first time or looking for a refresher in leading practices after years in the sector. Topics include leadership, nonprofit finances, strategic planning, fund development, governance, people management, and team culture.

November workshops:

Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Boot Camp | November 3 to 5 | 9 AM to 12 PM and 1 PM to 4 PM PST daily (online)
Management Basics, Part 1 | November 12 | 9 AM to 12 PM PST (in person at the Sobrato Redwood Shores Center)
Management Basics, Part 2 | November 12 | 1 PM to 4 PM PST (in person at the Sobrato Redwood Shores Center)
Developing a High Performing Team | November 19 | 9 AM to 12 PM PST (online)

Check out the learning calendar and save your spot early: https://www.cen.org/learning-calendar

10/20/2026

Over the next few weeks, we’re introducing each of the leaders taking part in Leaders Institute 20, and we’re starting with Samuel Cortez.

Born in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico, Samuel has spent more than three decades directing, choreographing, and teaching Mexican folklórico in the United States, including long-term leadership with Los Lupeños de San José. His work centers on cultural continuity and intergenerational learning, and he was recently awarded a Doctorado Honoris Causa by the Claustro Doctoral de las Bellas Artes y Humanidades in recognition of his contributions to the art form.

We’re so glad to have Samuel in this cohort and look forward to sharing this experience with him.

Help us give him a warm welcome in the comments, and stay tuned for more updates about Leaders Institute 20!

10/10/2026

Today is World Mental Health Day, and this year's theme calls on communities to listen closely to the lived experiences of people whose mental health is shaped by the conditions where they live and work.

Across the nonprofit sector, those conditions often mean meeting growing community needs with limited staff and resources. Independent Sector's 2025 Health of the U.S. Nonprofit Sector report found that nearly seven in ten organizations name staff burnout as a challenge, and close to six in ten say the same about their executive and senior leadership.

CEN believes the long-term sustainability of nonprofits depends on the wellbeing of the people who guide them. Our team encourages organizations and leaders to strive to create liberated workspaces and treat rest as foundational for staff, board, and those served. CEN practices bi-annual Rest and Relaxation weeks, offers a Preventing Burnout workshop, and provides consulting support for teams building healthier workplace cultures.

If you lead or work at a nonprofit, what helps you feel supported in your role? Share your experience in the comments.

10/08/2026

Reminder that October brings exciting growth opportunities to our community through workshops designed for nonprofit leaders at every stage, from those building their first budget or board to seasoned executives refreshing their leading practices.

Nonprofit Budgeting Essentials, October 8, 1 to 4 PM PT
Recruiting & Retaining a High Performing Board, October 22, 1 to 4 PM PT

Don't miss the chance to join us, and visit our learning calendar to register and learn more: https://www.cen.org/learning-calendar

09/22/2026

Yesterday on September 21, the world observed the International Day of Peace, established by the United Nations in 1981 and marked every year since on this fixed date. This year's theme, "Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day," calls attention to what the UN describes as the everyday architects of peace, people doing the quiet, consistent work of building stability and trust in their own communities.

That effort looks a lot like what we see across CEN's own network. Karuna Center and Peace-it-together have built their missions around peacebuilding, and we're grateful to know leaders doing this firsthand.

Strong organizations and lasting peace get built the same way, through consistent effort, trusted relationships, and people committing to it every single day.

09/14/2026

Last month, Illyasha Peete, President of AFP Silicon Valley, shared her perspective on equity in philanthropy as part of our My Focus Is My Locus series.

Diversifying a donor base changes who's on your list, but sharing power changes who helps make decisions, and that distinction shapes whether representation actually leads to influence.

Illyasha also makes the case for leading fundraising with curiosity rather than assumption, asking who someone is and what matters to them before asking what they can give.

Catch up on the full piece: https://www.cen.org/blog/equity-in-philanthropy

09/04/2026

Subscribe to CEN's newsletter to stay connected with our community of nonprofit leaders!

Each issue brings you upcoming workshops, program announcements, alumni stories, and reflections on leading practices in nonprofit management and governance, delivered directly to your inbox. It's the most reliable way to stay ahead of registration deadlines, incentives, and new opportunities as they open.

Sign up here: https://www.cen.org/newsletter

09/02/2026

This fall, CEN is growing its board development programming, and it starts with the Board Bootcamp for Leadership Success on October 3rd.

Whether you're already serving on a board or thinking about it for the first time, this session gives you concrete tools to strengthen governance and lead more effectively as a board member.

Sign up early and bring a colleague along on us, a small thank-you for the leaders who plan ahead!

Save your spot: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/board-chair-essentials-workshop-registration-1988963161357?aff=Facebook

More board-focused programs are coming this fall. Stay tuned for details.

08/31/2026

CEN's Change Management Series continues September 9th with the Leading Others Through Change Workshop, running 9 AM to 12 PM PST.

How people are led through a change effort determines whether it succeeds, more than any plan on paper ever could. This session gives nonprofit executives, board members, emerging leaders, and key staff the tools to understand why change initiatives commonly stall, build a framework for leading change from the start, and create real commitment from their teams along the way.

Participants leave with a digital badge of completion to display on LinkedIn.

Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/finding-hiring-engaging-new-team-members-workshop-tickets-1988936416362?aff=Facebook

08/28/2026

As Black Philanthropy Month comes to a close, we're wrapping our My Focus Is My Locus series with a piece from Illyasha Peete, CEN Consultant and President of AFP Silicon Valley, on equity in philanthropy.

In her words: ""Black Philanthropy Month reminds us that generosity has always been part of Black communities, long before it was widely recognized or called philanthropy.""

Illyasha writes about building trust with donors, sharing power rather than simply diversifying a donor list, and leading fundraising with curiosity instead of assumption, ideas that connect closely to CEN's own IDEAL framework.

Read the full piece: https://www.cen.org/blog/equity-in-philanthropy

Address

330 Twin Dolphin Drive Ste 151
Redwood City, CA
94065

Telephone

+16505175855

Website

http://www.cen.org/

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