CEN - Center for Excellence in Nonprofits

CEN - Center for Excellence in Nonprofits 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 2

00 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!

06/23/2026

If you've been on the fence about professional development for your team, Yamilex Peña, Facilitator and Leadership Development & Program Systems Specialist, is back to walk you through what makes a CEN workshop a different experience altogether.

We agree that webinars are useful. You can rewatch them, reference them, and share them!

The biggest difference is the experience itself. At a CEN workshop, you show up as yourself, with curiosity and not necessarily expertise, get introduced to peers navigating the nonprofit sector alongside you, and and engage in real conversations about the work.

As Yamilex puts it, "Don't just come learn. Come be." Whether you come to CEN with decades of experience or just with curiosity, you will be invited into a space to connect, be active, present, and surrounded by people with different perspectives. And right now, the nonprofit sector needs that more than ever.

Whether you're new to the nonprofit industry or have decades of experience,

Our Workshop Subscription gives your organization access to all of CEN's workshops from July 2026 through June 2027 for a flat fee of $1,000 for organizations with up to 25 staff and board members. This offer is available until July 15, secure your organization's subscription ASAP!

Learn more: https://www.cen.org/workshop-subscription-campaign

06/19/2026

Leading a nonprofit means carrying your mission, your team, and your community all at once, often with fewer resources than the work demands.

Sarah Dean, Leaders Institute Alumni, found both the tools and the community to do it better through CEN's Leaders Institute.

"I've appreciated the community and the camaraderie of my fellow leaders and look forward to continuing the network that we've created."

Leaders Institute is an intensive leadership development program designed for nonprofit executive directors and CEOs, with a few spots reserved for next-gen executives on that path.

Participants build practical leadership tools, deepen their capacity to lead under pressure, and gain a peer network that stays with them long after the program ends.

Applications for the 2026-2027 cohort are open now. Ask about scholarship opportunities.

Apply here: https://forms.clickup.com/8633281/f/87ey1-28214/QY6WXF426D4HG80GSJ

Add comment: Know someone who should apply? Tag them in the comments!"

This Pride Month, celebrate the leaders, advocates, mentors, and changemakers who help create stronger, more welcoming c...
06/19/2026

This Pride Month, celebrate the leaders, advocates, mentors, and changemakers who help create stronger, more welcoming communities.

Honor someone making a difference with a Pride CeleGram, a personalized e-card paired with a donation that supports nonprofit leaders across our region.

Whether you're recognizing a colleague, friend, board member, volunteer, or community champion, your gift celebrates their impact while helping strengthen the nonprofit sector.

🌈 Send a message of appreciation.
🌈 Support leadership development.
🌈 Celebrate Pride with purpose.

Send a Pride CeleGram today: https://www.cen.org/celegrams

06/17/2026

Recently, we launched our Workshop Subscription, and maybe you're new around here and have been wondering what our workshops are like.

Here's one of CEN's facilitators, Yamilex Peña, to give you a clearer picture.

A CEN workshop is a genuinely interactive space where nonprofit professionals across sectors come together to ask questions, share perspectives, and think through real challenges in real time. You're not just listening, you're participating, connecting, and walking away with insights and ideas shaped by the people in the room with you.

Now it's your team's turn to experience it! Our Workshop Subscription gives your organization access to all of CEN's workshops from July 2026 through June 2027 for a flat fee of $1,000 for organizations with up to 25 staff and board members. This offer is available until July 15.

Learn more: https://www.cen.org/workshop-subscription-campaign

Comment: Know an organization that could benefit from this? Tag them in the comments or share this post with someone who needs to see it.

In such a complex time, professional development can feel like a luxury. It is precisely in moments like these that pour...
06/12/2026

In such a complex time, professional development can feel like a luxury.

It is precisely in moments like these that pouring into the leaders doing the work of holding together missions, teams, organizations, and communities matters most.

CEN's 19th Leaders Institute cohort made that commitment, even in lean times, and reaped the benefits of nine months of intensive self-reflection, co-learning, and community with peers who understand the weight of this work.

Now we are opening the door for the 20th cohort. Leaders Institute is designed for nonprofit executive directors and CEOs, though each cohort reserves a few spots for next-gen executives who are on that path.

During Leaders Institute, participants build practical leadership tools, deepen their capacity to lead under pressure, and gain a peer network that stays with them long after the program ends.

Applications are open! Apply here: https://forms.clickup.com/8633281/f/87ey1-28214/QY6WXF426D4HG80GSJ

06/05/2026

CEN workshops are interactive and built around the participants.

When staff and board members learn alongside each other, the conversation gets deeper and the takeaways are more grounded in the actual work your organization is doing.

"The setting made it easy to engage, share, and learn from one another." That is what a participant shared after attending a recent CEN workshop, and it speaks to something we work hard to get right.

We do not limit the number of attendees in our sessions. Whether a group is large or small, the interactive format ensures there is always a valuable exchange of ideas and practical outcomes.

For a flat fee of $1,000, the Workshop Subscription gives your team access to a full year of CEN workshops. Have your team attend seven workshops and the subscription pays for itself!

The $1,000 offer is available until July 15, after which pricing increases.

Learn more and subscribe here: https://www.cen.org/workshop-subscription-campaign

Know an organization that could benefit from this? Tag them in the comments or share this post with someone who needs to see it.

Applications for Leaders Institute 2026-2027 are officially open!Two weeks ago, we celebrated the 19th cohort of Leaders...
06/01/2026

Applications for Leaders Institute 2026-2027 are officially open!

Two weeks ago, we celebrated the 19th cohort of Leaders Institute at their graduation in Redwood City . For 19 years, this program has brought together nonprofit leaders who are committed to growing not just their skills, but their capacity to lead with intention

Now we are opening the door for the 20th.

Leaders Institute is an annual, intensive leadership development program designed for nonprofit executive directors and CEOs.

Over nine months, participants build practical tools, a strong peer network, and the kind of leadership depth that strengthens both themselves and their organizations.

If that sounds like you or someone you know, applications for the 2026-2027 cohort are open now.

Apply here: https://forms.clickup.com/8633281/f/87ey1-28214/QY6WXF426D4HG80GSJ

Know someone who should apply? Tag them in the comments or share this with someone who needs to see it.

On May 19, we celebrated the Leaders Institute 19th Cohort Graduation in Redwood City. The grads were united in person t...
05/30/2026

On May 19, we celebrated the Leaders Institute 19th Cohort Graduation in Redwood City.

The grads were united in person to culminate 8 months of intensive self reflection, co-learning, and community building. The connection between these brilliant leaders was palpable. We were joined byDra. Linda Prieto of Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund (SV2), graduate of our 13th cohort and the evening's Outstanding Alumni award recipient, who painted a picture of the benefits of investing in her leadership through Leaders Institute as well as the strong relationships built that have remained central to her journey. Accompanied by her son, Dra. Linda offered insights on how to lead while prioritizing family relationships as well.

Congratulations to every leader who completed this program! We are excited to support your ongoing contributions to the alumni community.
A heartfelt thank you to our volunteer photographer Hans Zeller for capturing the evening so beautifully.

Applications for our 20th Leaders Institute cohort are coming soon! If you or someone you know is a nonprofit executive director or CEO ready to invest in their leadership, submit your information here: https://form-usa.keela.co/leaders-institute-interest-form

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We love receiving messages like this after our workshops.Following a recent Applied Wisdom session, an attendee sent thi...
05/27/2026

We love receiving messages like this after our workshops.

Following a recent Applied Wisdom session, an attendee sent this note to our CEO, Shana Peete:

""I attended CEN's workshop about Applied Wisdom today and was reminded how much I appreciate the way your team facilitates these learning opportunities. I'll look for more resources for myself and my team on your site. Thank you!""

Creating an environment where leaders feel supported and equipped is exactly why we do this work.

We design our programs to be highly interactive, ensuring that participants walk away with insights they can actually apply to their daily challenges.

Sustaining the nonprofit sector requires a holistic approach, which means offering resources tailored to support you, your organization, and your board.

If you are looking for ways to invest in your team's growth, you can explore our upcoming sessions on our learning calendar. https://www.cen.org/learning-calendar

And if you want to make those resources accessible to your entire staff, we recently launched our new Workshop Subscription.

This annual flat fee gives your organization access to all CEN workshops for an entire year. It is a practical way to build capacity and strengthen skills without forcing leaders to choose which team members get to attend a training.

Learn more about the subscription and secure your spot here: https://www.cen.org/workshop-subscription-campaign

Know an organization that could benefit from this? Tag them in the comments or share this post with someone who needs to see it.

"Today we are introducing My Focus is My Locus, a new monthly series where our team shares honest perspectives on the re...
05/25/2026

"Today we are introducing My Focus is My Locus, a new monthly series where our team shares honest perspectives on the realities of nonprofit leadership.

For our first piece, our CEO Shana Peete reflects on the tension between endless daily distractions and the need for sustainable leadership. She shares how intentional focus shapes what organizations are able to build during complex times.

"Sustainable leadership, especially in challenging times, cannot be built in a perpetual state of reaction. That is why my personal mantra this season has been: My focus is my locus."

Read Shana's full reflection here: https://www.cen.org/blog/the-tension-between-doing-the-mission-and-managing-the-people-doing-it

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Address

330 Twin Dolphin Drive Ste 151
Redwood City, CA
94065

Telephone

+16505175855

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