Southern California Center for Nonprofit Management

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
953357253
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Phone
2132668440
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Public, Societal Benefit

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$11,450,482
Expenses
$10,064,728
Assets
$4,115,687
Liabilities
$1,580,234

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • EFRAIN ESCOBEDO (PRESIDENT AND CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • EFRAIN ESCOBEDO (PRESIDENT AND CEO): $239,502 total reported compensation
  • ANGELICA FRIAS (CP OF ACTION & ENGAGEMENT): $122,777 total reported compensation
  • ERIC DERGHAZARIAN (WP OF RESEARCH & SOCIAL IMPACT): $118,090 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The southern California center for nonprofit management (cnm) fosters thriving communities in southern California by equipping nonprofit leaders and groups with access to current best management and governance practices to expand their impact and reach. Most organizations served by cnm operate in and around la county, home to more than 30% of California's most vulnerable residents. Given the impact of the pandemic and the current economic and cultural forces putting pressure on social structures to address inequality: nonprofit board members, executives, and aligned peer groups turn to cnm to learn how to operate more strategically, find solutions, deliver results, and adapt at an exponential pace.

What it reported doing in 2024

(a&e): cnm strengthened sector engagement and collective action through coordinated policy, partnership, and activation strategies that mobilized nonprofit leadership across southern California. The organization convened and expanded coalitions of more than 150 nonprofits to advance contracting reform efforts in los angeles county, while collaborating with strategic partners to develop policy analysis and implementation tools to support movement building. Cnm also advanced advocacy efforts to secure renewed funding for capacity building grants programs and expanded sector readiness through contracting toolkits and targeted training offerings. Complementing these efforts, cnm's strategic cross-sector partnership portfolio supported five public sector initiatives (continued on sch. O) providing grants administration, training, and development support to approximately 120 community-based organizations in partnership with l.a. County departments and the city of sacramento. Additional partnership activities included activation hub supports, regranting initiatives, and responsive wildfire recovery resources to strengthen nonprofit sustainability and workforce resilience.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 61% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 78
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 47
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 74.3%; rating input score 74
  • Program expense ratio: 84.5%; rating input score 84
  • Fundraising efficiency: $66.89 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 12.1%; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.41; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.38; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.6%; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 16.9% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 12.7% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 16.6% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 74.3% of revenue deployed · 84.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $8.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $240K · 16 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1.2M reported
  • Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 59 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 53 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 12/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 38/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 46/100.