Center for Nonprofit Excellence obtains independent 501(c)(3) status
Press release from the Center for Nonprofit Excellence
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNE) is excited to announce the completion of the process to become an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. This certification as a federal and state nonprofit organization allows the agency to expand services to serve the local nonprofit ecosystem.
Since its inception in 2015 as a Leadership Gainesville Class 40 initiative, CNE has established itself as a vital resource for nonprofit education, support, and advocacy in North Central Florida. CNE has provided members and the broader community with access to essential learning opportunities, resources, and collaborative partnerships to improve and promote the nonprofit sector.
“The achievement of this organizational milestone provides greater opportunities for CNE to expand our impact,” said CNE Chief Organizational Strategist Dr. Theresa Beachy. “From greater participation in collective impact work to implementing relevant and actionable programming, we recognized that realizing our full potential required the flexibility and focus that comes with independent operation.”
The transition process began in May 2025, culminating in CNE’s inaugural Board of Directors meeting on July 17, 2025. Seven distinguished local partners have committed to guiding CNE through this pivotal transformation, bringing expertise across multiple sectors to address current and future challenges in nonprofit education, support, and advocacy. Utilizing a membership business model that centers on fee-for-service programming and strategic membership growth rather than traditional fundraising ensures that CNE will not compete with member organizations. “Our vision is to create a sustainable model that serves our community without competing with the very organizations we support,” explained CNE Board Chair John C. Barli. “By focusing on fee-based services and strategic partnerships with the business community, we can expand our capacity while maintaining our core mission.”
As an independent organization, CNE will expand its role in community-wide collective impact initiatives, with plans to increase membership among agencies engaged in targeted work while deepening engagement with existing members at all organizational levels.
Commitment to Members
With the funding support from the Children’s Trust of Alachua County and Alachua County, CNE is now able to expand member services to address critical capacity building topics such as fundraising strategies, financial operations and reporting, deliverables and data collection, use of volunteers, Board Governance education, and collaboration efforts. In addition, the staff and local consultants have begun offering strategy and advocacy sessions, a hotline for Human Resources expertise, online Leadership Education, and professional coaching.
CNE is committed to optimal return on membership investment. The organization’s goal is to deliver actionable and relevant programs for staff at all organizational levels, serving agencies of all sizes across the full spectrum of community issues and program development stages.