Our Mission
To strengthen, promote and represent nonprofit organizations, empowering them to meet the diverse, changing needs of our communities.
Our Members
Our member organizations touch the lives of countless adults, children and families throughout our region, and in some cases, throughout the nation and the world.
Our members protect our environment, help the homeless, support the arts, feed the hungry, advance education, provide employment assistance, nurture the sick, champion the underserved, and so much more. Their dedication and hard work have a direct, life-changing impact on our communities.
Member Highlight: Father McKenna Center
The Father McKenna Center serves men struggling with homelessness and families experiencing food insecurity in Washington, DC. Inspired by the legacy of Jesuit Priest Father Horace McKenna — “Washington’s priest to the poor”—the Center provides food, shelter, and pathways to stability for those most marginalized in our community.
Since 1983, the Father McKenna Center has been a trusted presence just steps from the U.S. Capitol, offering both immediate relief and long-term support. Our Day Shelter, Hypothermia Transition Housing, and Food Pantry programs meet urgent needs for safety and nourishment while also serving as gateway services for other programming opportunities that allow men and families to build resilience and independence. Every service reflects Father McKenna’s belief that dignity begins with meeting basic needs.
Grounded in the Ignatian tradition of care and justice, we walk alongside each person with compassion and respect. From crisis intervention to holistic accompaniment, we strive to break cycles of poverty and homelessness — one meal, one conversation, and one life at a time.
“The Center for Nonprofit Advancement is a critical partner to the Father McKenna Center, with their support and community-focused offerings helping to provide training, better care, and stronger benefits to our staff at a lower cost so we can direct more of our funding towards our community members in need. We couldn’t be more grateful for CNA’s support and continued partnership!” — Ben Hoffschneider, Development Coordinator, The Father McKenna Center
Our Team
Created in 1979, the Center for Nonprofit Advancement is the nation’s first state association for nonprofit organizations. For more than four decades, the Center has continued to grow and advance, thanks to the efforts of a dedicated group:
Our Impact
The Center’s primary service region includes Washington, DC, Prince George's and Montgomery Counties in Maryland and the state of Virginia. However, the Center welcomes any 501(c)(3) nonprofit that wishes to join.
Identifying, monitoring and sharing new and shifting trends within the nonprofit sector, the Center works collaboratively with local experts to develop custom programs and solutions. Through our training, resources and relationships with the corporate, philanthropic and government community, we help our member nonprofits save more … do more … and succeed more—ultimately achieving a more sustainable future.
The Center serves thousands of nonprofit staff, volunteers and board members, making it easier for nonprofits to fulfill their missions by helping them:
Strengthen capacity through training opportunities —
1,500+ participants a year
Reallocate more funds to programs with operational savings —
10%-50% discounts through group purchasing opportunities
Gain expert insights, market exposure and cash awards through competitions —
$29,000 cash grants awarded each year
Network with nonprofit colleagues, industry experts and leaders in the foundation and government sectors —
Countless invaluable connections
Our Values
We believe that...
Nonprofits are an essential ingredient in the health of our communities and our democracy. Strong nonprofits lead to better communities, better quality of life and a better democracy.
Nonprofits are stewards of public trust. Transparency and accountability are the foundation of that trust.
Diversity in all forms — organizations, people, religions, and culture — is part of our vitality. Promoting diversity and practicing inclusiveness makes us stronger.
The vibrancy and effectiveness of nonprofits hinge on information, education, celebration, collaboration, and representation. Nonprofits deserve a strong voice in the affairs that affect them. Together, we shape the future.
Intention, commitment, optimism, and a belief in a better tomorrow are vital ingredients in our growth and development and our service philosophy. Every day we strive to do better, be better, serve better.
Social Impact Vision
Effective nonprofits, thriving communities.