Leadership Investment in Action: Fueling Nonprofit Executive Leadership for Community Transformation
The Chief Executive Leaders Ascend Program (CELAP) is a leadership investment model that strengthens both nonprofit organizations and the executives who lead them. CELAP recognizes that sustainable community impact requires healthy, prepared, and financially secure leaders, not just well-run institutions.
Serving nonprofit executives advancing change east of the river in Washington, DC, CELAP integrates grantmaking, executive development, organizational capacity building, and personal sustainability supports into one comprehensive experience.
The 2025–26 Cohort
CELAP’s Cohort 3 brings together a dynamic group of Black women nonprofit leaders from across Washington, DC. This program fosters leadership development, peer connection, and organizational capacity-building, strengthening both individual leadership and long-term sustainability.
Participants engage in tailored learning experiences, build a strong peer network, and deepen their ability to lead impactful, community-centered work. To learn more about the program, click here.
This cohort’s participants include:
Akua M. Tay – Connected To Culture
Website: connectedtoculture.org
Overview: Celebrates Black culture, supports small businesses, and creates economic opportunities in underserved communities.
About Akua: Akua M. Tay is a community-centered entrepreneur, cultural curator, and Founder and Executive Director of Connected To Culture. For nearly a decade, she has elevated Black history and contemporary issues through digital storytelling and community engagement, creating programs that amplify local voices and foster economic empowerment.
Angela M. Jones – Youth Guidance DC
Website: youth-guidance.org/youth-guidance-washington-dc
Overview: Supports youth development, wellness, and postsecondary success through school-based programs and partnerships.
About Angela: Angela M. Jones is an experienced nonprofit executive with more than 15 years of leadership in strategic growth and community impact. As Executive Director of Youth Guidance DC, she advances initiatives that promote youth wellness and long-term success across the region.
Cordelia Cranshaw – Acts of Random Kindness (ARK)
Website: ark-dc.org
Overview: Provides life skills development, leadership programming, and trauma-informed support for youth and families.
About Cordelia: Cordelia Cranshaw is a nationally recognized advocate, licensed clinical social worker, and nonprofit leader. As Founder and Executive Director of ARK, she leads with a focus on healing and transformation, grounded in lived experience and a deep commitment to community care.
Ebony Lache Gibson – Mothers On Purpose
Website: mailchi.mp/a3de4e4e9c46/mothers-on-purpose
Overview: Supports mothers impacted by gun violence through grief support, healing-centered programming, and economic empowerment.
About Ebony: Ebony Lache Gibson is the Founder of Mothers On Purpose, where she creates spaces for healing, connection, and long-term stability for women navigating loss. Her work centers compassion, resilience, and empowerment.
Jeanine A. Henderson Arnett – The Crowned In Resilience Collective & Foundation
Website: thecircdc.com
Overview: Focuses on trauma-informed youth development, workforce readiness, and community healing.
About Jeanine: Jeanine A. Henderson Arnett is a nonprofit executive and strategist dedicated to advancing equity and opportunity. As Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, she leads program strategy, partnerships, and operations while supporting broader nonprofit sustainability through consulting.
Jasmine Goodman – TRAPP With LOVE Inc.
Website: trappwithlove.org
Overview: Provides youth outreach, mentorship, and trauma-informed support.
About Jasmine: Jasmine Goodman is the Founder and CEO of TRAPP With LOVE Inc. Her work is rooted in lived experience and centers direct engagement with young people, creating environments where they feel supported, valued, and empowered.
K’La Jackson – Obatala’s Children
Website: obatalaschildren.org
Overview: Supports Black families navigating disability and maternal health challenges.
About K’La: K’La Jackson is a mother, advocate, and Founder and Executive Director of Obatala’s Children. Her work focuses on disability justice, maternal health, and collective care, building community-centered spaces grounded in storytelling and healing.
Nel-Sylvia M. Guzman, Esq. – The Safe Sisters Circle
Website: safesisterscircle.org
Overview: Provides legal services and advocacy for Black survivors.
About Nel-Sylvia: Nel-Sylvia M. Guzman is an attorney and nonprofit executive serving as Executive Director of The Safe Sisters Circle. Her leadership has expanded access to justice-centered services, and she is a national voice on advancing support for underserved communities.
Niesha Slaughter – The Difference Society
Website: thedifferencesociety.org
Overview: Empowers youth and families through financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and career development.
About Niesha: Niesha Slaughter is the Founder and Executive Director of The Difference Society. She equips young people with the tools to achieve financial independence and long-term stability through education, mentorship, and community partnerships.
Reginia Summers – NeverBlackDown
Website: neverblackdown.org
Overview: Advances youth leadership, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement.
About Reginia: Reginia Summers is the Founder of NeverBlackDown, where she creates opportunities for youth to build confidence, develop leadership skills, and drive meaningful change in their communities.
2025–26 Program Timeline
Program Duration: March 2026 – February 2027
- March–April 2026: Program kickoff, cohort alignment, and initial organizational assessments
- Spring/Summer 2026: Core trainings in fundraising, financial management, and operations
- Summer/Fall 2026: Ongoing wellness sessions and application of organizational strategies
- Winter 2027: Final evaluations, leadership reflection, and next-phase planning
Returning Core Investments (Proven Pillars of CELAP):
• Grantmaking – Up to $25,000 in general operating support to strengthen organizational sustainability
• Executive Leadership Development – Year-long cohort experience with structured learning sessions
• Capacity Building Programming – Organizational assessments and customized growth plans
• Wellness-Centered Support – Dedicated sessions focused on resilience, leadership stamina, and long-term sustainability
New & Expanded for Cohort 3:
• Organizational and Financial Health Strengthening – Expanded focus on long-term sustainability, including revenue diversification strategy, financial planning tools, and fiscal health benchmarks
• Personal Financial Health & Succession Planning – New supports designed to help leaders strengthen personal financial stability, prepare for long-term leadership transitions, and build lasting organizational continuity
Funders and Acknowledgments
The Center for Nonprofit Advancement thanks JPMorgan Chase, the Jane Bancroft Robinson Foundation, and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield for their commitment to strengthening nonprofit leadership and organizational sustainability in Wards 7 and 8.
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