Center for New Leadership Merges with Common Good Vermont

Marlboro College is pleased to announce that its Center for New Leadership (CNL), providing innovative approaches to leadership for nonprofits throughout Vermont, has merged with Chittenden County–based Common Good Vermont. The merger, which will significantly expand CNL’s impact on nonprofits and other mission-driven organizations across the state, was made possible thanks to generous grants from the A.D. Henderson Foundation and the Vermont Community Foundation.

“The services provided by CNL and Common Good Vermont complement each other beautifully,” said Kate McGowan, who will serve as the director of the combined entity. While CNL offers the popular Certificate in Nonprofit Management and other immersive training programs, Common Good Vermont is the proven “go to resource” for online web resources and on-demand short courses, and has proven to be a reliable advocate for the nonprofit sector through statewide efforts such as the annual Nonprofit Legislative Day.

McGowan continues, “By consolidating, we will be able to serve the mission-driven sector throughout Vermont and provide a range of capacity-building training programs, from small, bite-sized webinars all the way to multi-month certificate programs. This range will allow an entry point for every budget and allow organizations and their valued staff to continue to grow and deepen their learning over time.”

The merged organization will be based at Marlboro College in southern Vermont, with a branch office in Burlington. “The merger and the success of our work together will create efficiencies within capacity-building services in Vermont and expand both organization’s reach to a larger statewide audience,” said Morgan Webster, veteran director of Common Good Vermont, who joined CNL’s team on October 1 to head up the northern branch office.

The merger will create a singular, statewide “one-stop shop” for nonprofit professional development that raises Marlboro’s profile and integrates both organizations’ best offerings into a seamless set of services to improve the performance of Vermont mission-driven organizations.

“Nonprofit leaders need access to quality information and professional development in a variety of formats, both virtual and in person,” said Eddie Gale, Vermont program director for the A. D. Henderson Foundation, which helped fund the merger. “The A. D. Henderson Foundation is excited about Common Good Vermont coming under the umbrella of the Center for New Leadership. The Henderson Foundation has been a long-time supporter of both programs, and we believe the merger of the two programs will help CNL deliver high level opportunities throughout the state of Vermont, helping Vermont’s nonprofit sector be as effective and efficient as possible.”

Vermont Community Foundation President and CEO Dan Smith noted in agreement with Gale’s comments that, “There is broad and meaningful impact that may be realized for the sector, and the Vermonters it serves, by working together.” He continued, “We applaud Common Good Vermont and CNL for deepening and formalizing their partnership and for bringing such creativity, passion, and commitment to their work together. These are true embodiments of the Vermont idea that we owe it to each other to look out for each other.”

The merger of Common Good Vermont and the Center for New Leadership follows from many years of close collaboration. Through Benchmarks for a Better Vermont, the organizations have advanced Results-Based Accountability as a reliable resource for managing and measuring the impact of nonprofits in communities across the state.

“We’ve ‘walked the walk’ that we advise so many organizations to consider,” added Lauren-Glenn Davitian, founder of Common Good Vermont and executive director of CCTV Center for Media & Democracy. “Together, we have put the finishing touches on the ‘ladder of opportunity’ open to all of Vermont’s nonprofit leaders in their quest to be more efficient and effective. From robust online resources, short course, certificate programs and consulting services, these merged organizations will expand both reach and impact of our vibrant social sector and, ultimately, contribute to the well-being of Vermonters.”