Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership of Marin
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Since 1964, the national award-winning CVNL has advanced nonprofits and volunteerism by strengthening leadership, encouraging innovation and empowering individuals in service to their communities.
- Income
- $8.1 million
- Spending
- $6.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 86%
- Reserves
- 3.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 53%
- Employees
- 68
- Volunteers
- 5,521
- Highest pay
- $248,873, ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 75 out of 100.
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.4 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 34% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 15% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 15% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1586% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 90 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 2513 of 13 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
0 of 10Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (4)
- $3.1 million spent. Sonoma County Paratransit:This program operates Sonoma County's paratransit service, providing rides to people with a disability or a health condition that prevents them from using Sonoma County's regular bus services. Staff and volunteers drove 51,344 passengers over 577,400 miles to doctor's visits, critical appointments, and work sites in 2025. Volunteer Wheels provides elderly and disabled residents and visitors in Sonoma County with the opportunity to live with a degree of independence they could not otherwise achieve. Volunteer Wheels is funded through our service contract with Sonoma County Transit and community contributions.
- $365,294 spent. Volunteer Services:Through CVNL's VolunteerNow.org matching portal, 644 volunteers were matched with causes aligned with their interests and skills. Additional volunteer engagement occurred through the following key programs:" Secret Santa Program: 699 volunteers supported holiday giving efforts for community members in need." Court Referral Program: 2,708 individuals completed court-mandated community service assignments." Paratransit Services: 2 volunteers supported transportation assistance services.Beyond volunteer matching, CVNL worked directly with nonprofit and government partners to promote disaster readiness and community preparedness. In 2025, CVNL delivered trainings and presentations focused on Emergency Go Bag Kits, emergency preparedness, and disaster volunteerism. These efforts reached students at Roseland University Prep in Sonoma County, international students at Dominican University in Marin County, and community members in Napa County.CVNL also remained an active participant in regional disaster coordination efforts, maintaining membership in the Solano and Marin County Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and the Napa and Sonoma County Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COADs). In Sonoma County, CVNL expanded its leadership role by joining the COAD Operations Team.A key highlight of the year was the coordination of the first Emergency Preparedness Fair in Suisun City, California, in partnership with the Solano VOAD and the Suisun City Fire Department. More than 100 residents attended and received emergency preparedness education, resources, and emergency go bags.Through these programs and partnerships, CVNL strengthened community engagement and preparedness across four counties in 2025. Our work advanced volunteerism, built nonprofit capacity, and supported coordinated disaster readiness efforts throughout the region.
- $230,923 spent. Management Services:Nonprofits throughout Marin, Napa, Sonoma, Solano, and the surrounding Bay Area rely on CVNL for expert guidance, professional and organizational development, and nonprofit management expertise through Volunteer Services, Leadership Programs, Executive Search, and Consulting Services. In 2025, CVNL's Learning & Leadership (L&L) department partnered with the Community Foundation of Sonoma County (CFSC) to deliver eight three-hour workshops over three months, engaging 214 participants.In addition to the partnership with CFSC, the L&L department delivered a portfolio of 5 capacity-building course series, serving 81 nonprofit professionals. These programs offer leadership training and professional development designed to strengthen organizational effectiveness across the sector. Offerings included: " Management Essentials: A Roadmap for Managing People (Spring, Fall) " Board Governance Boot Camp (Spring) " Executive Leadership Program (Spring) " Grant writing (Spring and Fall) " Program Development & Evaluation (Winter, Spring and Fall) The L&L department also launched workshop offerings, which are shorter-form content, and two-hour long sessions. Six workshops took place in 2025, serving 40 nonprofit professionals, on topics covering:" Artificial Intelligence" Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" Fundraising" Communications" Strategic Planning" GrantwritingFree sessions were provided to the community at large and CVNL members in the form of Peer Learning Networks/Peer Exchange and townhalls. Nine sessions were offered in 2025, serving 443 nonprofit professionals on the following topics:" Planned Giving" Volunteer Appreciation" Leading Change" Self-Care & Stress Management" Guide to GrantStation" Fund Development Planning" Donor Engagement Campaigns" Nonprofit Townhall with Congressman Jared Huffman" Navigating DEI under the New Trump Administration All sessions were delivered via Zoom, except for the hybrid Spring Executive Leadership Program. During this period, 5 nonprofit professionals across Solano, Napa, Sonoma, and Marin counties received partial scholarships based on applicant needs, totaling $1,228 in support for participation in Learning & Leadership programs. CVNL's Executive Search department placed two senior level nonprofit professional in the Bay Area. CVNL's Consulting Services advanced the capabilities of 30 organizations through consulting projects and capacity-building activities related to board governance, organizational assessment, strategic planning, executive coaching, and meeting facilitation, among others. In addition to the consulting services offered, our team provided brief pro bono sessions to new member organizations and supported general information and referrals to the broader nonprofit community. Our Membership Program included free and discounted workshops for staff, board members, and volunteers of member organizations; one-on-one support and consultation services from CVNL staff; and opportunities to network with other nonprofits in the community. In 2025, there were a total of 98 CVNL member organizations, of which 15 were new members and 83 were renewed members. Another member benefit involves GrantStation. 19 CVNL members were provided discounted access to the proprietary database which supports nonprofit professionals conducting grant research and strengthens their fund development process.In 2025, CVNL's Volunteer Services Department engaged more than 4,000 volunteers across Napa, Solano, Sonoma, and Marin Counties, connecting individuals with nonprofits, government agencies, businesses, and community groups through meaningful service opportunities.
- $2.2 million spent. Events:Produced by CVNL, the 32nd Annual Heart of Marin Awards, hosted at the Marin Center Exhibit Hall, recognized outstanding Marin nonprofits and the committed individuals who served throughout the previous year. This event was attended by approximately 500 community leaders, volunteers, local dignitaries, and distinguished members of the business community. Our honored recipients were presented with awards totaling $35,000. Similarly, the 10th Annual Heart of Napa Awards was successfully executed at the Yountville Community Center. Approximately 250 were in attendance, and $22,500 was awarded to outstanding nonprofits and leaders serving Napa County. The 5th Annual Heart of Sonoma County Awards drew a crowd of approximately 275 and distributed $35,000 to local nonprofits, volunteers, and leaders. The Secret Santa program is a partnership of CVNL, KZST Radio Station, and Friedman's Home Improvement, along with local businesses, agencies, volunteers, and donors who work together to bring joy and hope community-wide. In 2025, the Secret Santa program served 18,024 people and distributed 21,623 gifts.Court Referral:The Court Referral Program serves as the referral agency for residents of Sonoma County who are assigned community service work by the Sonoma County Courts and the Sonoma County Probation Department. The program provides community service placement, ongoing follow-up, monitoring, and compliance reporting for individuals ordered to complete community service hours. Individuals referred to the program may originate from traffic court, adult diversion services, adult probation, juvenile probation, or directly from criminal or civil courts as part of a conditional sentence.Community service referrals are made in lieu of fines or incarceration, as a condition of diversion or dismissal, or as a condition of sentencing. Clients are screened and matched to appropriate community service placements through telephone and virtual interviews to assess skills, availability, and any physical or other limitations. The program maintains communication with referral agencies and partner sites to ensure successful completion and accurate reporting of required hours.Fiscally Sponsored Projects: The Marin Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) fosters effective service delivery to those affected by disasters in Marin through the collaboration of community agencies throughout the disaster cycle -mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Opening Doors Marin is a public-private coalition working to end chronic and veteran homelessness in our community by increasing housing opportunities for the most vulnerable. We also support the broader efforts in affordable and workforce housing to create a balanced community with options for all income levels. Powerful Beyond Measure educates and empowers underrepresented girls from the Bay Area to become leaders in their communities. San Francisco Debutante Ball provides philanthropic support for capital and operational projects, community relations, medical education, and research of the California Pacific Medical Center Foundation. During the fiscal year 2024-2025 the San Francisco Debutante Ball donated $75,000 to the California Pacific Medical Foundation for the benefit of Kalmanovitz Child Development Center.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since September 1991.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.