This post was written by Mary L. Thomas,
President & CEO, CFLeads.
As I mark my third anniversary as President & CEO of CFLeads, I am reflecting on the relationships, learning, growth, and momentum we have built together alongside community foundations across the country.
Over the past three years, I have had the privilege of listening to and learning from community foundation leaders navigating complex challenges, responding to emerging opportunities, and continuing to lead with vision, courage, and commitment to their communities. That partnership with the community foundation field continues to shape and strengthen CFLeads’ work every day.
Advancing Our Mission Together
At CFLeads, we remain grounded in our mission to help community foundations build strong communities by advancing effective practices, sharing knowledge, and galvanizing action on critical issues of our time. As communities continue to evolve, our collective leadership must evolve with it. We are committed to supporting community foundations with the tools, connections, and learning opportunities needed to lead effectively in this moment.
Expanding Our Reach and Impact
Over the past three years, we have seen meaningful growth in both our reach and impact. Last year alone, CFLeads served 337 community foundations across 47 states – nearly one-third of the community foundation field. Together, we have expanded opportunities for peer learning, leadership development, and field-wide collaboration through flagship programs like our Executive Leadership Institutes and peer networks, as well as newer initiatives such as Community Foundations for Civic Health, and the Gathering – a growing space for connection, inspiration, and collective action across the field.
We have also strengthened and expanded our strategic partnerships with organizations and national funders who believe deeply in the importance of place-based leadership and community-driven change. These partnerships – alongside the support of our Investors across the country – has helped fuel this work at a time when strong, connected, and courageous community leadership is crucial.
Strengthening Community Leadership Together
Internally, CFLeads has also grown significantly over the past three years. What began as a team of seven has expanded to nearly twenty talented and deeply committed individuals working every day to support the field with excellence, thought leadership, and care. I am endlessly grateful to our dynamic and incredibly talented team whose passion and dedication make this work possible.
I also want to recognize the extraordinary leadership of the CFLeads Board and former board leaders who have guided and strengthened this organization throughout my tenure, including Rose Bradshaw, Current Board Chair, President & CEO, North Texas Community Foundation, Isaiah Oliver, Immediate Past Board Chair, President, The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, and Pedro Ramos, Past Board Chair, President & CEO, Philadelphia Foundation. Their leadership, partnership, and belief in this work have been invaluable and synergistic!
Looking Ahead
One of the greatest strengths of the CFLeads network is the willingness of community foundations to learn together, share openly, and support one another in advancing community leadership. These moments of collaboration continue to remind me of the extraordinary leadership that exists throughout the field.
Looking ahead, I remain energized by the opportunities before us. Community foundations are uniquely positioned to help communities navigate uncertainty, strengthen civic engagement, advance opportunity, and build lasting partnerships that lead to widely shared and lasting impact. CFLeads is honored to continue serving as a partner, an intermediary, and a national network that supports this important work and advances our shared strategic vision for the future of community transformation.
I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together over these past three years and hopeful about what lies ahead. I want to especially thank our Investors across the country whose partnership and belief in this work continue to fuel CFLeads’ impact at a time when strong, community-centered leadership is needed more than ever.
If you are not already a CFLeads Investor, I invite you to become one to directly support this work. Your investment helps expand programming, foster peer learning, and strengthen community foundations nationwide as they lead transformative change in their communities.
It is an honor to continue this journey with all of you, and I look forward to the year ahead with gratitude and optimism.
As Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
Mary L. Thomas
President & CEO, CFLeads
