California City Management Foundation
The California City Management Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership association founded in 1985 that supports California city managers and assistants with professional development, peer networking, scholarships, career transition services, and mental health support across all career stages.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersLadera Ranch, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What California City Management Foundation does
The California City Management Foundation (CCMF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1985 and headquartered in Ladera Ranch, California. It operates as a membership-based professional association exclusively serving city managers, assistant/deputy city managers, and retired or in-transition municipal executives across California's 480+ incorporated cities and towns. The foundation was established in response to shrinking city manager tenures and focuses on three missions: strengthening the city management profession, improving city management education, and promoting the council-manager form of local government. CCMF delivers programming through signature workshops (New & Future City Managers Seminar and the new Mid-Late Career Workshop), annual events (Annual Member Appreciation Dinner, Golf Tournament, Regional Lunches), scholarship and grant programs (Executive Education Grants up to $10,000, Wes McClure Scholarship, Judy L. Kelsey Memorial Fund), career support services (Managers In Transition, resume review, online professional toolkit), a member job board, and free mental health services via the Doxy.me telehealth platform delivered in partnership with Beverly Foo-Colon, LCSW.
The underlying technology is a conventional WordPress-based membership website at cacitymanagers.org offering a members-only portal, searchable peer database, interactive member map, training materials library, and the proprietary Model Employment Contract that has become the de facto industry standard in California. CCMF's revenue model combines annual membership dues ($400 standard, $150 retired/in-transition), four tiers of corporate sponsorships ($2,000 to $15,000), event fees, workshop tuition, job board transaction packages, and fee-based professional services including the Online Professional Toolkit ($850 to $2,750). The organization is governed by a 15-member Board of Trustees and led by Executive Director Ken Pulskamp (since 2014) and President Ken Striplin (City Manager of Santa Clarita), with key academic and industry partnerships spanning the Rose Institute at Claremont McKenna College, Saddleback College, MuniServices (PRA Group), the League of California Cities, and ICMA.
California City Management Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- California City Management Foundation
- Legal name
- California City Management Foundation
- Website
- https://cacitymanagers.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The California City Management Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership association founded in 1985 that supports California city managers and assistants with professional development, peer networking, scholarships, career transition services, and mental health support across all career stages.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where California City Management Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ladera Ranch
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
California City Management Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from city managers, assistant city managers, and retired/in-transition managers. Standard membership is $400/year, with retired/in-transition members paying $150/year.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Four tiers of corporate sponsorship: Premier ($15,000), Foundation Circle ($10,000), Corporate Benefactor ($3,500), and Corporate Member ($2,000) per year. Sponsors receive benefits including event attendance, advertising, and directory listings.
- Event Revenue: Revenue from Annual Member Appreciation Dinner (attendee fees), Golf Tournament (sponsorship and attendance), and other regional events. Plus-one attendees pay $95, Corporate Benefactor sponsors can purchase additional dinners at $265 each.
- Job Board Fees: Fees for posting job listings: Package A (listing + eNews) at $220 members/$330 non-members; Package B (eNews only) at $165/$220; Package C (listing only) at $110/$165.
- Online Professional Toolkit Services: Fee-based online reputation management services for members: Jump Start ($850), Tune Up ($1,100), New Ride ($2,750 plus annual hosting fees).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Standard Membership for active city managers and assistant city managers |
| Subscription | Annual | Retired/In-Transition Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Premier Sponsor |
| Subscription | Annual | Foundation Circle Sponsor |
| Subscription | Annual | Corporate Benefactor Sponsor |
| Subscription | Annual | Corporate Member Sponsor |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | New & Future City Managers Seminar |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Mid-Late Career Workshop |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Job Board Package A |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Job Board Package B |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Job Board Package C |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
California City Management Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CCMF is a nonprofit professional association that delivers career-lifecycle support to California city managers through annual memberships ($400 active, $150 retired/in-transition), peer networking, signature workshops and seminars, scholarship and grant programs, a job board, mental health services, and an online professional reputation toolkit. The organization supplements membership with corporate sponsorships and event-based revenue to fund its mission of strengthening the city manager profession.
Product overview
California City Management Foundation operates as a membership-based non-profit organization offering a comprehensive suite of professional development services for California city managers. The core offering consists of Standard and Retired/In-Transition Membership programs ($400 and $150 annually), which provide access to member-only resources including the Model Employment Contract and training materials. Supporting these memberships are specialized scholarship and grant programs: Executive Education Grants (up to $10,000), Wes McClure Scholarship ($2,500 to three recipients), and Judy L. Kelsey Memorial Fund ($5,000 grants for two cities). CCMF delivers professional development through signature events including the New & Future City Managers Seminar (NFCM), the new Mid-Late Career Workshop, Annual Member Appreciation Dinner, Regional Lunches, and Golf Tournament. Additional member services include Job Board listings, Mental Health Services with free therapy sessions, Online Professional Toolkit with social media reputation management, and Professional Resume Review. The organization also produces the annual California City Management Survey in partnership with the Rose Institute at Claremont McKenna College.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $250,000 granted via Awards and Scholarships programs since 2011
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use California City Management Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
California City Management Foundation technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature4 records
California City Management Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Rose Institute at Claremont McKenna CollegecoreCCMF partnered with the Rose Institute to develop comprehensive reports on the city management profession, including the 2025 California City Management Survey: A Profile in the Profession. The partnership provides data-driven insights for the profession and enhances CCMF's research capabilities.
- Beverly Foo-Colon, LCSWcoreCCMF collaborated with psychotherapist Beverly Foo-Colon to launch free mental health services for members. Services include personalized initial evaluations and 3-6 free individual therapy sessions via Doxy.me tele-therapy platform, addressing the demanding nature of city management roles.
- Municipal Management Association of Southern California (MMASC)minorCCMF partnered with MMASC to offer scholarships for the 2017 ICMA Annual Conference, providing $1,500 awards to qualifying members for travel and lodging expenses.
- Municipal Management Association of Northern California (MMAN-C)minorCCMF partnered with MMANC to offer scholarships for the 2017 ICMA Annual Conference, providing $1,500 awards to qualifying members for travel and lodging expenses.
- Saddleback CollegecoreCCMF partnered with Saddleback College and MuniServices to develop and deliver the Municipal Financial Management Certification Program. The program provides aspiring municipal leaders with education in strategic financial administration, tax policy, accounting, budgeting, and leadership.
- MuniServices (PRA Group)coreMuniServices partnered with CCMF and Saddleback College to develop the Municipal Financial Management Certification Program. MuniServices provides industry expertise and serves as the educational platform for the certification courses.
- International City/County Management Association (ICMA)coreCCMF works with ICMA to establish ethical standards in the city management industry. The organizations collaborate on professional development, research, and advocacy for the council-manager form of local government.
- Tripepi SmithcoreTripepi Smith provides the Online Professional Toolkit service for CCMF members, offering Jump Start, Tune Up, and New Ride packages for online reputation management. The service helps city managers control their online presence for professional purposes.
- League of California CitiescoreCCMF collaborates extensively with the League of California Cities, hosting panels at their conferences, organizing the Annual Member Appreciation Dinner during their City Managers Department Meeting, and co-hosting educational events.
- Tripepi Smith Talent SolutionscoreTripepi Smith Talent Solutions provides free expert resume review services for CCMF members, offering personalized feedback and guidance for career transitions in city management.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
California City Management Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- International City/County Management Association (ICMA): National professional association for city and county managers. ICMA serves the same professional population as CCMF but at a national scale, offering overlapping credentials, ethical standards, and conferences. The two organizations explicitly partner on ethical standards and ICMA membership coexists with CCMF membership.
- Municipal Management Association of Southern California (MMASC): Regional professional association for Southern California municipal managers. MMASC directly overlaps with CCMF's California scope on the southern half of the state and is a formal CCMF partner (joint ICMA conference scholarships).
- Municipal Management Association of Northern California (MMANC): Regional professional association for Northern California municipal managers. MMANC complements CCMF at the regional level and is a formal CCMF partner, making it a structurally comparable peer in the same geographic and professional market.
Emerging players
- International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC): Professional association for municipal clerks — an adjacent municipal profession. IIMC provides a structural template for a profession-specific association with certification, conferences, and peer networking similar to CCMF's offerings.
- Alliance for Innovation: Transformative government-focused association affiliated with ICMA serving innovative local government leaders. Adjacent peer in the city management professional development space with overlapping conference and recognition programs.
- Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA): Professional association for state and local government finance officers. Adjacent to city management but specialized in the finance function; provides a comparable model of credentialing, training, and conferences that CCMF partially emulates via its Saddleback/MuniServices Municipal Financial Management Certification partnership.
Broad incumbents
- League of California Cities: California's broad municipal advocacy and member-services organization representing all 482 California cities. While not a city-manager-only association, the League hosts CCMF's signature annual dinner and serves overlapping city government stakeholders.
- National League of Cities: National advocacy and member-services organization for city governments across the U.S. National counterpart to the League of California Cities; broader than CCMF but addresses similar municipal leadership audiences.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
California City Management Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceCalifornia City Management Foundation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
California City Management Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
California City Management Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
California City Management Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
California City Management Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about California City Management Foundation
What does California City Management Foundation do?
CCMF is a nonprofit professional association that delivers career-lifecycle support to California city managers through annual memberships ($400 active, $150 retired/in-transition), peer networking, signature workshops and seminars, scholarship and grant programs, a job board, mental health services, and an online professional reputation toolkit. The organization supplements membership with corporate sponsorships and event-based revenue to fund its mission of strengthening the city manager profession.
Is California City Management Foundation a public or private company?
California City Management Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was California City Management Foundation founded?
California City Management Foundation was founded in 1985. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is California City Management Foundation based?
California City Management Foundation is headquartered in Ladera Ranch, United States, in the North America region.
How does California City Management Foundation make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships, event Revenue, job Board Fees and online Professional Toolkit Services.
Who are California City Management Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are International City/County Management Association (ICMA), Municipal Management Association of Southern California (MMASC) and Municipal Management Association of Northern California (MMANC). Emerging players are International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC), Alliance for Innovation and Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). Broad incumbents are League of California Cities and National League of Cities.
Does California City Management Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for California City Management Foundation.