Center for Ethical Leadership

What Center for Ethical Leadership does

The Center for Ethical Leadership (CEL) is a Seattle-based nonprofit founded in 1990 by Bill Grace that develops and disseminates facilitation-based leadership methodologies — most notably the Gracious Space framework — for use across nonprofits, educational institutions, government agencies, and businesses. Its core products are human-centered frameworks and convening programs rather than a technology platform: Gracious Space (a spirit-and-setting approach to inviting the "stranger" and learning in public, documented across 30 states and 45 countries with 15,000+ participants), Peacemaking and Racial Healing Circles (deep-listening and storytelling processes), the R.I.S.E. Initiative (youth-adult restorative school environments), Nourishing Networks (community food-security work in six East King County communities), Confluence retreats (50–70 participants over 2–3 days), and the Community Learning Exchange. The organization also publishes books and monographs, runs an annual Leadership Legacy Event in the Seattle area, and maintains a Stewards Program alumni network.

CEL operates a community-led go-to-market model anchored by long-term partnerships (e.g., the City of Seattle for restorative justice, Bush School, Neighborhood House, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for the legacy KLCC program). It has 1–10 employees and revenue is generated through a mix of donations (via PayPal Giving, eBay Charity, employer matching, and ClickandPledge), quote-based consulting and training engagements, publication sales ($10–$12 per book), event tickets ($50 for the Legacy Event), and newsletter subscriptions. Pricing for most services is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Center for Ethical Leadership

Legal name

Center for Ethical Leadership

Website

https://ethicalleadership.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Center for Ethical Leadership is a Seattle-based nonprofit that develops and delivers facilitation-based leadership frameworks — primarily Gracious Space and Peacemaking Circles — for nonprofits, educational institutions, government agencies, and community leaders in the Puget Sound region and beyond.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Leadership Development Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Organizational Culture & Values-Based Leadership (EDABAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development (EDABAAAA), Talent Management & Leadership Advisory (Succession, Performance, Culture) (BPACAJAH), Succession Planning & High-Potential (HiPo) Leadership Programs (EDABAAAL), Executive Leadership Summits (C-Suite, Board, Strategy Offsites) (THAHAMAA)

Keywords

• Leadership development services
• Community facilitation training
• Nonprofit consulting services
• Restorative justice circles
• Ethical leadership education

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Publication Sales: Sale of publications including books, monographs, and educational materials. Examples include 'The Collective Leadership Storybook' ($10), 'Courageous Collaboration with Gracious Space' ($12), and 'Crossing Boundaries, Strengthening Communities' based on quantity pricing.
2. Event Revenue: Revenue from the annual Leadership Legacy Event. The 2026 event has a ticket price of $50, with donations welcomed.
3. Newsletter/Email Communications: Newsletter subscription offering updates on events, partnerships, and convening activities.
4. Consulting and Training Services: Customized consulting and facilitation services bringing Gracious Space and other methodologies into workplaces and communities. Includes coaching services with one free half-hour consultation per organization.
5. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization relies heavily on donations to sustain its mission. Accepts contributions through PayPal, eBay Charity, and employer matching programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Center for Ethical Leadership delivers facilitation-based leadership development programs and consulting services built around its proprietary Gracious Space framework and Peacemaking Circles methodology. Offerings include customized consulting, training, convening retreats, keynote speaking, publications, and annual events for grassroots leaders, nonprofits, educational institutions, government agencies, and businesses. The work focuses on building collective leadership capacity, restorative practices, and inclusive community engagement.

Product overview

The Center for Ethical Leadership offers a portfolio of leadership development programs and services centered around its proprietary Gracious Space framework. The core offerings include Peacemaking Circles (including Racial Healing Circles) for building trust through deep listening and storytelling, the R.I.S.E. Initiative for school environments, and Nourishing Networks for community food security. These are complemented by the Confluence retreat program, Community Learning Exchange, and the annual Leadership Legacy Award. The organization also publishes educational resources including The Collective Leadership Storybook and Courageous Collaboration with Gracious Space books. The programs serve grassroots, businesses, education, nonprofit, and government sectors with consulting, convening, training, and speaking engagements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gracious Space: A spirit and setting for inviting the 'stranger' and learning in public. A core framework developed by CEL for working better together.
• Values-Based Leadership Stewards
• R.I.S.E. Initiative
• Community Learning Exchange
• Nourishing Networks
• Confluence
• Peacemaking & Healing Initiative

Products and services

• Gracious Space CEL's signature leadership practice framework that creates a spirit and setting for inviting the 'stranger' and learning in public. Used in consulting, training, and convening engagements; reached 15,000+ people across 30 states and 45 countries.
• Peacemaking Circles Facilitated dialogue practice combining deep listening and storytelling to build trust, strengthen relationships, and transform conflict. Available to organizations, communities, and institutions; demonstrated use with immigrant women, school staff, and government departments.
• Racial Healing Circles Preemptive racial healing dialogues that build relationships capable of holding important conversations about race before conflicts arise. Offered to organizations seeking to advance racial equity and inclusion.
• R.I.S.E. Initiative (Restorative, Inclusive School Environment) Youth-adult partnership initiative creating conditions for all students to succeed through restorative, inclusive school environments. Targets K-12 and education partners.
• Nourishing Networks Network-based initiative that addresses community challenges (e.g., hunger in King County) by engaging distributed community members' gifts and talents, with established groups in Northshore, Kirkland, Issaquah, Redmond, Bellevue, and Sammamish.
• Confluence Two- or three-day retreat gathering 50-70 people from diverse sectors to find creative solutions to challenging social topics using Gracious Space and structured facilitation formats.
• Community Learning Exchange (CLE) Program providing place-based community change agents opportunities to examine challenges, exchange best practices, and learn the collective leadership framework since 2008.
• Annual Leadership Legacy Event Annual flagship event celebrating leaders advancing social, environmental, and economic justice in the Puget Sound region, featuring award presentations, keynote speakers, and networking. Tickets $50; sponsorships offered at multiple tiers.
• Values-Based Leadership Stewards Program Two-part leadership development journey of personal growth and social action delivered in cohorts (e.g., Cohort #4 pictured). Includes a free half-hour coaching consultation per organization.
• Consulting and Training Services Customized consulting and facilitation bringing Gracious Space, Peacemaking Circles, and other methodologies into workplaces, communities, and organizations. Pricing is quote-based; free half-hour consultation offered.
• Keynote Addresses Speaking engagements on ethical leadership, Gracious Space, collective leadership, and related topics for conferences, organizational events, and convenings.
• The Collective Leadership Storybook: Weaving Strong Communities Book sharing stories of the Kellogg Leadership for Community Change initiative illustrating lessons in collective leadership. Priced at $10 on the CEL website.
• Courageous Collaboration with Gracious Space Book by Patricia Hughes, Karma Ruder, and Dale Nienow on using the Gracious Space Change Framework for courageous collaboration and creating positive change. Priced at $12.
• Crossing Boundaries, Strengthening Communities Monograph on collective leadership, community change, social advocacy, and evaluation as learning, with case stories for teaching. Quantity-based pricing available.

Quantifiable outcome

• Gracious Space has helped over 15,000 people in 30 states and 45 countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Neighborhood HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Center has partnered with Neighborhood House to provide Peacemaking Circles with immigrant women who feel they have suppressed or lost their social and cultural identities. This partnership represents the Center's work in bringing circle processes to specific populations.
• Bush SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Bush School (University of Washington) to hold circles with staff and faculty to create an educational atmosphere of openness and honesty. This extends the Center's work into academic settings.
• City of SeattlecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the City of Seattle to hold circles with various departments to address institutional racism and restorative justice. This represents the Center's government sector engagement.
• The Berkana InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with The Berkana Institute in hosting two years of Youth Against Violence dialogues in Tacoma, along with Greater Tacoma Community Foundation.
• Greater Tacoma Community FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered in hosting Youth Against Violence dialogues aimed at creating community understanding of youth violence by building relationships and mobilizing community action.
• Montana Humanities AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTwo-year partnership with Montana Humanities Association in a campaign called 'Can We Talk?' teaching citizens how to use Gracious Space when gathering to discuss important civic issues.
• Tagish Tlingit First NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Center honors the legacy of the Tagish Tlingit First Nation in the Yukon whose leaders Mark Wedge and Harold Gatensby, along with Chief Justice Barry Stuart, shared Peacemaking Circle work globally. The Center acknowledges this indigenous heritage in its methodology.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Equity Project: Organization focused on educational equity, leadership development, and community transformation, with emphasis on collective leadership. Directly comparable to CEL in mission alignment around leadership for community change and racial equity.
• Rockwood Leadership Institute: National leadership development organization focused on social justice movement leaders, offering trainings and retreats. Directly comparable to CEL's values-based leadership and collective leadership work for social change agents.
• Asset-Based Community Development Institute: Institute advancing community-driven development through asset-based approaches and community engagement. Comparable to CEL's Nourishing Networks and community convening work in methodology and sector.
• JustLead Consulting: Consulting firm focused on racial equity and leadership development in the Pacific Northwest, serving nonprofits and government. Highly comparable to CEL in geographic scope, sectoral focus, and facilitation methodology.
• Management Assistance Group (MAG): Consulting and capacity-building organization for nonprofits and social justice networks, focused on organizational development and racial equity. Closely comparable to CEL in serving nonprofit and social justice clients with consulting and convening services.
• Sustained Dialogue Institute: Organization promoting dialogue-based conflict transformation across racial, ethnic, and cultural divides. Comparable to CEL's Peacemaking and Racial Healing Circles methodology and restorative practice orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Interaction Associates: Consulting firm specializing in collaborative leadership, facilitation, and inclusion training. Comparable to CEL in offering facilitation-based leadership development methodologies to organizations, but serving a broader corporate clientele.
• CompassPoint Nonprofit Services: Nonprofit leadership development and executive support organization serving Bay Area and national nonprofits. Comparable to CEL as a nonprofit-supporting leadership developer, though broader in scope (executive transitions, finance, strategy).
• Center for Creative Leadership: One of the largest global executive leadership development organizations, offering research-backed leadership programs. Comparable to CEL as a leadership development provider, but operates at much larger scale with a broader portfolio beyond ethics and collective leadership.

Regional players

• Tamarack Institute: Canadian community change institute focused on collective impact, community leadership, and poverty reduction. Comparable to CEL in the collective leadership and community convening space, though Canada-based.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CEL_Seattle
• Facebookfacebook.com/CenterforEthicalLeadership
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-ethical-leadership

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Center for Ethical Leadership