What Center for Whole Communities does

Center for Whole Communities (CWC) is a Vermont-based non-profit organization founded in 2003 that operates at the intersection of environmental, racial, and social justice, serving nonprofits, conservation organizations, government agencies, and higher education institutions. Its core offerings fall into three categories: (1) the Whole Measures framework, a values-based evaluation tool co-developed with The Nature Conservancy for prioritizing benefits to low-income communities and advancing equity outcomes in conservation and community work; (2) Facilitating Organizational Change and Transformative Leadership, which are consulting and capacity-building services for organizations undergoing culture change; and (3) Retreats & Trainings, including the six-day Whole Thinking in Practice retreat held on a 600-acre site in northern California, supplemented by a Virtual Community Series and the Dive In-Justice Podcast.

The organization's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on facilitated retreats, trainings, virtual community series, and co-authored publications rather than commercial sales motions. Revenue is generated through donations and contributions via the website, with program fees for retreats and trainings likely applied but not publicly disclosed. CWC's distribution is anchored by direct engagement with institutional partners including The Nature Conservancy's Cities Network, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, Vermont Law School, the Rights and Democracy Institute, and Yale School of Forestry, which collectively co-produce frameworks, reports, and pilot programs.

CWC operates with approximately 10 employees and a broader network of Senior Fellows, Faculty Trainers, and Board members who deliver programming. Its strategic posture over the past decade has emphasized partnership-led expansion — most notably the 2017 and 2022 TNC co-publications, the 2021-2023 Vermont DEC community engagement pilot, and participation in the REJOICE Collaborative — rather than headcount growth or capital-intensive scaling. There are no funding rounds, acquisitions, or M&A activity in the record; the organization is governed by an independent volunteer board.

Name

Center for Whole Communities

Legal name

Center for Whole Communities

Website

https://wholecommunities.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Center for Whole Communities is a Vermont-based non-profit that equips nonprofits, conservation organizations, government agencies, and movement leaders with the Whole Measures framework, organizational change facilitation, and immersive retreats to advance equity-centered environmental and social justice work.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Leadership Development and Equity Consulting

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG, Place-Based Initiatives) (BPAIANAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises (BPAGALAO), Wellness Retreat Centers (Yoga, Meditation & Mindfulness) (THAGAMAB), Community Center Education Programs (EDAAAFAB)

Keywords

• Transformational leadership development
• Equity-centered evaluation frameworks
• Organizational change facilitation
• Social environmental justice training
• Community engagement consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Vermont

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The organization accepts donations through its website, indicating individual giving as a revenue stream.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Center for Whole Communities delivers transformational leadership development, organizational change facilitation, and equity-centered measurement frameworks (Whole Measures) to nonprofits, conservation organizations, and government agencies. Its core services include immersive retreats in Northern California, virtual community programming, and consulting engagements aimed at advancing racial, social, and environmental justice through values-based practice.

Product overview

Center for Whole Communities is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of programs and resources focused on transformational leadership, community building, and social/environmental justice. The core offerings include Whole Measures (an equity-centered evaluation framework), Facilitating Organizational Change (consulting services), Transformative Leadership programs, and immersive Retreats & Trainings held in natural settings. The organization also publishes practical resources including the Whole Measures for Urban Conservation and Connecting People to Power reports, and maintains content platforms through its Blog and Podcast. Together, these offerings provide a comprehensive ecosystem for individuals and organizations seeking to advance equitable, community-centered approaches to environmental and social change.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Whole Communities Fellowship: A fellowship program for community leaders working at the intersection of environmental and social justice
• Whole Measures
• Whole Thinking in Practice
• Dive In-Justice Podcast

Products and services

• Whole Measures
• Facilitating Organizational Change
• Retreats & Trainings
• Virtual Community Series
• Transformative Leadership

Quantifiable outcome

• 18-month community engagement pilot conducted across three Vermont communities (Bennington, Northeast Kingdom, Burlington/Winooski) informing policy recommendations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 202318-month community engagement pilot program (2021-2023) conducted in three Vermont communities. CWC partnered with DEC and other organizations to lift voices of those most impacted by environmental injustice and provide recommendations for equitable public participation.
• Rights and Democracy Institute (RDI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023Co-published Connecting People to Power report with DEC and Vermont Law School Environmental Justice Clinic, addressing community engagement and environmental justice in Vermont.
• Vermont Law School Environmental Justice CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023Partner in community engagement pilot and report publication focused on equitable public participation and environmental justice policy.
• The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Cities NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term strategic partnership for conservation and equity work. CWC co-published original Field Guide to Conservation in Cities with TNC in 2017, followed by co-authorship of Practice of Conservation in Cities (2022). Led development of Whole Measures for Urban Conservation as part of TNC's North America Cities Network launch. TNC describes CWC as thought partners and co-authors.
• REJOICE Collaborative (Rural Environmental Justice Opportunities Informed by Community Expertise)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership including Center for Whole Communities, Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity Mobile Home Program, Toxics Action Center, UVM Rubenstein School, and Vermont Law School working to advance community-led environmental justice policy in Vermont.
• Alixa GarciaminorOthersArtist who created original artwork for CWC website including header art titled 'Galactic Emergence' and footer art 'Dance, Even When the Trees Become Waves and the Stars Become Rain'. Award-winning activist, filmmaker, and co-founder of Climbing Poetree.
• Poonam WhabiminorOthersLong-time collaborator who guided design, planning, and development of CWC website in partnership with William Ramirez.
• William RamirezminorOthersPartnered with Poonam Whabi on website design, planning, and development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Movement Strategy Center: A non-profit that supports social justice movement infrastructure through leadership development, strategy, and organizational change — directly comparable to CWC's transformative leadership and facilitating organizational change offerings.
• CompassPoint Nonprofit Services: Provides leadership development, organizational change, and equity consulting to nonprofits. Directly comparable to CWC's retreat/training and organizational change facilitation for the nonprofit and social justice sector.
• Rockwood Leadership Institute: Trains movement leaders for social justice with a focus on equity and sustainability. Closely comparable to CWC's Transformative Leadership and retreats/trainings portfolio.
• Center for Diversity and the Environment: Works to center diversity, equity, and inclusion in the environmental movement — directly comparable to CWC's intersectional environmental justice and leadership development focus.
• Global Diversity Foundation: A non-profit focused on biocultural diversity and community-led conservation, and a former employer of CWC's Susannah McCandless. Highly comparable in mission, methodology, and geography of community-based environmental justice work.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: One of the world's largest environmental nonprofits and CWC's flagship partner. TNC operates the Cities Network that CWC supports through Whole Measures for Urban Conservation, making it directly comparable as a co-developer on equitable conservation frameworks.

Regional players

• Toxics Action Center: A New England-based environmental justice nonprofit that partners with CWC in the REJOICE Collaborative. Comparable as a regional EJ community engagement and policy advocacy peer.
• Vermont Law School Environmental Justice Clinic: An academic/policy partner that operates Vermont's environmental justice clinic and co-authored Connecting People to Power with CWC. Comparable as a regional EJ advocacy and policy partner.

Emerging players

• Resource Generation: Organizes young people with wealth and class privilege toward social justice — overlapping with CWC's intersectional justice facilitation and movement-building work.

Others

• Buddhist Peace Fellowship: An interfaith network that integrates spiritual practice with social justice activism, with prior board ties to CWC's Jesse Maceo Vega-Frey. Comparable as a values-driven movement community aligned with CWC's embodied practice approach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-whole-communities

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

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 Whole Communities