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CENTER FOR TRANSFORMATIVE ACTION
ITHACA, NY · EIN 160990318 · Form 990 · FY2024 · Medium ($1M-$10M) · centerfortransformativeaction.org
revenue
$4.0M
expenses
$3.7M
net assets
$2.9M
employees
91
volunteers
350
program ratio
85%
mission · from form 990

TO ESTABLISH AND CONDUCT PROGRAMS FOR THE UNDERSTANDING AND PROMOTIONOF TRANSFORMATIVE ACTION AND ITS RELATION TO SOCIAL CHANGE.

profile · synthesized from sources

The Center for Transformative Action (CTA) is a nonprofit organization based in Ithaca, NY, affiliated with Cornell University. It supports innovative social change initiatives through fiscal sponsorship and educational programs. CTA provides administrative infrastructure and mentorship to projects focused on justice, sustainability, and peace, enabling them to operate under its 501(c)3 status while developing into independent organizations.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Comprehensive (Model A) Fiscal Sponsorship
Provides full fiscal sponsorship including legal and financial liability, payroll, insurance, grants management, and mentorship to projects operating as units of CTA.
Educational Programs
Offers experiential learning and engaged research in social entrepreneurship, transformative action, and building just, equitable, and sustainable communities, often in collaboration with Cornell University.
Pre-Approved Grant (Model C) Fiscal Sponsorship
Enables legally separate nonprofit entities to receive tax-deductible donations and grants through CTA’s 501(c)3 status, with CTA administering restricted funds for project purposes.
activities · 10 groups

What they do

  • Nonprofit Capacity Building Services 2 activities
    • Administrative and organizational support for fiscally sponsored projects
      Offers legal and fiduciary oversight, grant proposal development and reporting, board retreat facilitation, and organizational development mentorship to fiscally sponsored initiatives such as the Gayogohó:nǫˀ Learning Project and Open Doors English, enabling their operational capacity and long-term sustainability.
    • Incubation and support of nonprofit social enterprises
      Acts as a university-affiliated incubator for nonprofit social enterprises, providing institutional affiliation, mentorship, and organizational development support. Successfully enabled projects like the Youth Farm Project to transition to independent 501(c)(3) status.
  • Human Rights Advocacy & Accountability 1 activity
    • Advocacy for human rights and political justice
      Organized the Cornell Kenyan Human Rights Initiative to advocate for the release of imprisoned political activist Koigi wa Wamwere, demonstrating a historical commitment to international human rights advocacy.
  • Justice System Innovation & Inclusion Programs 1 activity
    • Beyond the Box employer certification program
      Secured funding to pilot an employer certification initiative that reduces hiring stigma for individuals with criminal records by promoting inclusive employment practices among local businesses.
  • Trauma-Informed Community Resilience Initiatives 1 activity
    • Community engagement and cultural programming
      Hosts storytelling events, documentary screenings, listening salons, book reads, and cultural performances to foster dialogue on racial trauma, generational healing, and social justice. Past events have featured artists such as Sweet Honey in the Rock and Bread and Puppet Theater.
  • Community Capacity Building & Leadership Networks 1 activity
    • Direct implementation of innovative social and environmental projects
      Designs and implements community-based projects using innovative approaches to address social and environmental challenges, including food justice, language revitalization, and reentry support for formerly incarcerated individuals.
  • Political Leadership Training for Underrepresented Groups 1 activity
    • Education and training in social entrepreneurship and transformative action
      Teaches university-level courses in social entrepreneurship at Cornell University, including a credit-bearing practicum and course redesign initiatives focused on systemic change, antiracism, and innovative problem-solving. Also conducts workshops and trainings on anti-racist organizing, living wage advocacy, divestment, and ethical responses to nuclear threats.
  • Indigenous and Diaspora Cultural Preservation 1 activity
    • Gayogohó:nǫˀ language and culture revitalization initiative
      Offers language classes and cultural discussion groups to support the revitalization of the Gayogohó:nǫˀ language, fostering community engagement and cultural continuity among Indigenous communities.
  • Reentry Support Services 1 activity
    • Healthful Transitions program for formerly incarcerated individuals
      Provides meals, transportation, counseling, and job training to support reintegration and well-being of formerly incarcerated individuals, reducing stigma and promoting healthful transitions back into the community.
  • Nonprofit-Operated Cafés and Social Enterprises 1 activity
    • Operation of Anabel’s Grocery as a student-led food justice initiative
      Supports and oversees Anabel’s Grocery, a student-run nonprofit grocery store focused on food justice and anti-racist action. Implements bulk purchasing and subsidy programs to offer discounted prices on locally grown produce, with 95% of purchasing directed to local vendors. Engages approximately 45 students per semester and averages 600 shoppers weekly.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Fiscal sponsorship for social change initiatives
      Provides comprehensive fiscal sponsorship through two models: direct project sponsorship (Model A) with full administrative, legal, and fiduciary oversight, and pre-approved grant project sponsorship (Model C). Services include accounting, payroll, grants management, tax compliance, liability insurance, and mentorship to support organizational sustainability of nonprofit projects.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$4.04M
Contributions & grants$3.46M86%
Program service revenue$483K12%
Investment income$93K2%
Other revenue$4K
expenses
Total expenses$3.68M
Program expenses85%
Admin / overhead11%
Fundraising5%
Salaries & benefits$2.14M
Grants paid out$260K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$3.27M
Cash$2.76M
Investments$0
Liabilities$347K
Net assets$2.93M
Liquid reserves9.0 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +22.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
ANKE WESSELS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $109K
LISA MARSELLA DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS 40 $83K
board members · 10
  • ALLISON SRIBARRA — DIRECTOR
  • BRANDON NADIG — TREASURER
  • DAVID FOOTE — DIRECTOR
  • DENISE RAMZY — DIRECTOR
  • GLEN DOWELL — DIRECTOR
  • KELLI GRAVES — DIRECTOR
  • LAURA LARSON — DIRECTOR
  • LAUREN GARNESE — DIRECTOR
  • MICHELLE THEVENIN — PRESIDENT
  • SUSAN FLEMING — SECRETARY
relationships · 27

Who they work with

  • Ashoka U Network — CTA led Cornell’s involvement in the Ashoka U network of changemaker campuses.
  • Center for Transformative Action Government — Fiscal sponsor providing responsive, invested support to help URO succeed in its mission.
  • Community Foundation Funder — Target funder for grant proposals supporting the Gayogohó:nǫˀ Learning Project.
  • Cornell University Government — Independent 501(c)3 affiliated with Cornell University, offering courses and programs to the university and serving as an incubator for nonprofit social ventures.
  • Cornell University Partner — CTA is an affiliate of Cornell University, enabling collaboration with university staff, students, and faculty, and providing access to campus resources and student hiring with federal work-study awards.
  • Cornell University Partner — Collaborates on teaching social entrepreneurship courses and incubating student-led social ventures such as Anabel’s Grocery.
  • Cornell University Partner — Collaborates with Cornell University through student employment, federal work-study programs, and credit-bearing courses tied to Anabel's Grocery operations.
  • Dorothy Cotton Institute Network — Project of CTA that provides senior fellows to support leadership development and racial equity integration in partner organizations.
  • Dorothy Cotton Institute Partner — Partner organization dedicated to advancing human rights education and protection.
  • Fort Baptist Farm Partner — Partners with Fort Baptist Farm to source fresh, local food for Anabel's Grocery.
  • Greg Colvin Partner — Author of referenced guide on fiscal sponsorship practices used to inform CTA's offerings.
  • Healthy Food for All Partner — Partner organization providing access to highly subsidized weekly fresh, local produce for formerly incarcerated individuals.
  • Ithaca City of Asylum Partner — Hosts writers and artists who are censored or threatened for their expression.
  • Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services Partner — Partner organization supporting access to low-barrier, affordable housing for individuals in re-entry.
  • Jahajee Sisters Partner — Collaborates on initiatives supporting Indo-Caribbean women and gender-expansive people.
  • Memory Maker Project Partner — Engages in creative projects to preserve memory and promote healing among vulnerable populations.
  • Open Doors English Partner — Fiscal sponsor and administrative partner for Open Doors English since 2019.
  • Open Doors English Partner — Provides English language education and support to marginalized communities.
  • Opportunities, Alternatives, and Resources (OAR) Partner — Partner organization connecting individuals in re-entry to additional support services.
  • Park Foundation Funder — Target funder for grant proposals supporting the Gayogohó:nǫˀ Learning Project.
  • Queer Detainee Empowerment Program Partner — Supports LGBTQ individuals in detention through empowerment initiatives.
  • Remembrance Farm Partner — Partners with Remembrance Farm to source fresh, local food for Anabel's Grocery.
  • Stick and Stone Farm Partner — Partners with Stick and Stone Farm to source fresh, local food for Anabel's Grocery.
  • Story House Ithaca Partner — Provides administrative and operational support to Story House Ithaca, enabling them to focus on community programming.
  • Tompkins County Workers Center Partner — Partner project focused on addressing root causes of poverty and injustice in the capitalist economy.
  • Wide Awake Bakery Partner — Partners with Wide Awake Bakery to source fresh, local food for Anabel's Grocery.
  • Youth Farm Project Partner — Fiscally sponsored and mentored by CTA, leading to the organization's development into an independent 501c3 by 2020.
strategies · 14

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Beyond the Box Hiring Certification
    methodology: beyond-the-box hiring
    By certifying employers through the Beyond the Box program, the organization reduces hiring stigma and creates inclusive workplaces for people in re-entry because formal recognition shifts employer behavior and institutional norms around second chances.
  • Collaborative Social Change Model
    methodology: collaborative_social_change
    By replacing adversarial dynamics with collaborative strategies centered on shared benefit, the organization fosters collective well-being because cooperation generates more durable and inclusive solutions than oppositional approaches.
  • Community Dialogue on Racial Trauma
    methodology: community dialogue on racial trauma
    By facilitating structured book discussions around racial and generational trauma, the organization builds collective awareness and promotes trauma-informed practices because shared narrative experiences foster empathy and motivate systemic responsiveness.
  • Cultural Revitalization Through Community Engagement
    methodology: cultural-revitalization-through-community-engagement
    By creating apolitical spaces for Indigenous and community members to engage with Gayogohó:nǫˀ language and culture on ancestral lands, the organization supports cultural revitalization because neutral, accessible settings encourage participation without political barriers.
  • Dialogue-Based Change
    methodology: dialogue-based-change
    By suspending one's position to listen deeply, the organization enables authentic dialogue and generative possibilities for change because deep listening builds trust and surfaces shared values that can transcend polarization.
  • Dismantling Oppressive Systems
    methodology: dismantling-oppressive-systems
    By focusing on dismantling systems, structures, and relationships of power that perpetuate racism and exploitation, the organization advances justice because systemic transformation is necessary to achieve equitable outcomes.
  • Emotional Acknowledgment in Conflict Transformation
    methodology: emotional_acknowledgment_in_conflict_transformation
    By addressing anger and pain in self and others as a prerequisite to dialogue, the organization enables mutual understanding because emotional recognition reduces defensiveness and opens space for generative communication.
  • Experiential Education for Social Entrepreneurship
    methodology: experiential-education
    By engaging students in experiential, student-led management of real-world operations like a nonprofit grocery store, the organization teaches systems thinking and food justice because hands-on practice with anti-racist analysis deepens learning and drives long-term behavioral change.
  • Fiscal Sponsorship with Capacity Building
    methodology: fiscal_sponsorship_with_capacity_building
    By providing fiscal sponsorship combined with mentorship and administrative support, the organization builds the capacity of emerging nonprofits so they can operate independently because early-stage organizations need both operational stability and strategic guidance to mature successfully.
  • Immersive Training Institute Model
    methodology: immersive-training-institute
    By combining skill-building tools, coaching, and peer community in immersive training institutes, the organization advances socially just economies because sustained, relationship-rich environments produce deeper learning and stronger networks than transactional training formats.
  • Innovative Model Experimentation
    methodology: innovative_model_experimentation
    By developing and testing innovative models, the organization demonstrates alternative solutions to social and environmental problems because proof-of-concept initiatives make abstract ideas tangible and replicable.
  • Lived Experience Leadership
    methodology: lived-experience-leadership
    By centering leadership from those with lived experience and building alliances across difference, the organization generates more effective solutions because directly impacted individuals bring essential insight and legitimacy to change efforts.
  • Social Entrepreneurship for Systemic Change
    methodology: social_entrepreneurship
    By combining personal and social transformation with social entrepreneurship, the organization advances systemic change because entrepreneurial models scale solutions while transformational practice ensures ethical and sustainable impact.
  • Transformative Action Framework
    methodology: transformative_action
    By breaking silence on injustice, building empathy across difference, and advancing a shared vision for change, the organization produces inclusive social movements because these steps create the psychological and relational conditions necessary for sustained collective action.