cece and community
ce and community
ce+co.
the problem
The majority of nonprofits in this country operate on budgets under $1 million. They're running youth programs, providing mental health services, feeding families, organizing for justice. They are the backbone of their communities.
And they are chronically under-resourced, under-supported, and expected to do more with less every single year.
CE+CO works with equity-centered nonprofits in the $500K–$3M range — organizations with strong missions and programs that need the internal infrastructure to match.
We work especially well with executive directors who are stretched thin, skeptical of consultants who don't understand the weight of the work, and ready to build something that lasts.
We serve organizations working in youth development, mental health, education, arts and culture, community development, social justice, and healing-centered spaces — particularly BIPOC-led organizations that have been underserved by traditional consulting models.
If that's you, we should talk.
our story
I spent six years in nonprofit executive leadership, and I loved the mission and felt what it cost. Burnout isn't a personal failing — it's what happens when systems are broken and the people inside them aren't given the tools, the infrastructure, or the rest they need to survive. I experienced that firsthand. My staff did too. And I watched too many talented, committed people of color leave this sector because the conditions didn't support them staying.
I'm Cece Chu — social worker, former executive director, and the founder of CE+CO.
I started this practice because I believe the problem isn't the people. It's the infrastructure. When organizations have systems that work, when leaders have real support, when the tools match the capacity of the team using them — things change. Not overnight. But durably.
CE+CO is my way of staying in the work I love, on terms that are sustainable. I get to bring everything I've learned — as an executive director of Friends for Youth (where I tripled annual revenue and led a full organizational transformation), as an MSW, as someone who has had to rebuild — to the leaders and organizations who need it most. I get to do it with honesty, with care, and with a deep belief that rest, dignity, and quality support are not luxuries. They're what makes this sector worth fighting for.
The name says it all: Ce is me. Co is community. This practice is relational at its core.
what i bring
Very few nonprofit consultants hold all of this simultaneously. CE+CO's value lives at the intersection:
Executive director credibility: six years running organizations, including tripling revenue at Friends for Youth
Fundraising expertise: grants, major donors, institutional giving, development operations
Operational rigor: SOP development, workflow design, team structure, board governance
Salesforce and data competency: NPSP implementation, KPI architecture, dashboard design
Social work lens: MSW, trauma-informed practice, equity-centered leadership
AI systems fluency: Claude, Gemini, NotebookLM, prompt engineering, AI governance
Creator and educator instincts: curriculum design, workshop facilitation, content production
contact me
Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!