The Management Center (TMC) is a left-of-center management consulting and training 1 firm that seeks to advance the critical race theory-influenced concept of social justice. In its programming, TMC coaching helps managers adopt far-left antiracist and equitable practices. 2 3
TMC supports the far-left Black Lives Matter movement and has provided guidance for other organizations to write their own statements in support of Black Lives Matter. 4 The organization has expressed the view that the United States is shaped by “white supremacy culture,” 5 claimed that a daylong seminar will not stop the “weaponization of white womanhood,” and asserted that Asian Americans are complicit in anti-Blackness. 6
TMC received $250,000 from the Ford Foundation to build the organizational capacity of left-of-center groups in Florida, Michigan, and Texas and to foster collaboration among left-of-center leaders and groups in 2022 and 2023. 7 8 In 2021, TMC received a $5,000,000 grant from the Chicago Community Trust 9 10 and a grant of an undisclosed amount from MacKenzie Scott. 11 12
History and Leadership
Management Center was founded in 2006 by Jerry House, Rebecca Epstein, and Peter Lewis. 3 13
Jakada Imani is the CEO of Management Center. Imani has worked in left-wing racial, social, and economic activist movements for more than 30 years. Prior to becoming TMC’s CEO, Imani supported clients including Democratic Party politician and activist Stacey Abrams’ Fair Fight and the California Immigration Policy Center in another role with TMC. He previously worked as the executive director for the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights 14 and at the left-of-center Center for Popular Democracy. He is the board chair of Greenpeace. 15
TMC’s staff has experience leading left-of-center organizations and campaigns on immigration issues, the left-wing concepts of racial justice and educational equity, elections, LGBT interests, abortion access, and more. 13 Former Green Corps executive director Cynthia Kang is a senior partner with TMC. 16
Activities and Funding
Management Center is a left-of-center management consulting and training 1 firm that advances the critical race theory-influenced concept of social justice. In its programming, TMC coaching helps its students adopt far-left antiracist and equitable management practices. 2 3 The organization has said that equity is a strong component of the relationships that build “progressive social movements” and claimed that every manager must grapple with identity, power, and privilege. 17
As of August 2023, TMC has trained over 79,000 individual managers and worked with 1,309 individual organizations that are committed to racial equity and social justice. 13 In 2021 TMC, spent $8,272,234 on its programming. It also published education materials and a book, Managing to Change the World. 18 In 2023, TMC released another book on its equity-driven managing tactics, Management in a Changing World. 19
Coursework
The Management Center’s management courses focus on the critical race theory-influenced concept of racial equity. 20 Other courses include a Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) managers cohort; managing for racial equity; inclusion and results; and equitable hiring. 21 TMC also focuses on advancing the far-left concept of racial justice through antiracist and equitable practices. 13
TMC supports the far-left Black Lives Matter movement and has provided guidance for other organizations to write their own statements supporting Black Lives Matter. The guidance included having organizations acknowledge past harms; vow to root out “existing inequities” inside the organization; make commitments to the critical race theory-influenced concept of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); and include challenging anti-Blackness a part of all workers’ job descriptions. 4
Following riots and violent protests after death of George Floyd in 2020, TMC claimed that there have been “hundreds of years of systemic racism and state-sanctioned violence against Black people” in the United States. TMC also suggested giving Black staff time off of work, reprioritizing workloads of teams to lighten the workload for Black colleagues, creating spaces for non-Black staff to examine roles in combatting perceived anti-Blackness, committing organizations to the left-wing concept of racial justice, expanding DEI, and having organizations support defunding the police and other issues important to the left-of-center Movement for Black Lives. 6
The organization also contends that the United States is shaped by “white supremacy culture” and promotes left-of-center group Race Forward’s concept of “choice points” to determine instances when individuals can advocate for the critical race theory-influenced concepts of racial equity, inclusion, and belonging. 5
TMC has claimed that racism in America is older than the country, said a daylong seminar will not stop the “weaponization of white womanhood,” claimed that Asian Americans are complicit in anti-Blackness, and said it needs to find more ways to create and foster habits of anti-racism. 6 TMG has also attempted to draw parallels between the COVID-19 pandemic and racism” 4 and support educational leaders navigate a post-affirmative action world. 22
Nonprofit Engagement
The Management Center has given training to more than 200 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. TMC’s nonprofit training offerings include “Management 101” courses, open sessions, published materials, and online management resources. 23
In total, TMC has worked with more than 1,300 left-of-center organizations, electoral campaigns, and government agencies to advance the left-wing concept of educational equity since its founding. Some of its clients have included Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Black Futures Lab, Color of Change, Fair and Just Prosecution, Florida Rising, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Institute for Reproductive Health, One Arizona, State Voices, Transgender Law Center, United We Dream, and Youth Engagement Fund. TMC works with 501(c)(3) organizations through its sister organization, the for-profit 24 the Management Action Center. 25
Financials
Management Center receives funding from program fees and grants. 26 In 2021, the Management Center reported revenue of $17,392,064 and expenses of $10,300,828. This was an increase from 2020, when the organization reported revenue of $9,316,153 and expenses of $10,260,235. 27
TMC received $250,000 from the Ford Foundation to build organizational capacity of left-of-center groups in Florida, Michigan, and Texas and to foster collaboration among left-of-center social justice leaders and groups in 2023 28 and 2022. 7 In 2021, TMC received an additional $600,000 in grants from the Ford Foundation. 29 30
In 2021, TMC was one of 286 organizations that received a grant of an undisclosed amount from MacKenzie Scott as a part of $2.7 billion of grants Scott sent to partner with left-wing social justice and educational leaders. 11 12 TMC also received a $5,000,000 grant from the Chicago Community Trust, 9 10 $400,000 from the Global Village Charity Trust, 31 and $400,000 from the JPB Foundation in 2021. 32 33
In 2020, TMC received $110,000 from Aspen Community Foundation, $400,000 from the Ford Foundation, $100,000 from IV Fund, $200,00 from the Sandler Foundation, $30,000 from the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, $50,000 from the JPB Foundation, $50,000 from Bloomberg Philanthropies, $115,000 from NEO Philanthropy, $300,000 from Northern Trust, $50,000 from Pat Stryker, $150,000 from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and $110,000 from the JDL Foundation. 34
TMC received $100,000 from Aspen Community Foundation, $91,000 from the Ford Foundation, $98,000 from IV Fund, $200,000 from Sandler Foundation, $50,000 from Jewish Federation of Cleveland, $800,000 from the JPB Foundation, $69,000 from the Kresge Foundation, $100,000 from NEO Philanthropy, $400,000 from Northern Trust, $100,000 from Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and $100,000 from the JDL Foundation in 2019. 35
References
- “Management Workouts.” The Management Center. Accessed August 19, 2023. https://www.managementcenter.org/trainings/management-workout/.
- “Conspire and Align: A New Approach to Management.” The Management Center. Accessed August 18, 2023. https://www.managementcenter.org/resources/conspire-and-align/.
- “The Management Center.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed August 18, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-management-center/about/.
- “So you’ve declared that Black Lives Matter. Now what?” The Management Center. June 16, 2020. Accessed August 19, 2023. https://www.managementcenter.org/resources/so-youve-declared-that-black-lives-matter-now-what/.
- “Using Choice Points to Advance Racial Equity and Inclusion.” The Management Center. November 28, 2021. Accessed August 18, 2023. https://www.managementcenter.org/resources/using-choice-points-to-advance-racial-equity-and-inclusion/.
- “How to Manage When Things Are Not Okay (And Haven’t Been For Centuries).” The Management Center. June 2, 2020. Accessed August 19, 2023. https://www.managementcenter.org/resources/how-to-manage-when-things-are-not-okay-and-havent-been-for-centuries/.
- “The Management Center.” Ford Foundation. May 2022. Accessed August 18, 2023. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/the-management-center-142757/.
- “The Management Center.” Ford Foundation. July 2023. Accessed August 18, 2023. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/the-management-center-146757/.
- “Donor Advised Funds.” The Chicago Community Trust. Accessed August 18, 2023. https://2021annualreport.cct.org/donor-advised-funds/.
- “The Chicago Community Trust.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (From 990). 2020. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/362167000/202222249349300837/full.
- “TMC Receives Generous Grift.” The Management Center. June 15, 2021. Accessed August 18, 2023. https://www.managementcenter.org/update/tmc-receives-generous-gift/.
- Baker, Damare. “38 DC-Area Organizations Received Donations from Mackenzie Scott. Here’s What they Do.” Washingtonian. June 16, 2021. Accessed August 18, 2023. https://www.washingtonian.com/2021/06/16/38-dc-area-organizations-received-donations-from-mackenzie-scott-heres-what-they-do/.
- “About.” The Management Center. Accessed August 18, 2023. https://www.managementcenter.org/about-us/.
- “Jakada Imani.” The Management Center. Accessed August 18, 2023. https://www.managementcenter.org/staff-board/jakada-imani/.
- “Experience.” Jakada Imani LinkedIn Profile. Accessed August 18, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakada/details/experience/.
- “Cindy Kang.” The Management Center. Accessed August 19, 2023. https://www.managementcenter.org/staff-board/cindy-kang/.
- “The Four Elements of Strong Relationships.” The Manager’s Guide to Relationship-Building. Accessed August 18, 2023. https://www.managementcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/The-Four-Elements-of-Strong-Relationships-TMC-2021.pdf.
- “The Management Center.” Return of Organization Exempt Form Income Tax. (Form 990). 2021. Part II. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/205197607/202340839349301009/full.
- “Our Book.” The Management Center. Accessed August 19, 2023. https://www.managementcenter.org/our-book/.
- “Contact Us.” The Management Center. Accessed August 18, 2023. https://www.managementcenter.org/contact-us/.
- “Trainings.” The Management Center. Accessed August 18, 2023. https://www.managementcenter.org/trainings/.
- “LinkedIn Post.” The Management Center LinkedIn. Posted August 16, 2023. Accessed August 19, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdTJkvVD7j0.
- “The Management Center.” Cause IQ. Accessed August 18, 2023. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/the-management-center,205197607/.
- “The Management Center.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2021. Part IV. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/205197607/202340839349301009/full.
- “Our Clients.” The Management Center. Accessed August 18, 2023. https://www.managementcenter.org/about-us/our-clients/.
- “Equity & Inclusion.” The Management Center. Accessed August 18, 2023. https://www.managementcenter.org/equity-inclusion/.
- “The Management Center.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2019. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/205197607/202340839349301009/full.
- [1] “The Management Center.” Ford Foundation. July 2023. Accessed August 18, 2023. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/the-management-center-146757/.
- “The Management Center.” Ford Foundation. August 2021. Accessed August 18, 2023. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/the-management-center-141534/.
- “The Management Center.” Ford Foundation. May 2021. Accessed August 18, 2023. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/the-management-center-140529/.
- “The Management Center.” Global Village Charitable Trust. Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2021. Part XV. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/341757652/202221329349103812/full.
- “The Management Center.” CauseIQ. Accessed August 18, 2023. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/the-management-center,205197607/.
- “The JPB Foundation.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2021. Part XV. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/900747216/202223159349101982/full.
- “The Management Center.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2020. Schedule B. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/205197607/202143159349102114/full.
- [1] “The Management Center.” Return of Private Foundation. (Form 990-PF). 2019. Schedule B. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/205197607/202013189349103011/full.