CNPE announces our new CEO

Beverly Bartlett • August 21, 2023

Das Rooprai Named CEO of Center for Nonprofit Excellence

Das Rooprai Named CEO of Center for Nonprofit Excellence
Rooprai brings corporate and nonprofit experience to CNPE’s mission
with an emphasis on innovation and team building

Aug. 21, 2023 (Louisville, KY) – The Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNPE) has named Das Rooprai as its new CEO. He will be the fourth leader of the 24-year-old organization.

CNPE is a member organization that serves hundreds of nonprofits throughout Greater Louisville and Southern Indiana. CNPE’s goal is to elevate the economic, social, and cultural impact of the nonprofit sector. The organization provides professional development, hands-on consultation, networking opportunities, and thought leadership to help nonprofits fulfill their mission more effectively. CNPE celebrates the diversity of our community and welcomes all to engage, learn and thrive together.

Rooprai comes to CNPE with more than 20 years of experience as a corporate executive, nonprofit and business consultant, and entrepreneur, known for driving growth through innovation and building high-performing teams.

As a corporate leader, he has held senior strategic, finance, and marketing positions with well-known brands, including Yum!, Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, and Peet’s Coffee. As a nonprofit champion, he most recently served as Vice President of the Strategy Division at Ashley Rountree & Associates, where he helped more than a dozen area nonprofits develop strategic plans and hone their missions in a post-pandemic world.

“For us, Das represents the best of all possible combinations of talents,” said CNPE Board Chair Ashley Parrott, who also served as the co-chair of the search committee. “He is a visionary leader who understands what it takes to bring an idea to life. Das is action-oriented, and his experience and passion for the nonprofit sector will ensure that we always keep the needs of our members at the forefront when making decisions.”

Rooprai lives in Louisville and values his diverse upbringing as the son of an engineer from India and an artist from the Midwest. “Throughout my life,” he said, “I’ve leveraged my diverse upbringing and career to creatively improve things around me. I am inspired by the impact our nonprofits have, and by the generous support of our community. It is an honor to lead this next chapter of CNPE.”

The search committee and the board “valued the diversity of Das’s lived experiences – both personally and professionally, both corporate and nonprofit,” said Christen Boone, immediate past board chair of CNPE and co-chair of the search committee. “He brings valuable perspectives to the work that CNPE does every day, and he has the experience to apply that perspective to our work.”

With the tagline “we all profit when nonprofits thrive,” CNPE has helped nonprofit organizations expand their capacity by providing training opportunities in fundraising, nonprofit management, board development, and advocacy. In addition to the classes, CNPE offers an experienced group of consultants who work with organizations on strategic and operational planning, increasing board effectiveness, developing program outcome measurements, governance, and general organizational development. CNPE’s roster of upcoming classes are available here. CNPE’s School for Fundraising and Engagement is a key component of the organization’s offerings.

CNPE’s previous CEO, Ann L. Coffey, stepped down on July 31 after five years, including a year as interim. Coffey had timed her departure so that the board could onboard a new CEO before entering its next strategic planning process which will be led by the person responsible for implementing the plan.

CNPE is supported by the James Graham Brown Foundation; the C.E.& S. Foundation; Owsley Brown II Family Foundation; Brown-Forman Foundation; Community Foundation of Louisville; Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence; Mildred V. Horn Foundation; Legacy Foundation; LG&E & KU Foundation; Humana Foundation; the Lift a Life Novak Family Foundation; The Ginkgo Fund; Kosair for Kids; The Gheens Foundation; Brooke Brown Barzun Foundation - as well as our founding partners with Metro Louisville; Donors Forum of Kentuckiana; Metro United Way; individual; and corporate sponsors.

CNPE’s program sponsors include: Cherry Bekaert; Brown-Forman Corporation; PNC Bank; Dean Dorton; Fifth Third Bank; Baird; DMLO; Republic Bank; LG&E; Donors Forum of Kentuckiana; Wyatt, Tarrant, & Combs.

In addition, CNPE will soon begin announcing a host of sponsors for its upcoming ChangeMakers Conference on Oct. 19. The subject of the conference is “Pursuing Lasting Change: Bias, Behaviors and Belonging.” CNPE is presenting the conference in partnership with Perception Institute.

Photo credit: Andrea Hughes Photography

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Advice for Handling Financial Uncertainity

By CNPE Staff • February 21, 2025

Dear Friends, With continued changes in government funding, the financial outlook for nonprofits feels more stressful than ever. But there are steps we can take right now to help insulate our organizations from the severity of what may come. In the spirit of "preparing for a rainy day" now is the time to take practical steps to identify and manage financial vulnerabilities in our organizations. From business and banking perspectives, here are a few items and actions to consider: Information is power. Now is a good time to assess your business model for more efficiency, resilience, and adaptability. Scrutinize your budget – trim non-essential costs and consider delaying investment in discretionary items. Cash is king - know your cash position and how long can you operate if funding stops. Manage payables carefully and take advantage of the full time your organization has to pay expenses. Talk with your banker – discuss ways to improve cash flow and ask about a potential line of credit for that rainy day. Have your bank provide a wellness checkup – how do they view your organization’s financial health? In general, don't be afraid to ask for help in times of financial strain. Your accounting firm, associations, and peers are helpful resources too - you are not alone. Plan for possible cuts. Nobody wants to think about this, but the reality of the moment calls for it. Staffing is typically the largest category of expense, so the hard question to wrestle with is how would we trim staffing expenses if needed without impacting our mission. Running a non-profit organization is stressful work. Throw in the uncertainty of our current environment and the task becomes even harder. Call upon trusted partners to help you see through the haze of uncertainty and take actions now that will extend your financial runway. There are additional considerations related to grants, contracts, funders, and social capital. The following resources can help you strategize and manage the financial needs of your organization during these times of uncertainty: 12 Urgent Financial Action Steps for Nonprofits: A 2025 Checklist How do Nonprofits Manage Cash Deficits? The Essentials of Cash Management for Nonprofits Small Business Resource Center | Pinnacle Financial Partners CNPE is partnering with Pinnacle Bank for our next Power Hour that will focus on bringing nonprofits more helpful advice about banking solutions and managing financial uncertainty. The event will provide opportunities for Q&A and networking with peers to help find answers you may be looking for. The date and time in March for Power Hour will be announced soon. We are available to connect with you to help where we can. With gratitude and admiration for everything you do to serve our community,