non-profit management consulting
guiding organizations towards creating strategy, strengthening governance, engaging communities, and leading change
Our work
Established in 2017, PetersonMangum helps organizations increase their effectiveness and navigate critical junctures through strategic consulting and leadership support. Our practice seeks to identify and cultivate internal and external relationships so that organizations can leverage the power of deep collaboration. PetersonMangum draws upon a combined 21 years of experience to unlock increased impact through strategic planning, organizational capacity building, stakeholder cultivation, board development, and fundraising.
Our services
Strategic Planning & organizational Development
We believe organizations plan better when the people closest to the work have a genuine voice in shaping the future. Our planning process is intentionally collaborative, grounded in trust, and guided by a commitment to equity and inclusion.Working alongside boards, staff, partners, and community members, we help organizations build consensus around shared priorities and develop strategies that reflect both organizational goals and lived experience. The result is a shared commitment to a direction that people understand, support, and are prepared to implement.
Board development and governance
When board members understand their roles, value diverse perspectives, and engage in honest dialogue, they make better decisions for the organizations and communities they serve. We partner with boards and executive leaders to strengthen governance through collaborative learning, thoughtful facilitation, and practical guidance. Through board development workshops, governance assessments, strategic retreats, and leadership coaching, we clarify roles and responsibilities, strengthen board-executive relationships, and build a culture of shared accountability where every member is equipped to contribute.
Community engagement & group facilitation
We design and facilitate inclusive engagement processes that create meaningful opportunities for residents, stakeholders, and community partners to shape decisions that affect their lives. Grounded in trust, equity, and inclusion, our approach fosters genuine dialogue, shared learning, and collective problem-solving. From facilitating conversations around complex issues to establishing community advisory boards that elevate lived experience, we help organizations to listen more deeply, build stronger relationships, and make decisions that reflect both institutional goals and community priorities.
Clients
CICELY PETERSON-MANGUM, ESQ., MANAGING PARTNER &
PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT
Cicely Peterson-Mangum is a trusted advisor, passionate connector, insightful strategist, and empathetic facilitator with over two decades of experience in nonprofit management, law, government relations, and education. Since 2017, she has engaged organizations, teams, and individuals to guide strategic planning, strengthen governance, engage communities, and lead change.
Cicely draws on the power of deep collaboration in all of her work, inspiring clients to boost their performance and increase their impact through self-assessment and reflection, deep dialogue, and vision-driven thinking. With an approach rooted in equity and inclusion, she brings diverse stakeholders together to address difficult issues, build consensus, and make thoughtful decisions. Her work is grounded in the belief that the strongest solutions emerge when those closest to the issues have a meaningful voice in shaping them.
In her experience in executive leadership roles at mission-driven organizations, Cicely combined her core values of empathy and personal connection with analysis, strategic thinking, and practical problem-solving developed in her early career as an attorney. Cicely has served on several nonprofit and philanthropic boards including the executive committee of the board of trustees of the Seybert Foundation, the University of Virginia's IDEA Fund (inclusion, diversity, equity, and access), and the board of the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations.
Cicely holds a JD from Western New England University School of Law, a BA from the University of Virginia, and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from La Salle University. She is a graduate of the Nonprofit Executive Leadership Institute at Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research and a member of the inaugural class of the Philadelphia African-American Leadership Development Forum.
Derren A. Mangum, Partner & Consultant
Drawing on more than two decades of experience in communications and nonprofit leadership, Derren Mangum specializes in persuasive communications and fundraising strategies that enables organizations to inspire action, influence key audiences, and advance their missions. He specializes in a thoughtful process of investigation and iteration to craft strategic messaging, strengthen organizational narratives, and communicate with clarity during periods of growth, change, and opportunity.
Derren currently serves as Director of Donor Relations & Advocacy for Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania, and spent more than sixteen years with Opera Philadelphia, leading foundation, corporate, and government fundraising efforts that secured millions of dollars annually in philanthropic support. Derren holds a B.A. in Rhetoric and Communication Studies from the University of Virginia and a Certificate in Editing from Temple University.
Testimonials
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“WE WERE SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE CICELY AND RHONDA [ANDERSON OF ANDERSON LAW GROUP] FACILITATE OUR BOARD RETREAT AND STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION! AFTER WORKING WITH THEM, WE HAD A THOUGHTFUL AND THOROUGH STRATEGIC PLAN TO GUIDE OUR WORK FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS. AND OUR BOARD WAS MORE CONNECTED, MORE CONSCIOUS OF OUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS TRUSTEES, AND MORE ENERGIZED TO DO THE WORK WE COMMITTED TO IN OUR PLAN. WE WERE SO PLEASED WITH CICELY AND RHONDA THAT WE QUICKLY HIRED THEM AGAIN TO DO A BOARD ORIENTATION AT THE START OF THE NEXT YEAR AND WERE EQUALLY SATISFIED WITH BOTH THE IN-SESSION LEARNING AND TANGIBLE SKILLS AND TOOLS THEY PROVIDED DURING AND AFTER THE SESSION.”
— Reynelle Staley, Chair of the Board of Trustees, Clementine Montessori School
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“I’M GRATEFUL TO CICELY FOR HER CONSULTING WORK WITH MY ORGANIZATION, AND I REALLY LEARNED A LOT FROM OUR COACHING RELATIONSHIP. HER PATIENT AND POSITIVE APPROACH TO COMMUNICATION ESTABLISHED GREAT TRUST AND COMFORT, AND I FELT SHE WAS A PARTNER INVESTED IN MY SUCCESS, OFFERING LOGICAL SUGGESTIONS AT THE RIGHT TIME. OUR WORK INSPIRED ME TO STEP OUT OF MY INTROVERTED SHELL AND FEEL CONFIDENT ABOUT THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF LIL FILMMAKERS.”
— Janine Spruill, Executive Director, Lil Filmmakers
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“THE MCA LEADERSHIP RETREAT WAS ENGAGING, INSIGHTFUL AND RENEWING. WE LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT OURSELVES WHILE FOCUSING ON THE ISSUES THAT ARE A PRIORITY FOR OUR ORGANIZATION. MOREOVER, WE GREATLY APPRECIATE THE ‘BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER’ SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE. IT MEANT A LOT.”
— Gwendolyn Morris, Secretary of the Board of Directors, Mantua Civic Association