Retired fraud investigator here. If law enforcement can make a case and the prosecutor will prosecute it in court they'll normally do so. If found guilty in criminal court a judge will usually, but not always, order restitution as part of sentencing.
One part of the issue is the size/expertise of the local law enforcement agency. If it's a small town department with say, ten officers with high school degrees, an embezzlement case, especially if there are any complications to it, may well be beyond their capabilities. If you're in a big-city area and the police have experienced fraud investigators who do nothing but that, there should be no issues. If you're really lucky, you'll get a forensic accountant handling it but that's unlikely. Those folks generally make far more money in the private sector.
The attorneys you hire will probably sit back and wait to see what happens on the law enforcement side. If the state can clear the bar for a criminal conviction a successful civil suit, where the standard of proof is far lower, is a slam dunk. And if a criminal court judge orders restitution they may not bother - what's the point?
That does not mean the community center is going to be made whole. If the suspect spent all the money (usually the case) and now has a net worth of a dollar ninety-eight you're not getting the money back. If he/she has a steady job there may be some hope of some recovery but that's the exception and not the rule.
Sorry to make the prospects sound so dismal, but that was my experience.