In Support of Nonprofit Organizations

The officers, board and staff of Southern Colorado Community Foundation believe that one of the main functions of the Community Foundation is to provide ongoing support for nonprofits that serve southern Colorado.

In order to put that belief into action, Southern Colorado Community Foundation, in collaboration with the Colorado Springs’ Center for Nonprofit Excellence, the Pueblo City-County Library District, and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, offers educational workshops for area nonprofits.  Since 2002 workshops have been offered in such areas as Leadership and Team Building, Legal Issues, Grant Writing, Outcomes for Success, Leadership Development, Marketing, Volunteer Management, Board Development, Strategic Planning, Program Evaluation, Budgeting/Financial Planning, Grant Writing II, The Cooperating Collection at the Rawlings Library, Developing Your Case Statement, Strategic Planning, Nonprofits:  Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Case for Support, Fraud Prevention for Nonprofits, Convey your Message, Marketing and Media Relations, Volunteers: Recruit and Retain, Partnerships and Collaborations, Building Capacity, Board Roles and Responsibilities, Developing a Financial Plan, Asking for Dollars, Marketing on a Shoestring, and Answering Your Questions about Employee Relations.  In 2008 and 2009 SCCF has cooperated with the Colorado Nonprofit Association in presenting workshops in Pueblo.

Southern Colorado Community Foundation is an active participant in the Health and Human Services Task Force of the 2010 Commission as well as the Capacity Builders, a group of funders who meet regularly to discuss how to build the capacity of area nonprofits.  The Capacity Builders sponsor the celebration of Nonprofit Day in March of each year.  Nonprofit Day in 2006 featured David la Piana, a well known author and presenter concerning nonprofit issues.  In 2007 Nonprofit Day was held in conjunction with the Colorado Nonprofit Association’s regional conference.

The Capacity Builders commissioned the Economics Department in the Hasan School of Business at the CSU-Pueblo to conduct a survey to determine the impact of nonprofits on the economy of Pueblo County.  Copies of the survey are available at our office 121 West First Street, Suite 240 in Pueblo.

During the summer of 2004, the Capacity Builders in collaboration with the Community Resource Center sponsored a Funder's Fair.  This event brought together nonprofits in Pueblo and funders from all around Colorado.

In the fall of 2007 the Colorado Association of Nonprofits is publishing Principles and Practices for Nonprofit Excellence.  Doris Kester, the Executive Director of SCCF, was on the advisory committee for this publication.  This publication can be accessed at www.coloradononprofits.org.

The staff at Southern Colorado Community Foundation has developed a comprehensive list of nonprofits in the region.  Anyone who reads this who is involved in a nonprofit in southern Colorado that does not receive notification of the workshops should call (719) 546 6677 to have the nonprofit's name added to the list.

The staff at SCCF also maintains a large email list through which area nonprofits can inform the community about events taking place in the area.  Contact Doris at kester@ddmktg.com if you want to get the word out about an event you are sponsoring.