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Blog2021-07-29T14:17:02-06:00

Cheers to the Champions of the Arts

Today, there are a few organizations I want to celebrate because they each make a big difference in our beautiful state and simply make us better humans. Special Olympics Colorado, ARC Thrift Stores/Arc of Colorado, and Goodwill Colorado all work relentlessly to create a state where everyone feels valued and recognized. [...]

By |July 5th, 2024|

Inclusion Makes Us Awesome

Today, there are a few organizations I want to celebrate because they each make a big difference in our beautiful state and simply make us better humans. Special Olympics Colorado, ARC Thrift Stores/Arc of Colorado, and Goodwill Colorado all work relentlessly to create a state where everyone feels valued and recognized. [...]

By |June 5th, 2024|

Bridging the Gap: Horizons Creates Opportunity for Under-resourced Students

What happens when a local nonprofit has a bold vision to build a future in which every Colorado child thrives intellectually, socially, emotionally, and physically? When the devoted team works with kids in the summer and throughout the year with a keen focus on the whole child through academic skill-building, social-emotional support, health, and wellness activities? [...]

By |May 9th, 2024|

A Phone Call Away From a New Life

Last year, I had a narrow glimpse into the lives and challenges of domestic violence survivors when a dear friend left her partner/abuser of several years. We frequently talk now about how the cell phone I gave her, and the corresponding service plan was her lifeline. I would never have known the power of a new cell phone for a person in crisis without watching it live and in real time. [...]

By |April 8th, 2024|

Feeding the Soul in Denver

In a town with seemingly unceasing growth and abundant opportunities it feels like we should be doing better. According to the city of Denver, our economy diversified in the expansionary period after the recession of years past, and those industries continue to grow year after year. [...]

By |February 9th, 2024|

Winter’s Blessing: Supporting Neighbors Through Service (and Song)

Colorado’s winter months offer spectacular snow-covered views and fresh mountain air, but for older adults, this time of year can pose ample challenges. As temperatures drop and snow blankets the state, seniors may face isolation, limited mobility, and increased difficulties in meeting their daily needs.[...]

By |December 8th, 2023|

BEN Colorado: Supporting Entrepreneurs & Creating Jobs

BEN Colorado is not your typical nonprofit organization. I think most folks think “nonprofit” then they think “charity” then they think “direct service organization” like a food pantry or a shelter. That is not BEN. The group is singularly focused on supporting Colorado’s entrepreneurs. They tend to the dreamers, risk-takers and empire-builders. [...]

By |November 8th, 2023|

Celebrating 100 Years

A lot of huge things happened in 1923. The first home game was played at Yankee Stadium, home of the New York Yankees. King Tut’s Burial Chamber was opened in Egypt, and the Republic of Turkey was established. [...]

By |August 10th, 2023|

Cahn Fellows Provides Support for the District’s Most Valuable Players

High-performing leaders typically lead high-performing schools. Look around, and you’ll see this truth in action everywhere and (unfortunately) the inverse. Your kid’s patchworked elementary school with chronic teacher turnover and messy classrooms is usually not run by an exceptional director. [...]

By |June 9th, 2023|

Making Denver Cooler: the Sun Valley Viaduct Night Market

There is just a boatload of greatness pouring out of the small narrow sliver we call Sun Valley, a neighborhood which includes the city’s football stadium, Meow Wolf, a major Denver Housing Authority redevelopment, and Denver’s first Latino-owned brewery, Raices Brewing, among other cultural, food and drink phenomena. [...]

By |May 8th, 2023|

The Freshest Idea for Colorado Gardeners

Occasionally, you learn about a nonprofit that is doing something so simple, obvious, and necessary that it causes a smallish explosion in your brain. And then you ask yourself, “is everyone in the world smarter than me and thinking up brilliant solutions to the world’s most complex issues while I am just sitting here watching comedies on Brit Box?” And the answer is “yes.” [...]

By |April 8th, 2023|

Clela Rorex: The Legend We Hardly Knew

One evening, last spring, I attended yet another fundraising event for yet another nonprofit organization serving kids in Colorado. As is often the case, I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be better to stay home and watch television? It’s important to note that I would rather be watching television 90% of the time. I know that may depress most Coloradans, but alas I do my best to bring some extracurricular diversity to the state. [...]

By |March 6th, 2023|

Meet Colorado’s Dream Team

One evening, last spring, I attended yet another fundraising event for yet another nonprofit organization serving kids in Colorado. As is often the case, I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be better to stay home and watch television? It’s important to note that I would rather be watching television 90% of the time. I know that may depress most Coloradans, but alas I do my best to bring some extracurricular diversity to the state. [...]

By |January 8th, 2023|

Maximizing Your Potential With Nonprofit Leadership Coaching

We all behave in intuitive patterns; each is different and contributes in diverse ways. When organizations and leaders invest time and energy into their team’s talents, they collectively achieve greater success. By embracing their natural talents, employees and teams feel more confident to take risks and find greater success in achieving personal and professional goals. [...]

By |September 22nd, 2022|

PeaceJam: Still Rocking After All These Years

There was once a couple that pondered what would happen if Nobel Peace Laureates mentored young people to make the world a better place. And then they did it. No, they really did. And it started right here in your town in 1996. Meet PeaceJam, the little nonprofit that started with Dawn Engle and Ivan Suvanjieff and some little-known figures like the Dalai Lama, Betty Williams and Desmond Tutu. [...]

By |September 9th, 2022|

Goodbye Bonnie Brae Tavern

We have lost so many strong Denver institutions over the past few years. El Chapultupec? Are you kidding me? The Market? Noooooo. Bonnie Brae Tavern? Oh, Hello no. I have struggled for years to articulate my feelings regarding the evolution of Denver and specifically the neighborhood of my youth, Washington Park. [...]

By |July 8th, 2022|

It’s Time for a Breakthrough

In a state known for its optimism and innovation, it’s astounding to learn that one of every two individuals released from prisons in Colorado will return within three years. By comparison, Florida has about half of Colorado’s 50% recidivism rate, a jaw-dropping statistic in this local gal’s opinion. [...]

By |April 5th, 2022|

Tattered Cover: More Than a Bookstore

Tattered Cover is an iconic bookstore in Denver, but it has always been so much more for those who grew up in this city. All of us have a special memory or memories of Tattered Cover. It might be the hours spent every weekend for two years in the lower level of the Cherry Creek store reading about different colleges and universities all over the country. [...]

By |February 1st, 2022|

Support Your Local Theater: Buntport Theater

I am going to say something controversial. Theater is boring. My dad describes opera in a way that I think embodies my feeling about theater: it’s a really expensive and uncomfortable nap. I don’t even want to be awake past 8:30 pm, which makes most productions of basically anything on a stage feel like a major imposition. I don’t like things standing between me and the Land of Sleepy-Sleepy. [...]

By |December 4th, 2021|

Supporting Denver’s Workforce

Right now, the minimum wage in Colorado is $12.32 per hour. Meanwhile, the average rent for an apartment in Denver is a cool $1,748 for a one-bedroom unit. With a monthly income of $1,971 a full-time minimum wage worker is left with $223 a month to cover utilities, food, transportation, medical expenses and [...]

By |November 23rd, 2021|

Pepper’s Senior Dog Sanctuary

Everyone has that “one” dog in their lives. You know the dog. The one who knows the whole story? The one who saw you through some break-ups, some unemployment, some bad falls. If you’re a dog-owner, you totally get it. My “one” dog was Ella-Bobella, Pretty Princess, Piece of Pie. Don’t judge me. [...]

By |November 23rd, 2021|

Girls Athletic Leadership Schools of Denver

There is a place where middle school girls can run, scream, dance and crab-walk through the hallways between classes. A place where math is taught in action with things like the “fraction dance” and where girls are encouraged to be bold, honest and authentic. It’s kind of the opposite of the middle school experience that most people endured and barely survived. [...]

By |November 6th, 2021|

Training Not Shaming

After 20+ years as a professional fundraiser I can say with confidence that our industry should win a prize for having the highest expectations and the lowest level of investment in our employees. The prize could be called, "Worst in Show" and it would feature a promo video of a barking gaggle of well-intended nonprofit leaders pointing to a spreadsheet and demanding answers. [...]

By |October 16th, 2020|

Thank you SBA

I wrote a couple months ago about the heartbreak, and then rage I felt when my company didn't receive the PPP funding to support our employees. Later, we did receive that funding. Not only that, we also received an EIDL loan for our business. [...]

By |June 24th, 2020|

Working From Home FOREVER

Dearest Team and Clients: Behold an announcement from Philanthropy Expert! It will not be a surprise to most of you but let's make it official. We're working from home until the end of time. Until dinosaurs re-inhabit the planet. Until pigs fly. [...]

By |June 15th, 2020|

What Comes Next: We Get Better

When the need for something becomes imperative, you are forced to find ways of getting or achieving it. Hence the saying: 'necessity is the mother of invention.' I am so impressed with private industry's responsiveness to this pandemic crisis with quick innovations and pivots. [...]

By |March 27th, 2020|

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