The Telluride Foundation’s strategic goals include convening and facilitating community and nonprofit capacity. With this goal in mind, the Foundation organizes and provides free workshops, trainings, expert consulting and “Executive Director Breakfasts” to nonprofits, board members, and the public. This year, the Foundation has specifically focused its training efforts on building the capacity of nonprofits to be financially healthy and sustainable. The Foundation has also teamed with Telluride Venture Accelerator staff and mentors to host quality speakers with business as well as nonprofit backgrounds and bring local businesses and nonprofits together to learn from one another. Coordinating with TVA provides nonprofits with business perspective and the skills that can help nonprofits obtain financial sustainability.
To date this year, workshops and trainings have included fundraising, leadership, strategy formulation, using the business canvas model, and hiring and managing employees/contractors. Executive Director Breakfast topics have included earned income strategies, capital campaigns and endowments, and telling and pitching your story. The strategy formulation workshop hosted in partnership with MountainFilm and Patagonia and funded by the Johnson Family Foundation, brought in approximately 40 nonprofit board members and representatives to learn from Denver-based nonprofit consultant Ron Gager about a new way to approach strategic planning.
The Foundation, in partnership with the Lone Cone Library and Lone Cone Legacy Trust, sponsored a Board Development Workshop in Norwood, attended by 33 current and prospective nonprofit and government board members. Upcoming workshops include: developing organizational and program budgets and “A Day in the Life of a Nonprofit Executive Director,” which will focus on all the day to day aspects of managing a sustainable nonprofit, including fundraising, grant writing, communication with donors, and reviewing financials.
For more information on upcoming workshops and ED Breakfasts or for ideas on topics or speakers please contact april@telluride.dreaminblog.com.
