Sustainable, Tough, Efficient, Purposeful
Effective, transparent organizations command more knowledgeable boards, impactful staff, and financial support. By leaning into experts, best practices, and innovative strategies, organizations are better able to plan, respond, and grow. As part of its commitment to strengthen the nonprofits of the Gunnison Valley, the Community Foundation of the Gunnison Valley offers professional guidance and curated resources in order to help organizations be more Sustainable, Tough, Efficient, and Purposeful.
CFGV has assembled dozens of advisors who have agreed to donate their time to assisting nonprofit organizations and their leaders. Through a STEP, organizations may apply for up to 12 free hours of consulting time per year, which can be spread out over time. Typically, each organization may apply for only one STEP per calendar year.
STEP Advisors provide outside perspective and expertise, taking the time to understand your needs and develop strategies to effectively address them. They have a vast range of experience across multiple sectors, skillsets, and communities. You can request a preferred Advisor, or have one recommended to you by CFGV program staff.
Process
- Consider your needs and which topic(s) you would like to explore with a STEP advisor.
- Assess whom the advisor will be meeting with (director/board/staff) and how you would like to utilize the 12-hour time allotment.
- Submit an application to CFGV
- CFGV program staff will tentatively match you with an advisor. If you identified a preferred advisor, we will do all we can to match you with that person, but cannot guarantee their availability. Be prepared to be flexible!
- When a match is confirmed, CFGV staff will connect advisor and advisee and provide an overview, timeline, and anticipated end-date.
- You do the work with the advisor! After the anticipated end-date, staff will request that you submit a short evaluation of your experience.
Recent STEP examples
- An organization with a new director and new president requested a board development workshop to ensure that board members understand their roles and that board and staff understand their relative responsibilities
- An organization requested a facilitator for a strategic planning retreat
- An organization requested a quick review of their bookkeeping systems to ensure they were using best practices
- A recently-hired and first-time executive director requested coaching in how to best perform their job responsibilities
- An organization gifted a large sum of money requested a board workshop as to how to develop policy for responsible investment of these funds
- An organization requested assistance in crafting a capital campaign
STEP Advisors do NOT
- Advise on legal or financial issues that are properly the purview of an attorney or financial advisor
- Engage in dispute resolution or mediation
- Write grants for you
- Facilitate surveys or focus groups for you
- Redesign your website for you
STEP Program Quick Links
STEP Program Application
Please fill out the form below. All fields are required.
“Thanks for coordinating the STEP Program. Kelly’s facilitation of our Board of Director’s Retreat was outstanding and tremendously valuable for KBUT. We’re truly grateful for the resources you make available to nonprofits in the Valley.”
“I’m reaching out with a very heartfelt thank you. CFGV has been an incredible source of support for our dance organizations here in CB over the years. The STEP program, most recently, was such a gift to us! Mark did a really nice job facilitating our board gathering, and I have enjoyed learning new tools and helping our vision along. What a resource. Also, I recently attended the El Pomar training for Executive Leadership. I cannot thank you enough for reaching out and giving me the nudge. That was exactly what I needed at this time. I feel incredibly inspired, educated and ready to conquer what is necessary to keep our non-profit community thriving. I am thrilled to play a part! Thanks for all the services CFGV provides. It is amazing to have such support.”
“I can’t begin to tell you how helpful having Dave involved has been. He brings a great deal of structure to our efforts to set our future direction. He has a knack for cutting through to the core of the issues and helping us find solutions.”