Put the Nonprofit Guide to work

Northern Colorado boasts many key industries, from agribusiness to construction, banking to high technology, real estate to health care.

But one critical sector generates far less attention yet contributes markedly to the health and well-being of our regional economy: the nonprofit sector.

This Nonprofit Guide seeks to turn the spotlight on the philanthropic arena, providing articles of interest to nonprofits, companies that contribute to them and individuals who volunteer on their behalf.

We’ve also compiled the most-complete directory ever assembled of companies in the nonprofit sector, mostly using 990 forms filed with the Internal Revenue Service for 2005.

The result is a directory featuring approximately 650 nonprofits in Larimer and Weld counties. You’ll also find:

n An examination of the economic impact of the nonprofit sector in Northern Colorado.

n An article looking at support for nonprofits from local businesses.

n Profiles of some local volunteers.

n A look at skill sets that nonprofits need for their boards of directors.

n An article examining fund-raising options for nonprofits.

n A glossary of nonprofit terms.

n Tips from GuideStar on researching and evaluating charities.

The Nonprofit Guide is published with the sponsorship and assistance of the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado, the Community Foundation Serving Greeley and Weld County, the United Way of Larimer County and the United Way of Weld County.

We want to thank those sponsors for helping to make the Nonprofit Guide possible, as well as for their counsel on categories, additions and deletions.

The Nonprofit Guide is the latest directory product produced by the Northern Colorado Business Report. Others include our Technology & Manufacturers Directory, the Harvest agribusiness directory, the Blueprints construction directory, the Northern Colorado MD medical directory and others.

Our research team, led by Kathleen Chaballa and Kate Hendrickson, worked many hours poring over IRS forms to assemble the basic directory of nonprofits, then supplemented that information with surveys to nonprofits themselves.

While their research was exhaustive, errors and omissions are possible, especially given that this is a new project. If you spot an error or omission, please contact Kathleen at (970) 221-5400 x227, or e-mail her at kchaballa@ncbr.com. Or you can fill out the form on page 55 of this Guide and fax an addition to us.

Finally, we encourage you to use this Nonprofit Guide to determine where your own company might be able to contribute to these organizations, either in money, time or some other way. (Many nonprofits informed us of their greatest current need, which you can find with their listings.)

Northern Colorado’s economy is influenced in many positive ways by the nonprofits listed in these pages. Put this information to use to determine how you and your company can contribute to the cause of people helping people.

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