Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, March 11, 2005

CONTACT:
Lindy Eichenbaum Lent, Mayor’s Office, 720-865-9016
Mike Roque, Denver Office of Strategic Partnerships, 720-913-8464

Mayor Hickenlooper Announces Public-Private Partnership to Aid Local Nonprofits

(DENVER) – At the Colorado Association of Nonprofit Organizations annual awards luncheon today, Mayor John Hickenlooper will announce the creation of the Nonprofit Accounting Initiative, a unique partnership between the City of Denver’s Office of Strategic Partnerships, Qwest and the Colorado Nonprofit Development Center to provide low-cost, high-quality accounting, payroll services, and financial management education to small- and medium-size nonprofit organizations in the Denver metro area.

The formal announcement will be made today – Friday, March 11, 2005 – by Mayor Hickenlooper in remarks at the Colorado Association of Nonprofit Organizations (CANPO) annual awards luncheon, the culminating event for Colorado Nonprofit Week. For details on the luncheon taking place at Denver’s Adams Mark Hotel, please visit www.canpo.org.

Through the generous financial support of Qwest, the programmatic work of the Colorado Nonprofit Development Center and organizational work of the Denver Office of Strategic Partnerships, this initiative will save up to 20 local nonprofit organizations a combined total of at least $100,000 in the first year alone, freeing up vital resources for important programmatic work rather than administrative expenses.

“As Colorado nonprofits continue working to meet the needs of our communities and improve the quality of life in our state, it is imperative that we as public officials, business people and individual citizens recognize their efforts and support them,” said Hickenlooper, who served on numerous nonprofit boards before his election as mayor. “Between Qwest’s annual contributions to charitable organizations in Colorado and helping to fund this exciting new partnership, Qwest is setting a tremendous example of corporate citizenship and civic engagement.”

Mayor Hickenlooper, who served on numerous nonprofit boards before running for mayor, created the Denver Office of Strategic Partnerships in January 2004 to serve as a liaison to the nonprofit sector, working to create innovative partnerships between the City and nonprofits, foundations and corporations.

The Colorado Nonprofit Development Center (CNDC) was founded in 1999 to enhance the effective and efficient use of community resources by providing charitable projects with fiscal sponsorship as well as management and capacity-building services. This new partnership will allow CNDC to extend their services to existing small- and medium-sized Denver-area nonprofits at a reduced cost.

To participate in the Nonprofit Accounting Initiative, please contact Melinda Higgs of the Colorado Nonprofit Development Center at 720.855.0501. For information on the Denver Office of Strategic Partnerships, contact Mike Roque at 720.913.8464. For information on Qwest’s participation, contact Michael Dunn at 303.965.0561.

The Nonprofit Accounting Initiative is a collaborative effort between the City and County of Denver, the Denver Office of Strategic Partnerships, Qwest and the Colorado Nonprofit Development Center.