Introducing Colorado Nonprofits to Know: Strengthening Colorado Through CommunityPartnership

After more than a year of collaboration, planning, outreach, and thoughtful development, Colorado Companies to Watch is proud to officially introduce the inaugural year of Colorado Nonprofits to Know (CNTK).

This initiative was created to recognize and elevate nonprofit organizations that are helping shape Colorado’s long-term economic and community resilience through innovation, leadership, and measurable impact.

Colorado’s nonprofit sector is foundational to our economy. These organizations strengthen workforce stability, support families and children, improve education and health outcomes, create pathways to economic mobility, and help sustain the communities that allow Colorado businesses to grow and thrive.

As Colorado continues to experience rapid business growth and evolving expectations around corporate social responsibility (CSR), the opportunity to create stronger alignment between the nonprofit and business sectors has never been greater.

Meet the Inaugural CNTK Committee

This initiative has been developed from the ground up by a passionate committee committed to strengthening connections between Colorado’s nonprofit and business ecosystems.

The inaugural CNTK Committee includes:

Together, the committee has spent the past year building this initiative with the goals of:

  • Positioning nonprofits as critical contributors to Colorado’s economic infrastructure
  • Helping Colorado Companies to Watch alumni and stakeholders discover meaningful CSR partnerships
  • Building visibility and credibility for CNTK as a long-term statewide initiative
  • Moving readers from awareness → engagement → partnership → investment
  • Creating stronger alignment between Colorado’s business and nonprofit ecosystems
  • Highlighting actionable ways companies can support communities while also strengthening their own workforce, culture, and brand

This initiative is intentionally aligned with Colorado Companies to Watch because strong companies depend on strong communities, and strong communities are built through aligned investment, partnership, and leadership.

The Inaugural Year

This year, Colorado Nonprofits to Know received 56 nominations from nonprofit organizations across the state.

Following a highly competitive review process, nine finalist organizations were selected for the inaugural cohort. The quality of applicants, depth of impact, and innovation demonstrated throughout the process made judging incredibly difficult.

We are deeply grateful to every organization that participated and are honored to recognize the following inaugural finalists:

These organizations represent some of the most impactful, community-rooted, and forward-thinking nonprofit work happening across Colorado today.

Why This Matters for Colorado Companies

CNTK is designed to create meaningful pathways for engagement between Colorado’s business and nonprofit communities.

For Colorado Companies to Watch alumni and stakeholders, this initiative offers:

  • Curated nonprofit partnership opportunities
  • Stronger CSR alignment
  • Employee engagement and volunteer pathways
  • Opportunities for authentic, place-based storytelling
  • Community partnerships that strengthen both impact and business culture

Today’s employees, customers, and communities increasingly value organizations that demonstrate meaningful local investment and leadership. When businesses and nonprofits align intentionally, the result is stronger communities, healthier workforces, and a more resilient Colorado economy.

We encourage Colorado Companies to Watch companies and alumni to begin exploring ways to engage with these incredible sister nonprofit organizations through sponsorships, volunteerism, partnerships, mentorship, board service, and long-term collaboration.

Congratulations again to our inaugural finalists!