Meeting Agenda
• Language Shift – Where We Are
• Community Value Sharing
• Better Business Bureau Language Guide – Jennifer Hahnke
• Nonprofit Shared Resources – Content Calendar
• Interest in joining NPSP Leadership – Looking for a Co-Chair
Language Shift & Community Value Sharing – Julie Hill, The Success Foundation
The group discussed shifting the way the nonprofit sector communicates its value to the community. Developing a shared mindset around how we talk about our work and the impact we make in our communities. We can be more intentional about the stories we tell and the value we communicate. The work we do is important, meaningful, and essential to our communities—and we should speak about it with confidence rather than apologizing for the work we do.
A key theme was moving away from simply describing what nonprofit organizations do and instead communicating about why that work matters.
Participants were encouraged to consider:
• What value does your organization bring to Northern Colorado?
• What do you wish more people understood about your organization’s work?
• What does your organization make possible:
o For individuals?
o For families?
o For the community?
o For the future?
• If your organization disappeared tomorrow, what would the community lose?
Community Value Statements
The presentation introduced a framework for developing stronger community-focused messaging:
We [what we do], so that [what changes for people], which contributes to [broader community impact].
The goal is to connect an organization’s work to the tangible changes it creates for people and the broader community.
Northern Colorado Community Impact Sector
The group discussed the terminology “Northern Colorado Community Impact Sector.”
• A collective of nonprofit organizations strengthening our communities.
• “Nonprofit” describes an organization’s structure.
• “Community Impact” describes the value and change organizations create.
The broader goal is to communicate the sector based on its collective community impact rather than solely on organizational structure.
Better Business Bureau Language Guide – Jennifer Hahnke, Better Business Bureau
Jennifer shared information related to the Better Business Bureau’s Language Guide as an example of how organizations can approach language and messaging consistently.
Shared Resources – Content Calendar
The group received an update on shared resources, including a content calendar intended to support nonprofit organizations with coordinated and consistent communications.
10-Year Vision for the Nonprofit Sector
• A paradigm shift in the perception of the sector
• A shift in culture and identity
• Greater recognition of the value created by the community impact sector
The overall vision centers on changing how the nonprofit sector is perceived and communicating its broader value to Northern Colorado.