Nonprofit Sector Partnership All Partner Meeting | June 10, 2025

The Northern Colorado Nonprofit Sector Partnership (NoCo NPSP) hosted its June All-Partner Meeting on Tuesday, June 10 at High Country Beverage. The event brought together 85 attendees representing nonprofit organizations, board members, funders, educators, community groups, and workforce development partners. NoCo NPSP is led by a Leadership Board and supported by five active committees: Board Development, Sustainable Funding, Improving Your Organization, Community Awareness, and Workforce.

A special thank you to The Green Dog Consulting for sponsoring breakfast. The Green Dog team supports nonprofits in times of transition and growth, offering services such as fractional CFO support, financial systems design, fundraising strategy, and leadership development. Learn more at thegreendogconsulting.com or contact Katie directly at katie@thegreendogconsulting.com.

Meeting Focus: Workforce Development & Work-Based Learning

This quarter’s agenda was organized by the Workforce Committee, co-chaired by Heather Lelchook (Aims Community College) and Stacie Sutter (Crossroads Safehouse). The session focused on employment and work-based learning strategies for the nonprofit sector, featuring subject matter experts from across the region.

Work-Based Learning Platforms

Nick Peterson and Susan Scott provided an overview of Work-Based Learning (WBL), an educational strategy that integrates real-life work experiences with academic and technical training.

Platforms Highlighted:

  • Xello: A college and career readiness software designed for K–12 students to explore future career paths and build actionable plans.
    → Employers can get involved here: Join Xello

  • Handshake: The leading career platform for college students, used by all four higher education institutions in Northern Colorado.

    • Access to 50,000+ students and alumni locally

    • Free and easy to use for posting jobs, internships, and experiential learning opportunities

    • Offers applicant tracking, matching, branding, and career fair integration

    • Presenters: Alex Batchelor, Codi Delgadillo, and Kelsey Baun

  • Connecting Colorado: A statewide platform that connects job seekers with career opportunities and employers with skilled talent.

    • Features include resume tools, job postings, and employer resources

    • Presenter: Andrew Chadwick

    • Learn more at connectingcolorado.gov

Understanding Internships, Volunteering, and Apprenticeships

Sandra Jackam provided an important breakdown of different work-based learning roles, with an emphasis on compliance and clarity:

  • Internships (Paid or Unpaid):
    Structured, short-term training experiences focused on building professional skills.

    • Unpaid internships must meet strict legal standards.

  • Volunteering:
    Unpaid work offered freely, typically in service to a cause or organization.

  • Apprenticeships:
    Employer-driven, paid programs that combine on-the-job training with classroom instruction, helping to build long-term, retainable talent pipelines.

Key Takeaways

  • Work-based learning offers nonprofits an opportunity to build capacity, engage students, and support workforce development across the region.

  • Tools like Xello, Handshake, and Connecting Colorado make it easier than ever to connect with emerging talent at all levels.

  • Understanding the differences between internship types, volunteering, and apprenticeships is essential for legal compliance and effective talent development.