CCLP presented our fourth Policy Forum event discussing tax credits in Colorado.
Recent articles
NHeLP and CCLP file for expedited review of civil rights violations in Colorado
On Sept 16, NHeLP and CCLP submitted a complaint to the Office for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, addressing the ongoing discriminatory provision of case management services for individuals with disabilities in Colorado.
CCLP’s 26th birthday party recap
CCLP celebrated our 26th birthday party while reflecting on another year of successes on behalf of Coloradans experiencing poverty.
Small business displacement and Business Navigators
CCLP partnered with the city and county of Denver to administer a two-year program connecting Denver’s historically underinvested businesses with guides to programs, resources, and services available to them.
On the verge of a new chapter
CCLP is on the verge of a new chapter, about to embark on our second quarter-century with new leadership, our soon-to-be Executive Director Lydia McCoy. Getting a fresh perspective – from an innovative, seasoned nonprofit leader – is a great gift. My stint, and my monthly newsletters, are drawing to an end, and I’m returning (phew!) to policy as CCLP’s Legal Director.
That said, I am so proud of what the CCLP team has accomplished since last fall when I took the helm. We embarked on an experiment – being led by a long-standing member of the team, in a deliberately less hierarchical, more collaborative structure – while dealing with some tough issues. But I think we emerged as a more unified team, better for having come through this time together. And I believe that has shown in our work.
But before I get there, I want to extend a metaphorical bouquet of giant flowers for Deya Zavala, former Executive Director of Mile High Connects who served for several months as our Deputy Director. Deya was hugely instrumental in all these efforts to grow as a team and a culture. I want also to extend my greatest gratitude and praise to the staff of CCLP, some of whom took over my legal director duties, or took on new supervisory roles, or, despite being new to the organization, found their footing and brought their full selves to the work.
We grappled with how to make CCLP more equitable. Talking about racial equity and bias, learning how to listen and sit with discomfort, is a struggle. After weeks of hearing people out, we shifted the decision-making from the management level to an internal committee that represents all corners of CCLP. This committee has resources at its disposal and the authority to tackle questions ranging from how we improve retention of BIPOC staff to the language of internal documents.
We continue to work to reduce burnout. An anti-poverty organization’s work is never done, and legislative, regulatory and community work can be all-consuming. We hate to say no when problems loom, or when community members reach out, and we are working to prioritize. Our growth over the last several years as an organization – with more staff, different funding sources, new approaches – meant internal systems needed to change as well. By being creative with schedules, and strategic with contractors, we are strengthening and supporting our staff.
We are evolving into an organization that connects more mindfully with community groups and community members. In these last months, we’ve solidified policies for compensating community members. We are following through on projects to support community-based policy leaders and to strengthen neighborhoods. We have begun to implement a community engagement toolkit in all the areas where we work. Finally, we have restructured how we partner with other organizations, so that more of our funding gets passed through to those with direct community impact.
As I’ve written in past newsletters, teamwork – with community members, with local advocates and government partners, and with national partners – is the basis for effective policy work, because all the players bring their own dynamic perspectives, skills, and networks. They stretch our thinking, expand our view of potential solutions. In the last nine months, I’ve seen that in the CCLP microcosm as well: we’ve solidified how we collaborate internally to great effect.
Our closer bonds and tighter teamwork have helped us accomplish a lot in the last 9 months:
- Some great legislative wins that will put Coloradans on a better economic footing and protect access to better health (stay tuned for our Legislative Wrap-Up coming soon.)
- Progress in the implementation and enforcement work ensures that state and federal legislation is not just a promise, but a reality. We see increased interest in this area from partners and funders, and for good reason. Our legal team is deep into enforcement of the Mobile Home Park Act in the Front Range and beyond, is engaged every day in enforcing Medicaid members’ entitlement to expanded, more flexible services for children, and is taking steps to identify potential due process violations now that continuous coverage requirements have been lifted.
- A commitment to ensuring access to our many federal and state programs and to reducing the administrative burdens – confusing paperwork, lack of information, psychological stress – that make that access so hard. We’ve worked with communities left out by the digital divide and have strengthened small businesses in building up neighborhoods from within with the help of ARPA funds.
- In partnership with the University of Washington, we issued the Self Sufficiency Standard report, which provides a county- and household-specific view of what it takes to make ends meet in Colorado. Our team has been busy presenting this core research report all over the state, where it informs discussions about everything from wages to housing costs.
- We have seen incredible growth in CCLP’s community of supporters and advocates, with the largest event attendance numbers in our organization’s history.
There’s much more to celebrate from the past eight months, but I’m most excited about where we are headed next. It’s been an honor to serve CCLP as the interim executive director. It’s a great privilege to be able to continue to be part of this organization as we – all together now! – work to elevate the voice, the rights and the priorities of those experiencing poverty across our state.