“There’s something special about the community that SVP Denver creates and brings,” said Catharina Hughey, Executive Director of DIRT Coffee. “SVP Denver helps us see that we can all be partners in this work.  Through sharing our different perspectives and experiences, we are all made stronger.”

Nonprofits and Community Leaders Working Together 

ED burnout is prevalent, especially in small nonprofits. Through SVP Denver’s cohort program, social mission organizations participate with other nonprofits led by an expert to solve business issues such as Creating a Theory of Change, Measurement and Evaluation and how to tell their story to attract funders. In doing so, it helps take the edge off of the loneliness leaders often feel by helping them work through these issues with mentors and other nonprofits to see how others are solving the same problems.

Catharina continues, “So being part of the cohort, you have other nonprofits in the room, and they’re also sharing what they’re going through. You’re thinking through what you can share with them that might help, what resources you have, who you’ve met. It’s just been a great partnership.”

Effective Nonprofit Support

At DIRT Coffee, a nonprofit coffee shop empowering neurodivergent individuals and assisting them in developing employment skills, Catharina models this sharing of resources through coaching other businesses. Catharina said, “I think our social enterprise model garners a lot of interest from employers for how they too can do it. And it’s not just ‘Hey, you can do it.’ It’s, ‘No, we’re doing it. We’re learning from it, and we’re here to share that experience with you all too.’”   

SVP Denver is more than a training organization. We truly are building a nonprofit ecosystem and our cohort programming is a large part of that. Catharina shared, “I really do love SVP Denver, and the people that SVP Denver brings along in terms of their board members, their cohort facilitators and the staff. Showing up for other nonprofits and giving us the skills to be successful is really something that a lot of nonprofits might not have the time or the capital for.”

Catharina sees the value of SVP Denver and we appreciate how she spreads the word, “I’m the biggest advocate for SVP Denver.  Whenever I’m meeting new nonprofits, I say, ‘Have you been to SVP Denver? Have you been through their cohorts?’  I just can’t say enough how that’s been a wonderful experience.”