The Colorado Lawyers Committee
The Colorado Lawyers Committee (CLC) is a nonpartisan consortium of nearly 80 law firms across Colorado that mobilizes more than 1,300 volunteer attorneys each year to provide pro bono legal advocacy, support, and expertise for underserved communities and nonprofit organizations. For decades, CLC has demonstrated the power of partnership by bringing together the legal community to help solve
complex challenges and strengthen the organizations working to improve lives across our state. It is this spirit of collaboration, service, and shared impact that makes CLC a deserving recipient of the Collective Impact Partner Award.

CLC’s partnership with Colorado Nonprofit Association reflects the very best of what collective impact can achieve. For more than a decade, CLC has partnered with CNA to deliver the Nonprofit Legal Audit Clinic, a signature program that has helped hundreds of nonprofits identify legal risks, strengthen governance practices, and build a stronger foundation for their work. More than simply providing
expertise, CLC has shown what authentic partnership looks like—working alongside nonprofit leaders to understand their challenges, listen to their needs, and create practical solutions that help organizations thrive.

CLC’s impact extends far beyond a single program. Through the Legal Match Program, the organization has connected nonprofits with skilled pro bono attorneys, opening doors to legal support that many organizations could not otherwise afford. These relationships have helped nonprofits address critical
issues ranging from governance and employment matters to contracts, intellectual property, and regulatory compliance. By investing its time, talent, and leadership in the sector, CLC has strengthened the long-term capacity of nonprofits across Colorado and demonstrated a sustained commitment to helping organizations build resilience and effectiveness.

In recent years, CLC has continued to innovate and respond to the evolving needs of the sector through expanded legal offerings, including Legal Office Hours and other accessible legal resources. At a time when nonprofits are navigating an increasingly complex and rapidly changing federal and state policy
landscape, these services provide timely guidance and trusted support when organizations need it most. CLC’s willingness to adapt, collaborate, and invest in the success of nonprofits exemplifies the spirit of collective impact. Through its leadership, generosity, and unwavering partnership, CLC has strengthened
not only individual organizations but the health and vitality of Colorado’s entire nonprofit ecosystem.

Marco Dorado, Managing Director, Communities Lead Communities Thrive
The past year brought significant challenges for Colorado’s nonprofit sector. Federal and state funding reductions and growing community needs have required organizations to do more with fewer resources.
In this environment, effective advocacy means removing barriers, improving systems, and ensuring nonprofits have access to the tools they need to serve their communities. Few individuals have demonstrated that commitment more clearly than Marco Dorado, Managing Director of Communities
Lead Communities Thrive (CLCT), this year’s Advocate for Impact Award recipient.

CLCT is a statewide coalition of nonprofits serving Colorado’s historically underrepresented communities. Guided by the belief that organizations closest to community challenges should have equitable access to resources, CLCT has strengthened the entire nonprofit sector through coalition-building, systems change, and advocacy. Under Marco’s leadership, the coalition has elevated the voices of community-based nonprofits and advanced solutions that improve access to public funding and strengthen nonprofit sustainability across Colorado.

One of the most significant examples of this leadership came during the most recent legislative session, when CLCT led advocacy efforts to make state grant opportunities more accessible. Under the traditional reimbursement model, many nonprofits, particularly smaller organizations with limited cash reserves, struggle to access state funds because they lack the resources to front program costs while awaiting reimbursement. Through coalition-building and persistent advocacy, CLCT advanced a policy change allowing state agencies to advance portions of grant payments. This reform reduces barriers to participation and helps public dollars reach communities more efficiently. Through his leadership, Marco brought real change to the broader infrastructure that supports nonprofit service delivery across Colorado.

Marco’s impact extends beyond legislative advocacy. He also led CLCT’s efforts to create a comprehensive database of state grant opportunities available to organizations across Colorado. Importantly, this work moved forward even after the legislature was unable to appropriate funding for the project. Rather than allowing the idea to stall, Marco and his team found a way to bring the resource to life, making public funding opportunities easier to find, more accessible to pursue, and more attainable for organizations serving communities throughout the state.

Through his leadership, persistence, and commitment to equity, Marco has strengthened Colorado’s nonprofit sector and expanded opportunities for organizations to thrive. It is our honor to recognize him
as this year’s Advocate for Impact Award recipient.

Senate President James R. Coleman
Through its collective mission to advance the public good, Colorado’s nonprofit sector is especially reliant on public servants to create the conditions that allow it to thrive. More than other sectors, nonprofits depend on public funding opportunities, charitable giving incentives, and a shared belief that their programs, services, and missions are essential to our social framework. To achieve these policy
goals, nonprofits depend on public sector champions to elevate their work, and few leaders champion this work more than Senate President James Coleman – this year’s Public Service Impact Award recipient.

President Coleman understands the role Colorado’s nonprofit sector plays in uplifting communities and improving quality of life. He founded FaithBridge Colorado, a local nonprofit leading advocacy efforts to improve K-12 education, and co-founded Chance Sports, a nonprofit scholarship organization providing
financial assistance to young athletes with financial need so they can pursue competitive opportunities. We are deeply fortunate to have such a strong champion for nonprofit and mission-driven work leading our state legislature, and he brings this experience to the Capitol every day.

This year, the Colorado Nonprofit Association successfully passed legislation to improve legacy giving protocols for nonprofits. For many nonprofits, legacy and planned gifts represent an essential source of long-term stability, supporting programs and services that extend well beyond the initial gift. Yet transfer
delays and administrative burdens following a donor’s passing can create uncertainty and disrupt organizational planning.

This was a complicated and layered issue. President Coleman agreed to serve as the lead sponsor of the bill and helped build a broad coalition spanning the financial sector, creditors, estate and probate attorneys, higher education, and nonprofits. These stakeholders often came to the table with different—and at times competing—perspectives. Through his leadership, time, and unwavering support,
he repeatedly convened partners and identified commonalities. His ability to drive consensus among groups with such different economic interests represents the ideals at the heart of effective governance.

Time and again, President Coleman has helped advance policies that are both thoughtful in design and meaningful in impact. His work reflects a sustained commitment to strengthening the systems that support Colorado’s communities and ensuring that public policy delivers real and lasting benefits. It is our honor
to recognize Senator James Coleman as this year’s Public Service Impact Award recipient.