Honoring 40 Years. Building What Comes Next.

For 40 years, Colorado Nonprofit Association has stood alongside the organizations and leaders working every day to strengthen communities across our state.

This June marks a special milestone in our history: 40 years since the IRS formally recognized our organization as a 501(c)(3). What began in 1986 as the Colorado Association of Nonprofit Organizations (CANPO) grew out of a simple but powerful belief — that Colorado nonprofits are stronger when we work together. Early nonprofit leaders came together to share resources, solve common challenges, and build a collective voice for the sector.

While our first members would not officially join until 1987, the foundation for this community had already been laid. From the very beginning, CNA existed to connect nonprofit leaders, amplify the sector’s voice, and ensure organizations had the tools and support they needed to serve Colorado communities effectively.

Forty years later, that mission matters more than ever.

Colorado nonprofits continue to face enormous challenges — from workforce pressures and funding uncertainty to growing community needs and rapid change across every aspect of our work. At the same time, nonprofits remain at the heart of thriving communities, advancing opportunity, belonging, health, economic mobility, and civic engagement across Colorado.

That is why our work is far from done.

As we enter our 40th year, Colorado Nonprofit Association remains committed to advancing Colorado’s nonprofit sector by leading advocacy, driving connections, and equipping leaders to navigate opportunity. We are proud of what this community has built together over four decades, and even more energized about what comes next.
Throughout this anniversary year, we will celebrate the people, partnerships, and progress that have shaped CNA’s history — while keeping our focus firmly on the future of Colorado’s nonprofit sector.

The past 40 years have shown what’s possible when nonprofits come together. The next 40 will depend on how boldly we move forward together.

Thank you for being part of this work and this community.

Paul Lhevine,
President & CEO