About
Community Leaders Fellowship
The Community Leaders Fellowship is an intensive professional development opportunity for nonprofit and community leaders focusing on a specific capacity challenge in their organization.
program description
Program participants apply for the fellowship with one specific capacity issue they would like to address through the fellowship.
Participants will be assisted in developing a one year capacity action plan with measurable benchmarks and deliverables that they will make progress toward during the 12 month program period.
Participants will attend 8 meetings over 12 months as well as making progress on their action plan in between meetings. Meetings will consist of a combination of learning opportunities on relevant topics to their capacity journey, peer support sessions to brainstorm solutions to challenges, one-on-one assistance developing an action plan to address their capacity issue, connection with experts to provide high-level insight into their capacity issue.
participant commitment
Attend 8 meetings over the 12 month program period between January - December.
Commit to making progress on capacity action plan in between meetings during the program period.
Report on benchmark and impact results at the 6 month and 1 year mark.
Application Process
Applications will open October 1 - November 15, 2025 for the 2026 Program Period
Eligible candidates are those serving in a leadership and decision making role at an organization or community agency for which at least 51% of its programming is focused on serving under resourced communities in Chaffee County.
Applicants should apply with a specific, measurable capacity issue for which their organization is committed to taking steps to address over the next year. Capacity issues might include, but are not limited to the following:
Revenue Diversification
Adoption of new technology that will transform the organization’s capacity
DEI Initiatives to increase diversity of communities served and represented
Introduction of a new program model
Fellows
2025 Fellows:
Cassie Stauch, Synergy in the Service Industry
Laura Hart, Salida Circus Outreach Foundation
Andrea Marie Bruno, Places to Age
Mo Zeimet, Chaffee County Hospitality Inc.
Monica White, Colorado Tick-Borne Disease Awareness Association
Carmel Russo, Ark Valley Preschool
Emily Osborn, Blue Elements Collective
Liz Morgan, Buena Vista Chamber of Commerce
Felix Heeter, Junior Edison STEAMplant
Jason Marsden, GARNA
2024 Fellows:
PJ Bergin, Board Chair, SOIL Sangre de Cristo
Jarad Buchan, Community Services Manager, Full Circle Restorative Justice
Katie Tilt, Executive Director, Shining Mountains Montessori School
Mo Ziemet, Board Member, Chaffee County Hospitality, Inc.
Salty Riggs, Executive Director, BETCH
Liz Morgan, Executive Director, Buena Vista Chamber of Commerce
Bobby Sanghvi, Executive Director, Matt Dangel’s House
2023 Fellows:
Andrea Early Coen, Executive Director, Guidestone Colorado
Mike Bischoff, Executive Director, Mountain Valley Transit
Salty Riggs, Executive Director, BETCH
Sarah Dae, Executive Director, Tabor Opera House
Megan Strauss, Executive Director, Alpine Achievers