In late 2005, a group of nonprofit organizations and grantmakers met to discuss whether it was time to review, revise,  and fine-tune Colorado’s Common Grant Application (CGA) that had been created in 1993. Recognizing that the world has changed considerably in the intervening years, this ad hoc group agreed that it was time to update the CGA and by the middle of 2006, the effort was in full swing.

The revision process was inclusive and extensive, engaging broad representation from nonprofits, grantmakers, and capacity-building organizations.  A group of stakeholders with active representation from Colorado grantmakers, nonprofits, the Colorado Nonprofit Association, Community Resource Center and JVA Consulting worked for almost two years to revise the Common Grant Application.

Three driving principles guided the process – 1)  build upon the success of the past; 2) actively engage people in a deliberate and objective process; 3) enhance the opportunity for nonprofit organizations to tell their story while reinforcing “best practices” of nonprofit management and leadership.

How was this done?  Deliberately, patiently, objectively.  At each step, there were surveys, focus groups, expert working groups, testing, re-testing, piloting, and hours of discussions!  The deliberate outreach included nonprofit executives, development staff, neophytes, experts, CEOs of grantmaking organizations, program officers, grants management staff, capacity building trainers, and consultants.  The Colorado group contrasted its efforts with others nationally, conducted a comprehensive literature review and then puzzled, scrutinized, reviewed, and debated some more.

The result of all this work is a revised CGA. (See the Acknowledgments page for a complete list of those involved.) During the same time period that the CGA was undergoing revision, the Colorado Nonprofit Association produced a publication titled Principles and Practices for Nonprofit Excellence in Colorado. The document serves as a resource for organizations by covering best practices related to nonprofit management issues, accountability, and transparency. The revised CGA and the Principles and Practices document share common goals -- to increase the capacity of the nonprofit sector to deliver on its mission and to help elevate the recognition of the sector as a force absolutely vital to the well-being of Coloradans.