The Denver Shared Space Project is currently accepting applications to help support the enhanced development of existing and emerging shared office space communities throughout the City and County of Denver.

This call for applications is designed to provide consulting support to existing or emerging multi-tenant nonprofit centers to reach an expanded level of impact and success in 2012. Applications may be submitted by building owners, a master tenant, or a group of nonprofit tenants who are currently sharing space. All applicants must either own, already be occupying, or have signed a lease and be preparing to occupy a building.

Examples of deliverables that may be produced through work with the Denver Shared Space Project consultants include: governance and tenant engagement agreements; marketing plans and lease up; financial projections and modeling for building owners or tenants; enhanced space planning and programming; conservation and sustainability plans; strategic plans to capitalize on points of intersection between tenant programming; community engagement plans; and other supports.
Click here to download the application.

Two years ago, the Denver Office of Strategic Partnerships, Urban Land Conservancy, and Piton Foundation invited you to provide us with some information and feedback about your organization’s current and future interest in sharing space and resources with other nonprofit organizations in Denver.

We were thrilled with the response received and now would like to update our survey and gain understanding of the current space needs of Denver’s non-profit community. Your participation will help the City of Denver and its partners better understand how to use and direct its resources to support nonprofit shared space efforts and better meet community need. We hope to find creative and streamlined ways to help organizations participating in this survey take advantage of the many benefits that come with shared space opportunities. 

Learning Community:
Date: Wednesday November 9th
Time: 3pm - 5pm
Location: The Alliance Center (1536 Wynkoop Street, 2nd Floor Conference Room)

This informative session will be hosted by John Powers of The Alliance for Sustainable Colorado (http://sustainablecolorado.org), who will be joined by Lara Jakubowski of LWJ Consulting. The focus of this session will be shared services, as presented from two different perspectives: shared services within shared space and shared services within a community. John and Lara will provide insight into different realms of shared services, including training, legal agreements, IT, billing, data management, etc. After our robust discussion of the issue, we’ll tour the Alliance Center – to see how these shared services are put into practice.

Prior to the learning community session – we invite you to browse through a free preview (available for download from the link below) of the shared services guide, as provided by the NonprofitCenters Network: http://www.nonprofitcenters.org/resources/shared-services-guide/

Given the breadth of shared services available, please think about any key points you hope to learn about/take away from this session – and feel free to email me with any specifics, so we will be sure to touch on them in the session. Also – please bring with you any examples of shared services utilized within your space and/or organization – such as MOU’s, leases, or any other legal documents you are willing to share with the group. Remember - the goal of the learning community is to be interactive, and for participants to learn from each other throughout the process – so we’d love to hear about your experiences!

Finally, just as a reminder – this is the 3rd in a series of topics originally selected based on interest and expertise levels within the group made evident by the survey we conducted earlier this year. Please take a look at the remaining topics listed below, and think about any additional topics that interest you, so that we can continue to provide valuable future sessions of the learning community:

• Measuring impact
• Tenant and community engagement
• Capital upgrades
• Leases and memorandums of understanding

Please RSVP by emailing Lauren_Eller@nthp.org if you are able to attend. I will send out an Outlook invite as the event draws nearer to those who have RSVP’d to the session. We look forward to seeing everyone after a long hiatus – and are confident this will be a great session!

There is a new shared space opportunity at the Emerson School! Spearheaded by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, this is a wonderful opportunity for any nonprofit organization - with rents priced below market rates to help sustain a nonprofit center. The building will undergo a complete 'green' rehabilitation starting in August 2011 - which is why no interior photos are posted at this time. The space should be available in February 2012 - complete with a geothermal heating/cooling system and energy-efficient lighting among other things. Design your own space-layout with an allowance for tenant finish to truly make the space "yours"! This space includes use of common areas in the main Emerson School building, as well as a beautiful landscape that will accommodate outdoor eating, socializing, parties, etc. Ample street parking exists, in addition to free parking for every tenant (3.25 spaces per 1,000 square feet rented) and possible event parking if needed. Be a part of a wonderful project that incorporates not only the green rehabilitation of the Historic Emerson School - but also utilizes best practices in historic preservation and a strong effort to revitalize the surrounding Capitol Hill neighborhood. Please contact Lauren Eller at Lauren_Eller@nthp.org
for more details, or to schedule a tour!

A new shared space has emerged at The Aurora Human Rights Center. AHRC occupies a small, two-story brick building on the corner of Dayton Street and 14th Avenue in what's called Original Aurora, which is in north Aurora. The five nonprofits housed there include El Centro Humanitario, Rights for All People, the Lowry Family Center, the Somali Community Center, and the Strengthening Neighborhoods Program of the Denver Foundation.

Read more: Griego: Cultures melt into a stronger community

For the past nine months, Lakewood-based International Development Enterprises (iDE) has been working to create an international development-focused collaborative center in central Denver. iDE is a nonprofit that provides irrigation, water storage and technology to poor, small-scale farmers around the world. There are about several hundred multi-tenant non-profit centers around the country, but this initiative, named the Greenhouse Project, will be one of the first dedicated to international development.

Read more: Romanoff's Greenhouse Project to help world's poor farmers - The Denver Post

Please plan to join us for the next convening of the Denver Shared Space Learning Community:

Date: Wednesday July 13th
Time: 3pm - 5pm
Location: People House (3035 W 25th Avenue, Denver CO 80211)

This energizing session will be hosted by Katie Brown from People House (www.peoplehouse.org). Partnering with Margaret Abrams with the Domestic Violence Resource & Planning Team in the Denver DA’s Office, Mike Garvey with the Economic Prosperity Center, and Lisa Duran with Rights for All People, the focus of this session will be program collaboration – examined from both an internal and external perspective, and how this concept can enhance the quality of tenant interaction within shared spaces. Gain insight into how organizations are currently applying this concept, take a tour of People House, and engage in robust discussion with fellow shared space practitioners about your own successes and challenges in this arena.

We invite you to give some thought before you come about the things you are doing in your own centers surrounding program collaboration – how would you define the concept in your space? What has worked and what has not been successful?

Just as a reminder – this is the 2nd in a series of topics, selected based on interest and expertise levels within the group made evident by the survey we conducted earlier this year. The remaining sessions are as follows:

• Program collaboration between tenants in shared space (July)
• Shared services (September)
• Measuring impact
• Tenant and community engagement
• Capital upgrades
• Leases and memorandums of understanding

Please RSVP to Lauren Eller at lauren_eller@nthp.org if you are able to attend. We look forward to seeing everyone next week!

The DSSP website has a new article! Take a look at the article here . The article provides a guide to green tenant improvements for shared space.

The Denver Shared Space Project invites you to learn from peers across the city about ways to improve your shared space experience and reduce challenges. Please join us as we kick off a new learning community, specifically designed for those in existing or emerging multi-tenant non-profit centers or other shared office space scenarios.

This new group will provide an opportunity for networking, learning, and collective thinking and conversation about practical ways to address common challenges and take advantage of common opportunities that arise out of shared space.

Date: Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Time: 4:00 - 6:00 pm

Place: Green Spaces Colorado, 1368 26th Street, Denver

RVSP: to OEDEventsRSVP@denvergov.org. Please indicate Shared Space Learning Community in the subject line.

Our first meeting will graciously be hosted by Greenspaces Denver, as space that provides an open office environment and supportive activites for social entrepreneurs, startups and freelancers. If you haven't seen it, the space is a must-see! We will have plenty of food and drink as well.

The Colorado Juvenile Defender Coalition (CJDC) has found its new home at the office of Colorado Housing Assistance Corporation (CHAC) through the Denver Shared Space Project website.  Located at 670 Santa Fe Blvd., CJDC's new space is approximately 400 square feet and is leased from CHAC at a very affordable rate.  

CHAC listed their available office space on the DSSP website in late September 2010 and the Colorado Juvenile Defender Coalition listed their office space needs in early November, 2010.  Colorado Juvenile Defender Coalition's mission is to improve the quality of juvenile defense and the treatment of youth in Colorado’s juvenile justice system. CHAC's mission is to help make housing and successful homeownership affordable to low and moderate income Colorado people.  This new non-profit shared space is an ideal fit in terms of mission, location, and rental rates.

Both groups used the online tools on the Denver Shared Space Project website and found this forum to be a very effective tool.  "My experience with the [Denver Shared Space] site was great; easy to use and an excellent resource for non-profits to connect and work together," said Kim Dvorchak, Executive Director of Colorado Juvenile Defender Coalition.

 

The Anschutz Family Foundation has announced its investment of $7,500 in the Denver Shared Space Project at the Process Consultant stage.  This grant will have a substantial impact by helping to support the jonescorp/Miller Design Works consulting team in working with five nonprofits as they prepare to co-locate in a new multi-tenant nonprofit center focused on nonprofit support and capacity building. The Nonprofit Support Cohort is comprised of Colorado Nonprofit Association, Colorado Nonprofit Development Center, Community Resource Center, Community Shares of Colorado, and Metro Volunteers.  This center is designed to help nonprofits get the support they need for their organizations, staff, and volunteers in a complementary and integrated way. It will create a central place for building a sector’s infrastructure, incubating new efforts, engaging in advocacy, and enhancing philanthropy.

                     

Local non-profit Get Smart Schools is now officing with Hope Communities in a luxury Turn of the Century four-unit building in historic Five Points, two blocks from light rail at 25th and Welton.  Hope Communities listed their space on the Denver Shared Space Project website this fall, seeking a non-profit tenant with appropriate mission alignment.  Hope Communities is a non-profit housing provider that has been working in Five Points for over 30 years.  Their mission is to provide "more than housing," creating a path to a better life for low-income individuals and families.  Get Smart Schools is a group of educators, leaders, entrepreneurs and school officials working collaboratively to increase the number of new, public high quality autonomous schools serving low-income students on the front range.  Collaborative processes are beginning to emerge at this budding multi-tenant non-profit center.

Through the Denver Shared Space Project website, DenverWorks has filled its available office space with new tenant Heller Consulting.  DenverWorks listed their available space in mid-October, 2010 and Heller Consulting saw the available space less than 2 days later.  Located at 2828 North Speer Blvd., the space was described as "a perfect fit" for both organizations, both in terms of the size of the space, lease rate, and ultimately mission intersection.

DenverWorks is a faith-based nonprofit whose mission is to empower jobseekers to fulfill their God-given design through preparation for employment leading to self-sufficiency.  For 15 years they have provided jobseeker workshops, job search assistance, career counseling, work attire, computer accessibility, mentoring, and life-skills training to jobseekers with barrier to employment.

The Denver Shared Space Project is pleased to welcome two new partners to the team!

The Nonprofit Support Cohort has selected the team of jonescorp and Miller Design Works and the Family Services Cohort has selected the team of LWJ Consulting, Civic Canopy, and Spector & Associates to serve as their Process Consultants as they begin creation of two new multi-tenant nonprofit centers in Denver.

What Will the Process Consultant Do?

Process Consultants will to help facilitate the analysis, relationship building, and partnership design for cohorts of nonprofits participating in creating a multi-tenant nonprofit center through the Denver Shared Space Project. 

During the first stage of the project, the consultants will analyze of needs and opportunities around shared space, shared service, program collaboration, and financial capability of nonprofits within each cohort and identify conflicting needs and areas of opportunity.

During the second stage of the project, the consultant will work with the cohort to develop a plan of action and facilitate the creation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between cohort partners, including shared space, shared services, program collaboration, decision making and conflict resolution, and ongoing engagement. 

Family Services Cohort and LWJ Consulting LLC, Civic Canopy, and Spector & Associates

LWJ Consulting LLC, and its partners, is thrilled to be selected to work with the Family Services Cohort of the Denver Shared Space Project.  A multi-tenant nonprofit center is an exciting way for the selected nonprofits (Denver Early Childhood Council, Project PAVE, FACES, and Sense of Security) to better fulfill their respective missions by increasing visibility and creating a resource hub for their clients and partners.  LWJ Consulting looks forward to applying its expertise in shared space projects to help the Family Services Cohort optimize their space usage and develop MTNC best practices that can be replicated to benefit others in the future.  The LWJ Consulting team is honored to be a part of this new learning community that supports nonprofits working together.

LWJ Consulting LLC is led by Lara Jakubowski, a nonprofit professional with over 15 years of experience leading and working with nonprofits, with a specific focus on financing and real estate.  Her practice includes grant program administration, business planning, fundraising, program development and evaluation.  For the Denver Shared Services Project, her team includes The Civic Canopy (community dialogue facilitation) and Spector & Associates (sustainable design firm).

Nonprofit Support Cohort and jonescorp/Miller Design Works

Ann Jones and Linda Lewis of jonescorp and Brett Miller of Miller DesignWorks have made service to Denver’s nonprofit organizations the cornerstone of their respective firms.  Jonescorp’s and Miller DesignWorks’ past and continuing work is based in an understanding of the critical role nonprofits play in the fabric of our community.  Jonescorp’s expertise in strategic planning and project management coupled with Miller DesignWorks’ skill in programming and space planning makes their team well suited to engage the challenges and opportunities in creating a multi-tenant center for the Nonprofit Support cohort.

Jonescorp’s owner’s representative work with organizations such as Inner City Health, Girls Inc., and the GLBT Community Center, and Miller DesignWorks’ architectural projects with Planned Parenthood, Hope Communities, and The Spot, reflect an understanding of the unique staff and building needs of nonprofit organizations.  The jonescorp and Miller DesignWorks team has seen too often how facilities burden nonprofits instead of supporting their important missions.  Jones, Lewis, and Miller are eager to join the Denver Shared Space Project in laying the foundation for the long term success of Metro Volunteers, the Colorado Nonprofit Association, the Colorado Nonprofit Development Center, the Community Resource Center, and Community Shares of Colorado.

For more information about the Denver Shared Space Project, visit www.denversharedspaces.org. 

*Don’t forget that at www.denversharedspaces.org, you can also post available office space and your office space needs, find meeting space, research consultants, and read valuable articles by local and national experts!

The Denver Shared Space project website has a new article!  You can find it under the "Resources" tab by searching for "Architectural Design" articles or by clicking on this link:  Shared Space Design.

The article outlines important concepts in the shared space design process, including how partners can best interact and work together to customize their space.  Non-profits entering a shared space facility can use this article as a detailed, step-by-step guide to the architectural design process.

Caring Connection has found affordable office space at the regional headquarters of Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver.  Habitat for Humanity listed their available space on the Denver Shared Space Project website in May, 2010 and Caring Connection listed their space needs in June, 2010.  This summer, it became clear there was an easy match between Caring Connection's space needs and Habitat's available space.  The space is located at 3245 Eliot St., 1 block east of Federal at 33rd Avenue (near Speer and Federal). The property was remodeled in 2009 and features new paint, carpeting, large windows, wheelchair lift, and handicapped accessible bathrooms.  There is conference room space and a large meeting room that can accommodate up to 379 people.  A kitchen was added as part of the remodel.

Caring Connection raises financial support for human service agencies by helping donors directly support local organizations they know and trust. It is comprised of 58 nonprofit organizations that serve the needs of Colorado's most vulnerable people. During the 2009 Fall campaign drive, Caring Connection raised $580,788 for their 47 member nonprofit organizations.

Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver is a homeownership program for hard-working, low-income families in need of a safe and affordable home.  In Colorado, Habitat was founded by volunteers in 1979, and since then, the organization has built 395 homes in the Denver metro area, housing over 1,700 people.  They are recognized as one of the finest affiliates in the country, and were honored as the National Affiliate of the Year in 2005.

DENVER, CO ­— July 20, 2010 —

Partners of the Denver Shared Space Project announced Nonprofit Support, and Youth and Family Support as the 2 nonprofit cohorts to inhabit the newest of Denver’s nonprofit multi-tenant centers, Monday evening at Redline Denver.

“The Denver Shared Space Project is a great example of the collaboration between City government and the nonprofit sector our administration has tried to build through Denver Office of Strategic Partnerships,” said Mayor Hickenlooper.

The Denver Office of Strategic Partnerships, Urban Land Conservancy, and Piton Foundation chose these nonprofit groups because of their unique vision for their respective cohorts, their embodiment of Denver Shared Space values and individual organizational strength, said Dace West, Co-Director of the Denver Office of Strategic Partnerships.

Composed of Metro Volunteers, Colorado Nonprofit Association, Colorado Nonprofit Development Center, Community Resource Center and Community Shares of Colorado, Nonprofit Support Cohort will act as a nonprofit center of capacity building organizations for the benefit of individual nonprofits.

“This particular cohort has a shared mission,” said Kristy Judd, Metro Volunteers. “We think in one location we can be a one-stop shop.”

Youth and Family Support cohort also hopes to become a resource hub through shared office space.

“Very quickly we fell into conversations not just about shared office space but program collaboration,” said Emily Bustos, Denver Early Childhood Council.

FACES, Project PAVE, Inc., Denver Early Childhood Council and Sense of Security all provide counseling and group support, violence prevention, and family support and engagement to children, youth or families.

These groups were selected from a pool of 5 applicants representing over twenty organizations. Cohorts submitted a single application but were also evaluated as individual organizations. Denver Shared Space Project will move forward with the hiring of a process consultant to analyze the needs of each organization and cohort as a whole.

All of our friends are also invited to a celebration to propel us into the next phase of the Denver Shared Space Project. Join us as we unveil exciting resources with the launch of our brand new Denver Shared Space Project website, share highlights from our and make a very special announcement as we move forward in the creation of new multi-tenant nonprofit centers in Denver.

 

Nonprofits see value in sharing space because of it's ability to facilitate delivery of better services in the community, increase collaboration and partnership, create affordability through rents and shared back office functions, and take advantage of current real estate market conditions, a new survey finds. Released by the Denver Shared Space Project, the report surveyed and talked with nearly 200 nonprofits and community experts to understand the benefits, challenges, and supports necessary in creating a successful multi-tenant nonprofit center.

Click here to download the Executive Summary
Click here to download the full report

The entire nonprofit community is invited to check out the new website of the Denver Shared Space Project. The website is designed to provide the nonprofit community with information, resources, and support around sharing space. The site includes opportunities for you to:

• Post office or conference room space you have available for nonprofits
• Post your needs around office space
• Search for others who have or need space to create connections
• Search for available community meeting spaces
• Read articles by local experts for information and resources available in your community
• Explore articles by national experts on best practices
• Find consultants who have expertise in the areas you need to successfully create a nonprofit shared space
• Learn about new work happening in the Denver Shared Space Project