LiveWell Colorado (LWC) is currently immersed in an exciting and challenging transition period. Originally formed in 2009, the organization was charged with leading a convergence effort in Colorado to reduce obesity through healthy eating and active living lifestyles. The term convergence was not easily, nor clearly, measured at the time, and as a nonprofit organization, traditional indicators of success became the primary drivers by which it was developed.
A strong brand was established, a high-profile Board was convened, substantial funding was secured, a talented staff was hired, relevant programs were delivered, and partnerships were cultivated. All of these aspects were critical to creating a successful organization, and LWC did an extraordinary job of building these pieces into a well-established infrastructure.
The problems arose when it became clear that the vision that had created a need for LWC had limited itself to the formation of an organization, rather than a movement. There is no question that nonprofit organizations have critical roles in supporting movements, but they are not movements themselves. The original vision was to shift Colorado’s culture around healthy living by bringing together the traditions, assets, perspectives, and expertise of our institutions and communities. A nonprofit can be formed to build that movement, but it cannot be formed to be that movement…
This is an excerpt from our publication on Community Commons. Read more about our transition in the full article
