Tomorrow is the official kickoff of the Chamber’s annual campaign, Moving Fort Collins Forward. This is the 7th edition of the campaign. It will run from September 6 through November 16, ten-and-a-half weeks.
Some of you are probably thinking ‘Didn’t the Chamber just finish a campaign?’ Very good! Points to you for being observant. Yes, we completed a campaign in July, but it was for Northern Colorado Prospers.
The Chamber is focusing on long-term strategic issues like securing the money to widen I-25 (Northern Colorado Prospers) while at the same time offering annual programming that meets the needs of the community and our members (Moving Fort Collins Forward!). In short, the Chamber conducts two fund raising campaigns with different purposes:
- Moving Fort Collins Forward!: This is an annual campaign conducted for 10 weeks in September, October and November. Its purpose is to generate new members, sponsorships, and other operational and program support the Chamber needs for the next 12 months.
- Northern Colorado Prospers: This is a 5-year key strategic initiative campaign. Its purpose is to generate an adequate and continuous amount of money for big initiatives like Fix North I-25. Until 2017 we tried to fund these through the above-mentioned annual campaign. We just finished this campaign and have secured $3.8 million to work on 4 top strategic goals through 2021.
Some confusion may arise from the fact that for the first 5 years of its existence, Moving Fort Collins Forward! was used to address the annual programs AND to raise money for the big strategic projects like I-25. Helpful as that was, the bigger issues like I-25 needed bigger funding over a longer period of time. Thus, the Chamber Board created the 5-year initiative, Northern Colorado Prospers.
The campaigns are distinct from each other, they address different needs and both are essential to the Chamber’s ability to serve members and impact important regional issues.
Funding the Chamber’s Work
- Annual campaign. Moving Fort Collins Forward! Program and event sponsorships, advertising, in-kind trades, membership upgrades and recruitment. Done annually Sept-Nov.
- 5-year strategic initiative campaign. Northern Colorado Prospers. Fix North I-25; Align, Attract, and Retain Talent; Bold Voice of Business; Expand and Retain Existing Business. Done every 5 years with annual renewals.