Three Colorado nonprofits build cross-agency trust, strategic clarity, and real momentum through the Wisdom Works Collaborative.
In a moment when nonprofit leaders are being asked to do more with less—less certainty, less capacity, less margin—many are navigating complexity in isolation. Decisions feel heavier. The pace feels relentless. And the space to pause, reflect, and lead with intention is often the first thing to disappear.
The Wisdom Works Collaborative began as an experiment rooted in a simple belief: leaders don’t have to meet disruption alone—and neither do their organizations.
In 2025, twelve leaders from three Colorado nonprofits—Homeward Pikes Peak, Catholic Charities of Central Colorado, and Tri-Lakes Cares—came together for a five-month journey designed not only to support leaders personally, but to help their organizations make clearer, more grounded decisions in the face of uncertainty.
What unfolded was both human and highly practical.
Leaders stepped out of constant urgency and into a shared, structured process that allowed them to strengthen internal capacity, align their teams, and do meaningful strategic work—work that many knew was necessary but rarely had the space to complete.
“In times of uncertainty, clarity and connection are foundational to effective leadership. The Collaborative reflects Wisdom Works’ commitment to building the internal resources and shared wisdom organizations need to navigate complexity and create lasting impact.”— Renee Moorefield, CEO, Wisdom Works Group
A different kind of leadership space—designed for real work
From the beginning, the Collaborative was intentionally cross-agency and team-based. Leaders didn’t participate alone; they came with members of their leadership teams. They didn’t sit beside competitors; they sat beside peers who understood the weight of executive decision-making and organizational risk.
That design choice mattered.
Because the space was shared, leaders could test assumptions, compare approaches, and pressure-test ideas with people facing similar constraints—but in different organizational contexts. Because teams participated together, insights didn’t stay abstract or personal; they were translated directly into conversations, commitments, and next steps inside each organization.
As one leader reflected, “Typically you don’t get to see behind the curtain of other agencies. There was comfort in realizing we’re all struggling in different ways—and strength in figuring it out together.”
Stepping away from day-to-day urgency created room not just for reflection, but for focused organizational work: clarifying purpose and priorities, exploring realistic future scenarios, identifying assets and gaps, and building shared language for hard decisions that lie ahead.
What shifted—for leaders, teams, and organizations
Across the journey, change showed up in very human ways—and in concrete organizational outcomes.
Leaders described feeling less isolated and more resourced, which directly improved how they showed up in moments of pressure. Teams practiced naming reality honestly, making decisions with broader input, and strengthening trust at a time when many organizations experience fragmentation.
At the same time, each organization completed real, customized work tied to its specific context and challenges.
Rather than offering generic solutions, the Collaborative supported leaders in:
- Developing scenario-based responses to funding, policy, and operational uncertainty
- Reconnecting strategy to purpose, values, and impact—so decisions were grounded rather than reactive
- Creating shared language and frameworks that made future planning and difficult conversations more productive
- Identifying practical next steps that could be carried forward beyond the Collaborative
The Collaborative 2025 Report traces this impact across three interwoven dimensions—Me, We, and Work—because in practice, these elements are inseparable. Leaders who are resourced lead more effectively. Teams that trust each other execute better. Organizations with clarity move forward with greater confidence and coherence.
Three organizations. Three distinct, tangible outcomes.
While the Collaborative experience was shared, the outcomes were deliberately adapted to the needs, size, and realities of each organization.
- Homeward Pikes Peak used the process to strengthen leadership alignment, scenario planning, and program coherence—resulting in clearer strategic pathways and increased readiness to navigate funding and policy volatility.
- Tri-Lakes Cares leveraged the work to clarify its evolving identity as a broader community resource hub, aligning leadership, staff, and messaging around a more expansive vision while staying rooted in its core mission.
- Catholic Charities of Central Colorado deepened shared leadership and internal alignment during a period of transition, strengthening decision-making structures and creating steadier ground for innovation and long-term impact.
In each case, the work was practical, relevant, and owned by the organization—not delivered as a one-size-fits-all solution.
Why this matters for leaders
The Wisdom Works Collaborative is not a retreat from work—it is a different way of doing the work that leaders rarely have time to do alone.
It offers a model for how organizations can build internal resilience, strategic clarity, and collaborative capacity while still moving the organization forward. In a landscape where uncertainty is no longer temporary, these capabilities are not “nice to have”; they are essential.
This case study shows what becomes possible when leaders invest in both the human and strategic dimensions of leadership—together.
