CEO Update | October 2026 Board Meeting

Key Narrative Updates

Update 1Our Financial Reality: Q1 and the Cash Curve

Q1 closed with $469K in revenue against $771K in expenses, an operating loss of ($302K). That is close to plan: the budget expected a ($283K) loss for Q1, because individual giving and most foundation payments land November through March. We ended $19K behind plan. Revenue came in $69K under budget, mostly individual giving (by timing) and Medicaid (name-change reimbursement delays and clinical sessions at about half of target), while expenses came in $50K under budget, led by payroll at $104K under while roles were open. Investment markets took another $25.9K, bringing total net revenue to ($328K).

Our balance sheet is solid: $1.51M in assets against $47K in liabilities, with $674K in unrestricted cash across all accounts and $703K in restricted investments. G&G’s current forecast projects a full-year net of ($229K), inside the roughly $300K of reserve-backed Individual Giving built into the FY27 budget. The pressure point is where our cash sits, not how much we have. Operating checking (BOK + Vectra) fell from $320K on July 1 to about $80K on September 30, so we have been moving money from reserve and investment accounts to meet payroll: restricted investments fell $122.6K in September (about $21K of that was market loss), and $102K came from the scholarship account on October 9 for the October 15 payroll. Molly and I rebuilt the payroll cash process and calendared every funding check through December. I am confirming with G&G and SRS exactly which accounts hold which fund and what each may be used for.

Update 2End of Year Giving: Ten Weeks That Shape FY27

The campaign launches November 1 with Colorado Gives Day early giving and runs through December 31. Our public goal is $150K, 20% above last year’s record $124.9K. Our internal goal is $250K in November–December individual giving ($283K would fully beat the budget), and G&G’s forecast currently assumes about $142K. Closing that gap is the single most important lever we have on FY27.

The plan runs in three story windows: LiftED Futures (out-of-school time, 11/2–11/20), LiftED Horizons with Restoring Futures (mental health, 11/23–12/11), and LiftED NEXT (graduates and post-secondary, 12/14–12/31). Emails go out every Tuesday, GivingTuesday is 12/1, Colorado Gives Day is 12/8, and we close with a December 29–31 tax-deadline sprint built around the 50% Colorado Child Care Contribution Credit. A longtime supporter has agreed to let their $20K annual gift serve as our kick-off match, and we are confirming another $45K in matches (hopefully including at least six board members). For the first time, Josh, Jennifer, and I each carry a named donor portfolio in Virtuous. The board’s role is spelled out in the supplemental packet.

Update 3Earned Revenue: From Relationship-Driven to Pipeline-Driven

Until this year, nearly all of our earned revenue came to us: RFMA, DPS, and Sun Valley reached out first. This quarter, Aimee, Adam, and I protected a standing meeting to build a real pipeline, and it moved past our goal of three FY28 prospects into a conversation about how we grow from All In for Denver (2033) to All In for Colorado (2040). The table below is where things stand.

Ruben Valdez is a deliberate FY27 pilot with no fee and no FY28 lock-in, so we can prove the model on site before we price it. KIPP is the largest near-term opportunity, and CCD would be our first college-campus partnership and a prototype for other campuses.

Update 4Programs: A Strong Launch With Real Growing Pains

Our youth team launched afterschool almost entirely in new spaces. RFMA enrolled 55 youth in its first week (capacity 69) and became a true school partner. LiftED NEXT onboarded a new post-secondary advisor and secured MSU classroom space for the college applicant series. Westwood and BH/GVR were harder: space negotiations, a new principal at RMP Federal, and a closed partner space slowed enrollment, so we ended Q1 at 110 youth against a 132 goal. The move to Ruben Valdez gives that team a stable home.

Clinical demand is strong. We had 48 referrals in September and new relationships at DSST College View and Florida Pitt Waller. The constraint is converting referrals into active clients: 132 active against a 160 goal, and about 65 billable sessions a week against 120. Aimee named the root cause candidly. Early problem-solving used to live in one role, and it now needs to live in our systems. A 72-hour escalation protocol is in place, and Q2 targets are set at 175 active clients and $105K in Medicaid.

Update 5Building the Infrastructure to Grow

This quarter was heavy on the plumbing that makes a $3M organization run. We finished our first Quarterly Department Readouts. Q1 organizational Rocks closed at 10 of 15 done on time, and I hit four of my five (the miss was being fully staffed; two roles remained open at quarter close). Benefits renewed on time. Molly took on payroll, banking access, HR policy (meal breaks, FAMLI enrollment), and our office reset. Our transition with G&G has taken longer than any of us expected, and their statements have lagged. G&G has proposed an awards and contracts tracker and a "secured awards not yet earned" line for board financials, which I support.

Update 6Gala 2027 and a Year-Round Board Engagement Rhythm

The 2027 Gala is set for June 12 at the Denver Art Museum, with Jamie Van Leeuwen as our McHugh Honoree. The sponsorship packet is complete, and our goal is $100K in sponsorships committed in writing by year-end. Cooper and the Development Committee have proposed 3–4 simple, board-led engagement moments across the year (a spring donor gathering, a graduation-season event, the Gala, and a back-to-school moment) so the Gala becomes a celebration of relationships rather than the place where all the fundraising happens. In-kind partners (venues, food and beverage) are the key to keeping these low-cost.