TCC NEWS

Northwest Denver Nonprofits Coordinate Efforts For Colorado Gives Day

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Northwest Denver Nonprofits Coordinate Efforts For Colorado Gives Day

24 Hours to Give Where You Live Save the Date – December 4, 2012   Did you know that Northwest Denver is home to over 40 nonprofit human service providers? And did you know that many of them will participate in “Colorado Gives Day” on Tuesday, December 4th? “Colorado Gives Day” is an annual, 24-hour “virtual” fundraiser through which people throughout the state of Colorado are encouraged to make online donations to support their favorite local charities. For the first time this year a dedicated group of fifteen Northwest Denver nonprofit providers are collaborating to actively promote the neighborhood’s widespread participation in Colorado Gives Day. Beginning in mid-November, members of the collaboration will distribute 10,000 Save-The-Date postcards throughout the community, reminding you and your neighbors to Give Where You Live! The nonprofit providers leading this effort include: Arrupe Jesuit High School                          Bienvenidos Food Bank      Catholic Charities                                        Colorado Youth for a Change          Caring Connection                                       Colorado Renewable Energy Society        El Porvenir                                                   Denver Children’s Advocacy Center Escuela de Guadalupe                                 Groundwork Denver                          Servicios de la Raza                                    Share Our Strength                                       The Argyle                                                    The Conflict Center                                       The First Tee of Denver In the last year these organizations alone have served a combined total of over150,000 individuals and families throughout the metro

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Photo Exhibit Demonstrates Coloradans Solving Problems Together

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By Mary Zinn. President, Zinn Mediation Associates “Talking It Out: Getting To Agreement” is a unique photo and story exhibit that features Coloradans working together to solve problems. The exhibit illustrates seven stories of people and communities that have made a choice to solve their problems constructively. It gives evidence of the changes that can be made when we deliberately choose collaborative conflict resolution methods. The exhibit, displayed at the Colorado State Capitol Oct. 1–16, was one of many events in conjunction with Conflict Resolution Month in Colorado, observed every October. Conflict resolution Month’s activities increase public awareness about constructive conflict management and its many benefits. Details can be found at www.conflictresolutionmonth.org.  The goal of Conflict Resolution Month is to decrease violence and increase creativity and productivity for problem solving in relationships, communities, organizations, and businesses. The stories offer possibilities and options for every person and group to consider for bringing more civility to the disputes they encounter. Communities and organizations in Colorado are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to display this free exhibit throughout next year and beyond.  You can see “Talking it out: getting to agreement” Nov. 5–Jan. 7 at the Ft. Morgan Museum; Jan. 15–March 15

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Executive’s Perspective: The Inclusiveness Project

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Ron_Ludwig

By Ron Ludwig, Executive Director   Earlier this month, The Conflict Center participated in our final activity as part of the “Inclusiveness Project” with the Denver Foundation.  In 2010, The Conflict Center and nine other local nonprofits were funded by the Denver Foundation to participate in a two-year “Learning Community” designed to help our organizations become more ethnically and racially diverse and inclusive.  In addition to focusing on ethnic and racial dynamics, the Conflict Center also considered issues of gender and sexual identity.  While recognizing that creating a fully inclusive workplace is an ever-ongoing process, we are proud of the significant steps forward our organization has taken over the past two years: We established a Committee to guide the work of this project that was comprised of staff, board members and volunteers. The Committee hired a consultant to help guide the effort and to provide training for staff and the board. The Committee has identified key indicators to measure our efforts to becoming more diverse and inclusive. Almost half of our staff members have participated in the national “White Privilege Conference” to examine how the roles of privilege and power work in our national society. All staff members (including our

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Conflict Resolution Month – October 2012

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Conflict Resolution Month – October 2012

Conflict Resolution Month 2012 is off to a fantastic start!! The initial momentum captured the Senate and House on March 26, 2012 with the passage of Senate Joint Resolution 12-026!!   Sponsors:  Senator Linda Newell, SD 26 and Representative Robert Gardner, HD 21. That momentum will now travel throughout the State as we engage citizens in every community to think CONFLICT RESOLUTION!!    To this end, various communities and organizations will be sponsoring events in October that generate awareness of the resolution of conflict in a non-confrontational & meaningful fashion. We have many volunteers that have obtained Conflict Resolution Proclamations in their municipality, county, college, high school, etc.  in the past.  Each year we add to this burgeoning list of supporters.  Is YOUR Community supporting Conflict Resolution Month?   Would you be willing to approach your County Commissioner, City Council Member, Mayor, College Dean, etc. and ask them to support October as Conflict Resolution Month? For more information you can visit the web site at:   http://www.conflictresolutionmonth.org .  Conflict Resolution Month is also on FaceBook – Become a Friend!  You can contact Rita Hyland at Rita@RitaHylandConsulting.com for further details and to volunteer.   We stand ready to assist you in your endeavor.  We can provide

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The Value of Our Volunteers

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The Value of Our Volunteers

By Mitzi Hicks, Fund Development & Government Contracts Specialist As The Conflict Center’s interim Volunteer & Intern Manager, I was surprised and delighted to discover that April is Volunteer Appreciation month, a time that nonprofits all over the United States pause to express their appreciation for the efforts of volunteers. In 2011, The Conflict Center served 7,628 youth and adults across the Denver metro area, including over 6,500 youth in 13 schools, providing a total of 2,575 hours of service. Staff and contractor hours represent just 31% of the service hours delivered in 2011. So who stepped up to deliver the rest? That’s right: volunteers. In 2011, an astonishing 69% of service hours were provided by volunteers and interns. If not for our volunteers The Conflict Center would have provided less than a third of the services that we delivered last year. That’s huge! Volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization, and at The Conflict Center volunteers are a priceless resource. They serve as classroom instructors, read to children through the Reading for Peace program, help with fundraising, special events, marketing, and general office support. There are numerous ways that volunteers can and do strengthen our organization. Independent Sector, an

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The Conflict Center Joins Community Shares

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The Conflict Center Joins Community Shares

We are proud to announce that The Conflict Center is one of eight non-profit agencies that have been accepted as new members of Community Shares. Starting with the 2012 campaign, The Conflict Center will now be listed in all Community Shares materials for workplace giving and public sector campaigns, in over 175 worksites throughout the state of Colorado. Started in 1986, Community Shares is celebrating its 25th Anniversary. Community Shares raised $1.6 million dollars last year for more than 100 Colorado nonprofit organizations. According to the Center on Philanthropy, workplace giving campaigns are the most cost efficient method of raising charitable dollars. Year-round giving through payroll contributions provides charities with a steady flow of dollars to support many important programs and services. Although we enjoyed a long history of partnership with Mile High United Way, recent revisions to their funding priorities changed our status so The Conflict Center decided to pursue active membership with Community Shares. Through Community Shares, the majority of workplace giving is done through designations to specific agencies. Community Shares has no minimum donation amount and encourages each donor to choose the nonprofit(s) to receive their gifts. We ask that any of our supporters who participate in

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Editorial Fall 2011: When We Make a Difference With What We Have It Expands

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Ron Ludwig - Executive Director -The Conflict Center

Mark Your Calendar – December 6, 2011 24 Hours to Give Where You Live Please remember to support The Conflict Center on December 6th by participating in the second annual Colorado Gives Day! By giving on-line through the Giving First website you can become one of the thousands of Colorado citizens who will come together again to raise millions of dollars for over 350 nonprofits throughout Colorado.

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How do you feel today? Emotional Intelligence For Your Children

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July 19, 2011 by Salma Shukri, The Conflict Center  This article was published in the North Denver Tribune in July  2011 Children often have a hard time verbally expressing how they feel. When faced with certain situations, you may find that your child cannot put into words what they are feeling on the inside. Because of their limited vocabulary, children may instead act out as a way of expressing in action what they can’t express in words. As they grow and experience new things, children may get overwhelmed and their emotions can sometimes get too big for their little bodies to contain. Without a proper form of release, children may resort to expressing themselves physically. For example, a child that can’t explain that he is upset may fall back on behaving badly, and you may find them hitting, stomping, or crying to get the message across. That’s why we think it’s important to teach emotional intelligence to children from a young age – so that they can communicate their emotions well. You can do this by helping to expand your child’s vocabulary to include emotionally descriptive words, and then encouraging your child to identify his or her feelings on a constant

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Introduction to Relationship Conflict (Video)

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Youtube TCC Relationship Video

By Pearl Bell Look at this introductory video about Relationship Conflict and tell us what you think. Tweet

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Every October is Conflict Resolution Month in Colorado

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 Plans for 2011 are underway! By Mary Zinn Conflict Resolution Month Synergizer   The Governor proclaims and all of our Colorado Legislators resolve that Colorado will pay special attention to conflict resolution in October! Everyone is invited to participate by making every day a day of productive choices.   "Conflict Resolution Month is one of my favorite times of the year— a time when we're more conscious of creating peaceful resolutions and win-win scenarios every day, every place and with everyone we meet. I'm so grateful to be a persistent voice in the Colorado legislature where we have made progress every session toward becoming the most civil state in the Union." Senator Linda Newell, District 26     Each year, as many as fifty organizations work together to plan events and programs that encourage the use of constructive problem solving on all levels: personal, business, community, school, etc.  The month offers limitless opportunities such as workshops, conferences, award ceremonies, a book selection, and the creation of neighborhood picnics.  Whatever anyone in Colorado believes will help us be more civil and productive is invited!    In this campaign, there is no “other person” to do the job.  While many in the dispute

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