Colorado Nonprofit Development Center

What Colorado Nonprofit Development Center does

Colorado Nonprofit Development Center (CNDC) is a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsorship organization founded in 1999 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, that provides tax-exempt infrastructure to charitable projects and emerging nonprofits that lack their own 501(c)(3) status. CNDC operates two core service models: Model A (Comprehensive Sponsorship), which provides full back-office support including fund accounting, HR, payroll, and compliance at a 10% fee on non-government funds and 14% on government funds, and Model C (Pre-Approved Grant Sponsorship), a lighter-weight structure for projects with pre-secured funding at a 5–10% fee.

The organization maintains charitable solicitation registrations across all 50 states, holds incorporation paperwork and donor relationships on behalf of partner projects, and provides a Partner Portal, Board Portal, and fundraising platform access to support day-to-day operations. Since inception, CNDC has served over 300 partner projects, managed approximately $250 million in cumulative project revenue, and generated over 1 million volunteer hours. It currently supports 87–92 active partner projects and employs approximately 16 internal staff alongside 87 partner-project employees.

CNDC is led by CEO Melinda Higgs, who has held the role since founding, and CFO Kevin Van Vleet. The organization is a founding member of the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors and maintains relationships with Employers Council, the Colorado Nonprofit Association, and The Colorado Health Foundation. In 2025, CNDC relocated to the Posner Center in Denver, refreshed its board leadership with Rich Martinez as Chair and Will Chan as Vice Chair, and received a gubernatorial proclamation of CNDC Day on May 21, 2025 to mark its 25th anniversary.

Name

Colorado Nonprofit Development Center

Legal name

Colorado Nonprofit Development Center

Website

https://cndc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Colorado Nonprofit Development Center is a Denver-based 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor providing tax-exempt infrastructure, fund accounting, and compliance services to charitable projects lacking their own 501(c)(3) status.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fiscal Sponsorship and Nonprofit Administrative Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Fiscal sponsorship services
• Nonprofit administration
• 501(c)(3) tax-exempt umbrella
• Back-office nonprofit services
• Grants management

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Fiscal Sponsorship Administrative Fees: CNDC generates revenue through shared administrative contributions (fees) charged to partner projects as a percentage of their revenue. This is a recurring revenue model based on the fiscal sponsorship relationship.
2. Fiscal Sponsorship Services: Provides comprehensive back-office services including accounting, HR, grants management, risk management, and compliance. Revenue is derived from administrative contribution percentages on both government and non-government funds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Colorado Nonprofit Development Center (CNDC) provides fiscal sponsorship and comprehensive back-office administrative services to charitable projects in Colorado that lack their own 501(c)(3) status. Under Model A Comprehensive Sponsorship and Model C Pre-Approved Grant Sponsorship, CNDC acts as the tax-exempt umbrella, handling accounting, HR, payroll, grants management, risk management, compliance, and fundraising infrastructure so that mission-driven leaders can focus on program delivery.

Product overview

CNDC operates as a fiscal sponsorship organization offering two primary models: Model A Comprehensive Sponsorship and Model C Pre-Approved Grant Sponsorship. Model A provides full administrative support under CNDC's 501(c)(3) status including strategic expertise, strong systems (finance, accounting, HR, risk management), and professional partnership services. Model C offers limited services for grant-based fundraising. Supporting infrastructure includes the Partner Portal and Board Portal platforms, along with access to fundraising platforms like Fundraise Up and Colorado Gives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Model A Comprehensive Fiscal Sponsorship Comprehensive fiscal sponsorship product providing complete 501(c)(3) tax-exempt umbrella with full administrative support including HR, finance, accounting, legal, grants management, risk reduction, and compliance services. Partners pay 10% of non-government funds and 14% of government funds managed through the sponsorship. Designed for charitable projects at virtually any stage of development that lack their own tax-exempt status.
• Model C Pre-Approved Grant Sponsorship Pre-approved grant sponsorship providing financial services and tax-exempt status for fundraising through grant receipts. Partners pay 5-10% of the grant amount for limited services. Designed for organizations seeking to receive specific pre-approved grants under CNDC's 501(c)(3) status.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ projects served since inception, $250M in project revenue managed, 1M volunteer hours generated
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Colorado's Leading FunderscoreOthers · 24 September 2024CNDC hosted a pivotal event on September 24, 2024 with Colorado's leading funders to discuss fiscal sponsorship models and foster greater collaboration across the philanthropic ecosystem.
• National Network of Fiscal SponsorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNDC is a founding member of the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors, contributing to best practice guidelines and industry standards for fiscal sponsorship. Melinda Higgs serves as a founding steering committee member.
• Employers CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNDC partners with Employers Council to provide resources including Salary Surveys and employer tools for partner organizations.
• Colorado Nonprofit AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNDC partners with Colorado Nonprofit Association for resources including Salary Surveys and other employer tools for partner projects.
• Bonfils-Stanton FoundationminorOthersMelinda Higgs, President & CEO, received a Livingston Fellowship from the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation.
• The Colorado Health FoundationcoreOthersHosted CNDC's 25th Anniversary Celebration and Partner Appreciation Event on May 21, 2025. Taryn Fort, Board Secretary, is Senior Director of Communications and External Influence at the foundation.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Instrumentl: Grant discovery and management platform helping nonprofits find and manage grants. Emerging technology-enabled competitor in the grants management space, where CNDC provides manual grant billing and tracking services.

Direct peers

• Schwab Charitable Fund: Large donor-advised fund sponsor providing charitable giving infrastructure. Comparable as a tax-advantaged charitable intermediary serving individual and institutional donors, though focused on DAFs rather than fiscal sponsorship.
• Community Initiatives: Oakland-based fiscal sponsor providing fiscal sponsorship services to nonprofits nationally. Note: CNDC's Director of Fiscal Sponsorship (Nicki Leszman) previously worked there, indicating direct operational familiarity. Comparable in service model but serves a broader geography.
• Amalgamated Foundation: National fiscal sponsor providing 501(c)(3) umbrella services and back-office support to nonprofit projects. Directly comparable service model targeting both startup and established charitable organizations nationwide.
• Fractured Atlas: National fiscal sponsor serving artists and arts organizations across the US. Directly comparable as a fiscal sponsorship organization providing 501(c)(3) umbrella and back-office services, but at significantly larger national scale than CNDC's Colorado-focused operations.
• Tides Foundation: Major national fiscal sponsor and grantmaking organization offering fiscal sponsorship, grantmaking, and philanthropic services. Comparable business model with 501(c)(3) umbrella and back-office support but at much larger scale ($1B+ in annual grantmaking).
• Silva Watson Moonwalk (SWM) Fiscal Sponsors: Fiscal sponsor organization based in Boise, Idaho providing fiscal sponsorship services to nonprofits across multiple states. Comparable service model with similar back-office offerings, though at smaller scale than CNDC.

Regional players

• The Denver Foundation: Major community foundation serving the Denver metro area with grantmaking and donor services. Comparable as a Colorado-based philanthropic infrastructure organization but operates as a community foundation rather than fiscal sponsor; David Miller (former Denver Foundation President) is referenced in CNDC materials.
• Rose Community Foundation: Denver-based community foundation focused on Jewish community and Greater Denver issues. Comparable as a Colorado-based philanthropic intermediary; CNDC board member VJ Brown works at Rose Community Foundation, indicating close ecosystem ties.

Others

• Colorado Nonprofit Association: Statewide membership organization supporting Colorado nonprofits through training, advocacy, and resources. Adjacent to CNDC's mission; partners with CNDC to provide salary surveys and employer tools to partner projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ColoradoNonprofitDevelopmentCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/colorado-nonprofit-development-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Colorado Nonprofit Development Center