Overview The Restorative Circle is a structured dialogue tool grounded in restorative justice principles. It supports communities in addressing harm, conflict, or division by centering relationships, dignity, accountability, and collective […]
Restorative Circles Read More »
At the Canopy we believe that the way decisions are made matters as much as the decisions themselves. Those most impacted by decisions should be meaningfully involved in making them.
Can a Team Manage Its Own Budget? Three Years Later, We Have an Answer Read More »
Custer County is home to the Wet Mountain Valley and some of the most stunning mountain landscapes in Colorado. The Wet Mountain Valley is the southernmost and fourth “Park” in
Four Meetings, One Future: How Wet Mountain Valley Is Shaping Its Outdoors Read More »
I moved to Steamboat Springs in December, following my partner to a job opportunity he couldn’t turn down. Knowing this was supposed to be “the big move,” I started thinking
Finding My People Among the Populous Read More »
Overview When people talk about “launching” a collaborative effort, they often imagine a rocket: dramatic ignition, rapid ascent, visible progress. But community change rarely works that way. More often, collaboratives
The Launch Sequence Read More »
Most people don’t like going to city planning meetings. But what if the planning could happen on a softball field? Photos by Teddy Leinbach In the small town of San
Planning Through Play: A Collaborative Process in San Luis Read More »
Overview Money can be one of the hardest things for partners to talk about, let alone an entire collaborative group. The Collaborative Budget Builder helps to collect input from each
Collaborative Budget Builder Read More »
Overview “We all have the right to communicate and engage in the language in which we feel most comfortable – the language of our heart.” – Community Language Cooperative (CLC) Inclusion
Multilingual Meeting Checklist Read More »
Overview The Four Quadrant Model is a framework for understanding systems change that emphasizes the interplay of both the interior (mindsets, values, culture) and exterior (behaviors, structures, policies) dimensions of
The Four Quadrant Model Read More »
Our Officer Manager, Hugh Daly, explores what it means to be a Canopian through one of his most recently sold paintings, Procession in Red. At a recent weekly staff meeting,
A Portrait of Guidance at Civic Canopy Read More »
It used to be that the most treasured resources of a society—its central spaces, tallest buildings, most ornate monuments—were celebrations of its institutions. Pyramids, cathedral spires, vaulted capital domes, and
Building the Infrastructure of the Future: Civic Hubs Read More »
Overview The Spectrum of Public Participation, developed by the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2,), can be used to determine the appropriate level of public engagement in a community project
IAP2 Spectrum for Public Participation Read More »
During the first weeks of the new administration, many Americans were desperately looking for a place to understand how to show up in this current moment. Whether or not you
Leadership in the Messy Middle: Embracing Conflict and Collaboration Read More »
Overview Stacking is a simple tool wherein the facilitator or meeting leader establishes the order in which people will speak. This provides an opportunity for everyone’s voice to be heard.
Overview What does it take to hold an event that can include a diverse group of people? Different people have different needs—sometimes they’re even conflicting…so how do we create meaningful
Inclusive Community Event Checklist Read More »
Overview When working with others in a collaborative setting, conflict is sure to arise. If left unaddressed, a group may experience a shift in attendance and participation, an impact in
Situation-Behavior-Impact-Intent Read More »
Overview Qualitative analysis is the act of finding themes and patterns in a set of non-numerical data. It can be used to gain insight into people’s experiences, perceptions, and emotions.
Simple Coding for Qualitative Analysis Read More »
Overview The Oops, Ouch, Whoa protocol is a tool that can be used to acknowledge and address racism, classism, heterosexism, sexism, ableism, ageism, and other forms of systemic oppression when
Pictured above: Members of Elevar’s Steering Committee alongside Eagle Valley Community Foundation Staff at the 2024 Civic Canopy Summit – Catalyzing Culture Change. It takes vision and conviction to challenge
Elevar: Trusting Community to Lead the Way Read More »
Overview Collaboration is messy, complex work. For many, it can feel like wandering through an unknown wilderness, with an uncertain destination. Fortunately, research on effective collaboration can provide effective guidance.
Community Learning Model Rubric Read More »
“Don’t take life too seriously. You’ll never make it out alive.” I’ve had my rendition of Elbert Hubbard’s infamous quote written on a blue Post-it and stuck to my computer
Tools and Trolls: Lessons from the Canopy Summit Read More »
Overview When teams run into conflict, folks are quick to point the finger at another person in the group as the one to blame. Organizational scholar, Richard Beckhart found that
GRPI Diagnosis for Team Effectiveness Read More »
A new teammate at the Canopy recently asked me about the term we use “transferring capacity”—we even have a neat graphic to explain how we believe that our role is
Community Capacity to Shift Paradigms Read More »
Overview Originally proposed by David Cooperrider and Suresh Srivastva, Appreciative Inquiry is a strengths-based approach to organizational & community-level change. Appreciative Inquiry leads groups through a change process while learning,
Appreciative Inquiry Read More »
The Idea It started as an idea to meet a need. Carlton Mason, Director of CASA of the 7th Judicial District, saw a real need for youth in his program.
Bringing Partners Together: Launching Collective Action Read More »
“The System is Broken” In a time when the political left and the political right can’t agree on even basic facts, they do agree on one thing: “The system is
Changing the Way We Think About Systems Change Read More »
The Food Justice Funders Collaborative began with the seed of a great idea. If we could just get all the food funders together, in a single meeting, we could leverage
Food Justice Funders Collaborative: Getting Going Read More »
How many times a day do you hear, “We should have a dialogue”? It’s a well-intended question because it recognizes that something needs to be discussed and talked about. The
Unpacking the “D” word: Dialogue Read More »
Overview All of us have felt tension between different ideas present within a group. It can feel as if we are on two sides of a canyon or just don’t
“I have burnt out severely several times in the past years…and recovered.” When I heard Dean Spade utter these words in a video over the winter break, my whole body
Breaking the Cycle of Burnout: Practices for Endurance Read More »
Bringing people together to find collaborative solutions to common problems can feel like pitching a small tent in a hostile environment. Inside the warm container of a coalition, norms of
From Conflicts to Coalitions to Statewide Collaboration: A Case Study of Systems Change Read More »
Overview The Consultancy Protocol is a method of structured conversation around a dilemma you are facing. It’s used to gather input or feedback on how to approach a challenge. Designed
Consultancy Protocol Read More »
Overview Increasingly, communities are calling for their local institutions to involve community members in the decision-making process. Organization leaders may even be required through a grant or a law to
Recruitment Reflection Read More »
If anyone knows how to get their hands dirty, it’s the folks at Pueblo Food Project (PFP). Whether they are growing food in untraditional places, helping new food entrepreneurs grow
Pueblo Food Project: Embracing Decay in the Cycles of Coalitions Read More »
Fall is here, and with it is also coming the release of our newest offering: Canopy Learning Online! For a long time, we have dreamt of making our tools and
Introducing: Canopy Learning Online Read More »
Overview A fishbowl is a method for dialogue that creates a smaller space for conversation within a larger group. It is designed to have a deeper discussion between a few
“What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?” is a question that often finds me through books, social media, loved ones, and my therapist. I don’t particularly like
Letting Go of “Perfect” Read More »
Northwest Aurora is home to a vibrant community made up of one of the most diverse populations in Colorado. It is also a historically underserved region facing increasingly constant challenges
The AEOC: Balancing Responsiveness and Long-Term Goals Read More »
Overview The best ideas and thoughts are those that can withstand the tension of examination and scrutiny. Socratic Inquiry is a method that gives power to questions rather than answers.
Overview Facilitators use Turn the Curve to help a group take a data-based approach to solving their issue. By using the metaphor of a leaky roof, Turn the Curve makes
Since 2018, The Civic Canopy has served as a capacity-building partner for The Colorado Health Foundation’s locally-focused work. This partnership has equipped the Canopy team with time and resources to
Bringing a Collective Impact Training to Montrose Read More »
Overview The name of this tool, Line of Sight, refers to maintaining a clear vision of the steps required to reach a goal or desired outcome. This tool revolves around
From Grassroots Food Movement to Transformative Local Foods System Liza Marron founded LFC in 2008 to restore the grassroots food movement in the San Luis Valley. Liza says, “People were
San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition Read More »
Photo Credit: Alamosa Citizen In 2021, a group of community members came together with a seed of an idea: how could we help students without documentation access a college education?
Sí, Se Puede: Helping Grassroots Changemakers Navigate Conflicting Visions of Equity Read More »
Overview The acronym RACI refers to four different roles: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. It is a tool that helps define roles, delegate tasks, and hold one another accountable. Whether
RACI Chart for Role Clarity Read More »
There’s that magic moment that happens when people come together who are working on the same issue, but never realized they had company. Coming together with others who are working
Maintaining Momentum: Keeping Collaboration Going When We’re All Busy Read More »
Overview When there are multiple ideas competing for your time, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and at a loss for where to prioritize your attention. It can be
Prioritizing by Impact and Feasibility Read More »
Over the past few weeks, we’ve shared a few tools around the topic of facilitation. These tools include agenda-crafting, setting agreements, questions to ask while facilitating, and grounding practices like
When Difference Arises in Facilitation Read More »
Overview Before and After Action Review (BAR-AAR) is a reflection tool to promote Emergent Learning and helps groups of people strengthen their ability to think about and learn from their
Before and After Action Review Read More »
Overview When starting a meeting or a project, POPRA provides groups with a shared understanding of what they’re doing together, why they’re doing it, and how they’ll do it. The
Overview Fist-to-five is a simple voting tool used to make a decision that requires a group to come to full agreement. This is known as consensus. It can also be
Taking a New Approach to Old Resolutions “Don’t you just love New Years? You get to start all over. Everyone gets a second chance.” – Lenora, Forrest Gump
Second Chances in The New Year Read More »
Just when we got the hang of virtual meetings, the world began shifting once again. As each week welcomes new COVID-19 guidance, it can feel a little bit like doing
Don’t Make the Same Mistake: Lessons from Our First Hybrid Meetings Read More »
The conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on all three counts for the murder of George Floyd was hailed by police and community members alike as a rare
Supporting the Resistors Read More »
A year ago, I was enthused to enter a new decade with a renewed vision for my next chapter of life and community. How I was going to get to
Ignite, Kindle Your Fire for The Movement Read More »
A person’s zip code can better predict how long they will live or what health challenges they will face than their genetic code. To people living in 80205 in Denver,
Case Study: East5ide Unified|Unido Read More »
In 2017, community partners noticed there were goals in city plans around “embracing the Rio Grande River as a community asset,” yet no clear plan on what that meant, what
Case Study: Revitalize the Rio Read More »
When the Canopy started working with the Syringe Access Providers Coalition (SAP) in 2017, the group had a way of working together but knew that it needed to be stronger
Case Study: Syringe Access Providers Coalition Read More »
Usually, the saying goes, “all talk and no action.” This project flips that idea on its head. Instead, the Canopy wanted to explore the impact of the stories we tell
Case Study: Communicating for Social Change Toolkit Read More »
The Civic Canopy provided backbone support to the Early Childhood Colorado Partnership (ECCP) for over seven years. This included facilitating meetings and action teams, updating membership lists, hosting the website,
Case Study: Early Childhood Shared Messaging Bank Read More »
Initiated by the Colorado Department of Human Services, Office of Behavioral Health, COACT connects leaders in the field of youth services, human services, and education. COACT knew they were interested
Case Study: AmeriCorp Planning for Youth Peer Support Specialists Read More »
In 2019, Yampa Valley partners reviewed the recent regional public health assessment data which indicated residents across Routt and Moffat Counties identified mental and behavioral health, substance use disorders, certain
Case Study: Yampa Valley Health Consortium Read More »
The lack of affordable, quality child care is a problem so familiar; it can feel unlikely to ever change. Families and providers can feel skeptical about joining yet another initiative
Case Study: Strengthening Working Families Initiative Read More »
In today’s world, collecting data isn’t the problem. It’s making sense out of it. The All In network works to helps communities across the U.S. use data to improve community
Case Study: Data Across All Sectors for Health Mentorship Read More »