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 »
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 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 »
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 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 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 »
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 »
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 »
“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 »
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 »
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 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
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 »