Third Sector Excellence (TSE), in cooperation with the Daniels Fund, has conducted its own research by meeting with over a hundred of Colorado nonprofit CEOs, philanthropic leaders, and corporate, private and community funders. The goal at each meeting was to take a close look at a day in the life of a nonprofit CEO and identify the recurring challenges they face. As a result, these meetings presented a composite of essential management topics for the program.

Among these essential topics was the desire to arm nonprofit leaders with strategic relationships that would:

1. Nurture professional growth
2. Inform better decision-making
3. Improve organizational outcomes