The state of Colorado has benefited from the collaborative and generous contributions of leaders from the business, nonprofit and government sectors. These citizens courageously strengthen our state while creating new opportunities and inspiration for future generations. By Executive Order B 2015-010 from the Office of the Governor, five medals are awarded annually on a non-partisan basis by the present Governor on behalf of past Governors and the citizens of Colorado to leaders of our state who inspire excellence and community service.

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An annual celebration to honor the Colorado Governor’s Citizenship Medal recipients. 

The Colorado Governors Fellowship Program is a bipartisan educational program endorsed by Governors Hickenlooper, Owens and Ritter. The program was inspired by Dr. Geoff Smart and outlined in his best-selling book, Leadocracy, to execute on the premise that government is only as good as who is in it. The Fellowship Program, ran by QF, engages private and nonprofit sector leaders in a 9-month educational program on state government and public policy and is executed in partnership with Boettcher Foundation and the University of Colorado School of Public Affairs.

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The McKinsey Academy @ QF is a program like no other. Through a 9-month leadership journey, participants will be challenged to think bigger, look deeper, and transform their leadership skills. McKinsey Academy @ QF is an exclusive, invitation-only leadership development program for select Colorado community leaders, designed to bring together highly qualified executives and managers with holistic interests in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. The program is a partnership between QF, McKinsey Academy and the McKinsey & Company Denver Office.

 

The Quarterly Forum and The Barton Institute for Philanthropy and Social Enterprise at the University of Denver have partnered to create the Social Enterprise Fellowship program. The Social Enterprise Fellows are a cohort of 12 graduate students selected from programs throughout the University who will study and apply the principles of social enterprise to improve the lives of vulnerable populations. This partnership with the Barton Institute expands QF’s capacity to build community leaders, including business leaders who are interested in the nonprofit sector. The program links outstanding Fellows with QF members who are experienced leaders and can serve as mentors.

The QF Scholarship Program exemplifies our value of giving back to the community. Beginning in 2013, QF began to establish its philanthropic role in the state of Colorado with its scholarship program, which was introduced as a way for Members to contribute to educating the future of the state and to ‘pay it forward’. To date, the QF Scholarship Program has gifted approximately $500,000 and exemplifies our value of giving back to the community.

We are inspired to encourage innovation in post-secondary education, particularly in underserved communities that demonstrate great potential. QF Members believe in supporting our state’s future—but less fortunate—leaders by investing in career pathways for first-generation college students. To accomplish this, QF launched three unique programs that inspire new educational possibilities for the state and authentically connect our members to supporting the next generation:

QF Emerging State of Colorado Scholarship – QF’s core scholarship program, the Emerging State of Colorado Scholarship seeds new ideas and learners at  community colleges that are creating pathways for unconventional learners who can and will contribute to our future. In partnership with the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI), this scholarship is focused on providing funding to first-generation college students at community colleges in underserved communities beyond the Denver area. We strive to fund unique educational opportunities, including vocational training, that create career pathways to students outside of the traditional four-year college curriculum. The state of Colorado matches QF’s funding for these scholarships through its COSI program.

Scott Reiman Emerging Leader Scholarship – This scholarship is given to a student of need who matriculates at the University of Denver, QF’s academic partner. In honor of Scott Reiman, one of the founders of QF, this scholarsip provides a $10,000 award to a student in need who is selected by a University of Denver awards committee and Chancellor Rebecca Chopp.

Mike Fries Emerging Creators Scholarship – QF partnered with the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver to sponsor the “Failure Fair,” a state-wide outreach program that provides $20,000 in scholarship funding to students who participate in the fair and present ideas that encourage participation in the arts, innovation and ingenuity. Part TED talk, part Shark Tank and part science fair, this event cultivates the creative spirit of our youth in the state, inspiring an emerging generation to embrace failure as part of the creative process. This scholarship promotes arts education and the ideals of the Failure Fair to unlock the potential of students unlikely to apply for traditional academic scholarships. In partnership with the MCA, we encourage students to embrace failure as an important component of creation and significance in educational development. This scholarship honors Mike Fries, a founder of QF and an embodiment of these very ideals.

The concept for GWC is simple: gather a group of like-minded, ambitious, community-oriented folks and engage them in ways to be better at work and better at home– to help build a better Denver. With this concept, Good Wood Club was born. Built on a foundation of good intentions, hard work, great friendships and a heart for the community, GWC convenes to help change lives, build our community and have a lasting impact on the great city of Denver. In 2015, GWC and QF partnered up to make an even bigger impact on the Denver community.

To learn more about GWC’s Annual Holiday Luncheon, click here.

These events include Small Group Discussions featuring a guest author and speakers from out of state in partnership with several community organizations. Each of these memorable ‘back stage’ events provides opportunities to build closer relationships with fellow members in a more intimate setting with thought leaders from around the state and nation.