We advance equity and generational success by elevating the voices of the systemically oppressed, through the facilitation of organizational collective action, led and constructed by the community.
Equitable Denver Communities Where Children are Thriving, Not Just Surviving.
Denver Metro Community Impact (DMCI) is being built in real-time by and for the community. DMCI serves as the facilitator and connector for a growing network of partners to meet the needs of families in Denver. The network is bound together by passionate work on the Social Determinants of Health, recognizing that systemic change will come from efforts in improving life in our homes, schools, workplaces, neighborhood, and communities. The success of the DMCI Network is dependent upon organizations and individuals working together differently.
As a convener and facilitator of community and an organizational network, Denver Metro Community Impact (DMCI) represents a medium to understand neighborhood interests, the world of philanthropy, government, and any other entity seeking to work for and with the community. We hold an impactful position in mobilizing the funding of philanthropy directly to the community's needs by fortifying the voice with data while making a case for investment in systemic change. To that end, DMCI is a professional code-switching organization.
DMCI puts community voice first. Our Community Impact Workflow has been developed from the best practices of the Collective Impact Framework but also the best practices of community organizing. Starting with the community voice in mind, we seek leaders who have a knack for building relationships, listening to stories, and advocating for their neighbors. We discover shared interests, issues impacting equity, and the desire for action and change through these leaders. After identifying this, we start the Collective Impact work by fortifying the community's voice with data, continuing communication with the leaders, and inviting appropriate organizational partners to brainstorm collaborative action while seeking continuous community feedback along the way. As a result, advocacy, solutions, and change are delivered to the community, by the community and our partners.
We advance equity and generational success by elevating the voices of the systemically oppressed, through the facilitation of organizational collective action, led and constructed by the community.
Denver Metro Community Impact began its work as Park Hill Collective Impact, initially as an initiative organized by the efforts of former Colorado State Senator and current Mayor of Denver, Mike Johnston. In 2015, the then-senator brought together a collective of community leaders to form a Founding Steering Committee to address the challenges of inequity in Northeast Denver by utilizing the Collective Impact Framework. The framework is structured to coordinate more cohesive and collaborative solutions guided by shared measurement of success and continuous communication for programmatic nonprofit partners, educators, local government, and the community.
In 2015 and 2016, the Founding Steering Committee studied various uses of the Collective Impact Framework around the country, taking note of how the framework could apply in Denver. During this time, the initiative earned a $1.2 million start-up grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, presenting the opportunity for immediate scaling. The group also benefitted from the guidance and fiscal sponsorship from The Civic Canopy, an aligned organization whose mission is to create conditions where 'the many work as one for the good of all.'
In February 2017, the initiative's Founding Steering Committee hired James Roy II as the future organization's first Executive Director, tasked with operationalizing the foundation forged by the original group. Then in January 2018, Park Hill Collective Impact (PHCI) was established, and its 501c3 nonprofit status was obtained as it worked to unite Denver's Northeast Park Hill Community in cultivating a healthy community that thrives for children from birth to career.
In July 2020, PHCI made a brand and geography shift, becoming Denver Metro Community Impact (DMCI). It kept PHCI's original mission intact as a project for the neighborhood while allowing other areas in Denver to benefit from the critical model. In connecting neighborhood projects around the metro area, DMCI leverages more community power for more significant opportunities to change policy and create systemic change.
Organization name
Denver Metro Community Impact
other names
Denver Metro Community Impact, DMCI, Park Hill Collective Impact
2018
Tax id (EIN)
82-3928863
Category
Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy
Organization Size
Medium Organization
Address
3475 Holly Street Unit BMailing
3475 Holly Street, Unit BDenver County, CO, US