Herstory

In 2016, seven progressive Colorado-based organizations — 9to5 Colorado, United for a New Economy, Mi Familia Vota, Colorado People’s Alliance, Together Colorado, Common Cause, and Campaign for a Strong Colorado — came together with a shared concern. Across the state’s social justice ecosystem, they were witnessing persistent burnout, underfunding, conflict, unaddressed trauma, and internalized/systemic oppression. Rather than compete or struggle in isolation, they committed to a different path: one rooted in relationship-building and a deeper understanding of what was missing in Colorado’s leadership landscape.

This effort took shape through a collaborative research and design process between 2015 and 2016, supported by General Service Foundation and Katcher Consulting. Together, they laid the groundwork for something new — an approach to leadership that centered healing, sustainability, and transformation.

By 2017, Transformative Leadership for Change (TLC) was formally called into existence by a group of women of color executive directors leading within Colorado’s progressive organizing ecosystem. With the support of national consultants and movement partners, the Design Team developed a prototype for the TLC program, building directly on the learnings from the research phase. Local and national funders joined to support this bold new vision and continue to play a critical role as the fellowship grows.

From the beginning, TLC was rooted in a clear recognition: we cannot win lasting change in health equity, education, economic justice, immigrant rights, racial justice, police and state violence, reproductive justice, or housing without strong, healthy, and sustainable leaders and organizations.

We were exhausted by leadership programs that only offered dominant culture “hard skills” designed to help us survive the nonprofit industrial complex. What we needed — and longed for — was a space that centered BIPOC experiences, collective healing, deep relationships, creative vision, and a mindset of abundance.

Over two years, we engaged in an intentional co-creation process. We drew on the wisdom and methodology of Standing in Our Power, conducted in-depth interviews and surveys with movement leaders, assessed the gaps in existing leadership offerings, and hosted a pilot retreat. What emerged was the TLC Fellowship — a container of “tender loving care” for movement leaders. TLC is more than a program; it is a transformative offering to ourselves and our communities — a space to heal, lead with vision, grow our power, and bring our collective liberation to life.