The website is a property of the Community Resource Center (CRC) located in Colorado. It aims to provide opportunities, develop tools and strategies to strengthen the non-profit and community organizations of the state. CRC was initially founded in 1981 to assist non-profits who promoted changes in Denver and its communities (CRC, n. d.). CRC continued to focus on innovation and community change throughout the 1980s (CRC, n. d.). In 1986, the Community Shares of Colorado was founded to challenge United Way’s monopoly on providing jobs and economic opportunities for the non-commercial sector (CRC, n. d.). The organization has received many significant rewards for displaying the necessity of ethical values in its public work.
Throughout the years of its work, CRC organized numerous events and programs to find funding sources to sustain the operational flow of non-profit companies. Steve Graham was the executive director of CRC; however, he passed away in 2006 (CRC, n. d.). Since then, the administration created a fund in his honor. It also started NPower Colorado as a technology resource center for non-profit organizations. At that time, it was one of the twelve branches of the national movement whose goal was to transfer technological know-how into the hands of non-profit organizations.
2017 was a significant year for CRC since it launched its first long-term strategic plan, which drew the attention of staff, volunteers, and other stakeholders to develop its mission, vision, core values, and strategies. As a result of collaborative work, CRC has come up with four priorities in regard to the plan. Now, CRC encourages a diverse network of leaders in the non-profit sector to influence social changes and strengthens the capacity of organizations to advance and fulfill their tasks. Moreover, it gathers various stakeholders across the non-profit ecosystem to enhance the sector’s impact and invests in their own structures to ensure the sustainability of their practices.
What is more, the website has inclusivity statements that promote equity and diversity within the community since it is a common ethical standard. CRC tries to expand recourses for the rural community, stimulate leadership capacity within the non-profit organizations of Colorado, and provide opportunities for marginalized groups. In addition, these days, it attempts to contain the spread of coronavirus by enrolling into the COVID Containment Response Corps (CCRC) initiative (CRC, n. d.). CRC sends volunteers to outreach the exposed groups and educates them on the importance of vaccinating. In general, CRC serves the community and supports thriving non-profit organizations because they significantly impact modern society.
The usefulness of the Site
The website offers the Colorado Grants Guide system that enables one to find the most suitable grants for the applicant. There is also a demo version of this guide which allows one to learn more about optimizing the searches and maximizing profits. It also suggests various subscription types that are convenient for users with different budgets. As the website states, “the searchable database allows grant seekers to research funders and provides critical information like giving interests, application criteria, guidelines, deadlines, and past grantee information” (CRC, n. d., para. 3). Additionally, the guide includes up to 650 funding organizations that are ready to support local non-profit businesses (CRC, n. d.). Therefore, this online platform can be called helpful in terms of providing information regarding grant obtaining.
Furthermore, the CRC website has special application forms for different grans. Moreover, it suggests a list of frequently asked questions that alleviates navigation for people who want to apply for the first time. It seems like a great option to offer the guidelines since some users need help filling out the forms. The text samples suggested by the website are helpful to rely on when applying for any grant. In general, the CRC site alleviates user experience and has astonishing variants for non-profit organizations since its searching databases save time and other resources.
What is more, the website provides the contact information of the people working for the CRC, which allows one to ensure that the organization is genuine. Alongside the contacts, the online platform uploads its annual reports every year to demonstrate its productivity. The annual reprint lists the impact and reaches in Colorado. The user can view the archives of the e-mailing list, which is sent monthly to subscribers and includes upcoming professional development opportunities, grant deadlines, and requests for proposals, as well as updated information on sector-wide news. The archives from 2014 to 2017 are accessible to any user so they can trace the center’s activity and decide if they want to resort to this company’s service (CRC, n. d.). The authors also post materials from conferences to verify the job done. In general, a user may observe the most up-to-date programs and initiatives that CRC suggests propped by the multiple evidence, including numbers, reports, and other relevant information.
Resources
The website offers a wide range of funding sources for non-commercial businesses. It suggests different application forms and writing tips. In addition, it gives advice on how to apply, which grant to choose, how to control and track one’s application status, and other similar activities. CRC website provides insights on numerous frequently asked questions in order to simplify the procedure. It offers sample profiles and a video on how to use their grants guide, which is helpful for a non-advent (CRC, n. d.). Moreover, the online source is advantageous because it has step-by-step instructions for an exempt tax process for non-profit businesses and suggests additional resources where users can obtain more information on the subject matter.
Missing Material
The website is filled with all the necessary information regarding its theme – grants and funding. Expanding the number of application forms is advisable since some funding organizations have different standards. Additionally, adding core values and highlighting them in a separate paragraph on the Mission&History tab is indispensable. It is vital to add them so that web users can see how they align with the mission. What is more, the website owners should add the missing archives starting from 2017 up to this day. Their lack does not let a user trace CRC’s activity for the past years.
Relevance of Information
The information on the CRC website is current and verifiable, relying on several aspects. Primarily, CRC deals with the most up-to-date issues, such as the pandemic, and has a close connection with the COVID Containment Response Corps (CCRC) and AmeriCorps. The site posts funding updates and suggests joining their team to fight against the infection. It also provides statistics regarding the number of members who served the community’s needs during the pandemic and constantly updates this data. The fact that CRC serves the community during such troublesome times proves its mission and aligns with its strategic plan.
As far as it concerns the validity of the data presented, it can be mentioned that reputable authors publish the information. The owner of the website had credentials at the bottom of the paper. Furthermore, the site and its contents utterly refer to the subject matter – grants for non-profit organizations. Notably, it updates the tabs quite often to ensure numerical, statistical, and factual data relevance.
Navigation
The website is increasingly easy to navigate because the tabs are adequately structured. Each tab is organized according to the relevance of the topic and suggests the key ideas of the section under discussion. What is more, it provides links to external recourses where needed, which gives extra credibility to the information used. The frequently asked questions are suggested in parts where they are necessary. It is the best option to improve user experience and boost the website’s efficacy. Noteworthy, the interface is simple in use because one can easily switch from tab to tab without any difficulty. The website even provides a calendar of their own events, which is helpful for the parties interested in their participation.
Conclusion
In summation, it can be stated that the CRC’s website is a decent and reliable platform for grant applications for non-profit organizations. It provides trustworthy services of finding funding sources across Colorado. Additionally, the website is secure in navigating, and a person can easily find valuable tips for writing an application. It is also beneficial because it allows one to choose a subscription option aligning with one’s budget. Finally, CRC provides relevant and valid information on the matter and keeps the users updated by specifying and posting new numbers, statistics, and factual data.
Reference
CRC. (n. d.).