About Us

Our Mission

Groundwork Denver partners with youth and community to build a healthy, equitable, and sustainable environment. Our goals include:

• To build bridges between residents, businesses and government to accomplish positive environmental change.
• To support the growth and development of environmental and community leaders from the neighborhoods where we work through youth employment, internships and community-based jobs.
• To promote the inclusion of the diversity of people in our communities in decision-making and in action.
• To ensure equal access to a clean and healthy environment for everyone, regardless of where they live, their economic status or their race or ethnicity.

How We Carry Out Our Mission

We are “doers”, not “talkers”. We plant trees, we improve parks, we clean up rivers, we grow food, we insulate houses, and we coordinate thousands of volunteers to help.

Our History

Groundwork Denver was incorporated as a 501(c)3 in 2002 as an independent non-profit in the Groundwork USA network. Groundwork Denver was created in response to a feasibility study that was conducted by a steering committee made up of residents, non-profit leaders, and City agencies. The study found that Groundwork Denver could fill a critical niche to engage residents in the planning process and work with residents to implement tangible neighborhood-based projects that improve the urban environment. Our expertise, program areas, and volunteer mobilization have expanded from the original feasibility study to meet the requests of the community in a wide range of urban environmental and community development issues.

In 2015, Groundwork Denver was awarded the Denver Healthy Communities Good Neighbor Award, The Rose Community Foundation Innovate for Good Award, and the Metro State University Community Partner Award. In 2012, our state-wide service learning program – Take Charge! – was awarded the Environmental Education Award for Excellence by the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education. In 2011, Groundwork Denver was awarded the Outstanding Non-profit Award from the Governor’s Commission on Community Service.