WHY GIVE?
You can be a part of advancing excellence in our communities today!
- COE 2026 encourages community development efforts to include as many diverse voices and perspectives as possible in a coordinated, organized, aligned, and empowered manner.
- COE 2026 provides community leaders with opportunities to further develop their leadership skills in the areas of systems thinking, vision-setting, decision-making, broader stakeholder engagement, and continuous improvement.
- COE 2026 helps community leaders make a positive difference for their residents.
- COE 2026 is expanding its assistance to leaders from all sectors who are stepping up to improve the quality of life for the people who live, learn, work, and play in their communities.
DONOR BENEFITS
Communities of Excellence 2026 Contributors receive:
PLATINUM……....$50,000+
GOLD…$10,000 - $49,999
- Invitations to special in-person events and annual conference
- Plus, all benefits listed below
SILVER…..$5,000 - $9,999
BRONZE..$1,000 - $4,999
- Invitations to special online events
- Recognition tied to specific projects underwritten, as appropriate
- Recognition in the annual printing of the Communities of Excellence Framework Booklet
- Plus, all benefits listed below
BLUE………....$500 - $999
- Recognition at annual conference
- Recognition on COE 2026 Website
- Plus, all benefits listed below
GREEN……....$100 - $499
ORANGE………....$1 - $99
- Receive eNewsletter
- Recognition in annual conference publication
QUESTIONS?
Please contact Stephanie Norling, Executive Director at 619-719-1045 or snorling@communitiesofexcellence.org.
Communities of Excellence 2026 [COE 2026] is a private, nonprofit organization conceived in 2010 and established in 2013 as a 501(c)3 organization registered as 43-3384692 with the I.R.S. Your donation is completely tax deductible and empowers high-performing vibrant communities in the United States of America.
ANNUAL SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNTIES
Communities themselves help fund some of the annual budget for Communities of Excellence 2026’s current programming and operations. However, there are expenses that must be covered through philanthropic donations. General fund contributions within our donor recognition levels underwrite our …
PROJECT BUDGET GOAL
Community Assessment and Recognition Program
- Level 3 ($5,000 per community) $50,000
- Level 2 ($2,500 per community) $12,500
- Level 1 ($1,500 per community) $6,000
Annual Conference $45,000
Communications Strategy and Content $24,000
Website $5,000
Communities of Excellence Framework Booklet $2,500
CRITICAL EXPANSION PROJECTS
In addition to Communities of Excellence 2026’s current programming, we have identified several projects that would be a significant benefit to the organization and the leaders we serve in communities across America. With philanthropic support beyond COE 2026’s annual budget, we will be able to add the following:
PROJECT BUDGET GOAL
Promising Practices Guide $50,000
Compiling participant experiences and lessons learned into a downloadable book and online resource page.
Independent Evaluation of Impact $50,000
Secure a research team to conduct an objective evaluation of the National Learning Collaborative’s effectiveness and impact on community development priority outcomes.
Community Mentorship Network $35,000
Expand the number of mentors and opportunities for leaders to connect beyond the National Learning Collaborative.
Dashboard of Community Impact Metrics $25,000
Create a template by compiling and analyzing the measurements and balanced scorecards used by participating communities to determine the most effective and efficient methods for tracking and communicating outcomes.
Communities of Excellence Playbook $20,000
Create a companion tool for the Communities of Excellence Framework booklet that serves as a guidebook for how to implement the Framework in various situations and settings in communities of all sizes.
DONOR LIST
PLATINUM
Lowell Kruse
Richard Norling
GOLD
SILVER
BRONZE
Javier Hernandez-Lichtl
Jennifer Paolillo
Rich Umbdenstock
Quentin Wilson
BLUE
Molly Baldrige
Kent Bishop
Angela Brandt
Russ Branzell
Kay Kendall
Suresh Nirody
Gerald Sprong
GREEN
George Benson
Glenn Bodinson
Diane Brockmeier
Kathryn Eggleston
Al Faber
Frank Fusco
David Gifford
Kentucky Center for Performance Excellence
Dave Klater
Brian Lassiter
Jeff Lucas
Scott McIntrye
Susan Nance
Bianca Nguyen
Jim Rice
Sandra Potthoff
James Schlosser
Tony Scott
Max Summers
Paul Worstell
ORANGE
Steve Bonk
JUPER Communications
