Grappling with a triad of challenges, from surging demand and declining donations (putting crippling pressure on finances) to critical leadership gaps, Lift-Up is appealing for increased support from the communities it is committed to serving in Roaring Fork Valley.
Lift-Up sounded the alarm during an online press conference on Jan. 29, stating they need more help to ensure the local nonprofit can sustain its operations and continue helping the individuals and households who have come to rely on the organization for food.
“What we’re communicating out is we’re raising the alarms that if this trend is going to continue, we are going to need the community to support us in a bigger way than what we have [needed] historically,” said John Dougherty, head of Human Service Innovations — a consulting agency that was engaged by Lift-Up to oversee its organizational and management transitions.
A “reduction in programming services” has already been approved by the Lift-Up board of directors, alongside implementing strategies to decrease expenses and costs, geared toward maintaining long-term sustainability.
The organization, which has provided food and other assistance to residents since 1982, assured that its food distributing services will continue in all its communities from Parachute to Aspen, even if changes are implemented in operations.
“That will continue to happen, and it may look different over time as we identify efficiencies and opportunities to improve that distribution,” Dougherty added, “but we will continue to collect, warehouse, transport and distribute food.”
Dougherty described Lift-Up’s current situation as “a tsunami,” with a spiking increase in demand not seen in the past four decades. There has been a fivefold increase in demand for services in the Roaring Fork Valley in the past three years, from around 38,304 individuals and households served in 2021 up to 188,060 last year.
Dougherty noted that the upward trajectory in demand began during the COVID pandemic era, and it has not reversed but climbed steeper in recent years.
The organization said the trend is unlikely to change as households face increased expenses related to inflation plus the overall rise in the basic costs of living in the Valley, especially for housing and healthcare.
“The simple answer is, we don’t have any reason to believe it’s not going to continue. We have been on a solid trajectory upward for three years in a row, and the costs are not getting better,” Dougherty said. “It’s getting harder and harder. People’s budgets are getting tighter and tighter.”
“There is no shortage of need,” affirmed Jess Hedden, serving as interim director of programs.
While demand has skyrocketed, donations are down by a quarter in the past two years from a high of $873,000 in 2022, down to $814,000 in 2023 and substantially declining to $634,000 in 2024. This reflects a global downward trend in philanthropic giving.
Lift-Up said it was looking to implement a decrease in programs that were implemented during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic but are less urgent now as it focuses on key services. The organization may also need to grapple with the trickle down effects of President Donald Trump’s culling of Federal financing for social programs, even if it does not directly receive federal support. Dougherty said that Food Bank of the Rockies, which does receive federal funding, is a major supplier of food for Lift-Up.
Lift-Up will continue to rely on partnerships with other organizations, especially a grocery rescue program that supplies 90% of what is redistributed to communities, as well as relationships with local farmers for its farm-to-food program.
One primary operational issue is gaps in leadership positions as three top employees left the organization for “unrelated reasons” in the past year, including former executive director Ivan Jackson who stepped down before the end of 2024. Lift-Up has not provided a timeline on filling the positions.
Dougherty informed that the organization asked for at least six months to identify what key roles would need to be replaced or how these positions may be restructured to ensure efficiency.
“I don’t anticipate this structure changing significantly, but we will be looking at efficiencies before we make those recommendations and they begin recruiting,” he said.
The board has committed to three key initiatives moving forward in light of the challenges. It has already tapped Dougherty’s agency to support throughout the leadership transition period. Working alongside Dougherty and Hedden, Elyse Hottel stepped in as interim director of operations. Lift-Up’s programs and services will be evaluated “from top to bottom” to identify opportunities to improve efficiency. Lastly, the board said it is committing to remain transparent and upfront with its community of volunteers and patrons during the transition. Human Service Innovations is now working with Lift-Up to craft a short- and long-term financial plan.
“We’re working closely with the board to understand what that means and how we can improve efficiencies and effectiveness and navigate this transition and put strong leadership in place so that we can continue to meet the needs of the community,” Dougherty concluded.
To stay engaged with Lift-Up and donate, visit www.liftup.org