About Colorado Preservation, Inc.

CPI Staff (L to R): Amanda Barker, Kate McCoy, Kim Grant, Jennifer Orrigo Charles

Our Mission, Our Vision, and Our Work:  

 

CPI was founded in 1984 as a 501(c)3 donor-supported nonprofit organization guided by a 15 member Board of Directors and managed by a full-time staff of four.  We are best known for five key programs:

We do our work by collaborating with leaders in local and county government and nonprofit organizations and by engaging historic property owners and interested citizens.  We have a diverse portfolio of successes including hands-on development and extensive surveys which serve as models for preservation statewide.

We are proud to help Coloradans save the historic places that matter to them and hope you will join us.

Our History:

Founded in 1984 as Preservation Action Colorado, 43 citizens interested in preserving our state’s built heritage started this organization to encourage preservation efforts statewide. A year later with a new name, Colorado Preservation, Inc., and a 501(c)3 non-profit status, grassroots volunteers worked to define our role as an effective preservation organization with education programs, public policy advocacy, and a newsletter. In the ensuing years, the list of accomplishments has grown, thanks to the continuing dedication of our many partners around the state, committed executive directors, talented staff, and an all-volunteer working board.

The first conference was held in 1985, the first Awards Dinner presented in 1988 with the addition of the Dana Crawford Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation in 1990, and the initial Colorado Preservation Directory published in 1996.  In 1986, our public policy committee began efforts that culminated, in 1990, with the passage of the State Income Tax Credit for Historic Rehabilitation.  Colorado Preservation, Inc. was instrumental in strengthening this legislation with its reauthorization in 1999.  With funding from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and matching fundraising efforts, Colorado Preservation, Inc. hired its first executive director in 1996.  In 1997, Colorado Preservation, Inc. began the signature Endangered Places Program, which has received both national attention and the Stephen H. Hart Award from the Colorado Historical Society (History Colorado.) Since then, Colorado Preservation, Inc. has helped dozens of communities with their preservation efforts in every region of the state.

We have worked with myriad properties, people and projects through our programs including buildings, bridges, wickiups and teepees, heritage orchards, rolling stock, industrial archaeological sites and ditches. These sites and structures connect us to the spirit of those who have shaped our distinctive Colorado character. Their value is especially evidenced in the passionate and persistent work displayed by local communities leaders and organizations.

Today, with a small staff of dedicated professionals, our growth in programs and membership is accelerating. With the continued dedication of our Board of Directors, staff, volunteers and partner organizations, Colorado Preservation, Inc. will further promote and advance historic preservation throughout the state of Colorado for years to come.

Annual Reports

2020, 2019, 2018, 201720162015201420132012

Tax Information

2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015201420132012

Donate to CPI

We hope you will extend your appreciation for Colorado's heritage by helping us take advantage of this $1 to $1 matching campaign. Learn more about our matching campaign and make your tax-deductible donation today!

Featured Project

Preservation for a Changing Colorado

Historic preservation has a direct economic benefit to communities and Colorado! Take a look at the 2017 study, which considered the ways adaption of historic places has a direct financial effect on the state.

This updated, most resent study, was the result of a partnership between Colorado Preservation, Inc and History Colorado, funded by a grant from History Colorado's State Historical Fund. Prepared by Clarion Associates, the new report document the economic benefits of rehabilitation projects, analyzes property values and neighborhood stability in local historic districts, and summarizes the increasing impact of heritage tourism, private preservation development and the success of Colorado’s Main Street program.

In a key finding, researchers determined that for every $1 million spent on historic preservation in Colorado it produced $1.03 million in additional spending, 14 new jobs, and $636,700 in increased household incomes across the state!

The 2017 report also considers the important role preservation plays in helping Coloradans provide new spaces for creative communities and co-working, create and sustain meaningful places, responds to the state’s changing demographics, and addresses climate concerns.

Click Here to see download and read the full report, "Preservation for a Changing Colorado".