“Teamwork makes the Dreamwork.” John Maxwell may have coined the phrase, but the Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) team exemplifies this well-known concept every day.
I am privileged to serve alongside our team of 60+ at DSF and we are honored to be recognized by the Denver Post as one of 2019’s Top Workplaces in Denver. Not only were we named a Top Workplace, but of all of the small companies/organizations recognized (65 in total), we were #4! We are immensely grateful and honored to be named alongside so many other extraordinary companies in Colorado. Congratulations to each of this year’s winners!
Additionally, of all 150 Top Workplaces, we were called to the stage as the winner of the “Best Communication” award given to the group whose team members feel communication is most transparent and inclusive, and feel most informed and included in decision making, among other criteria.
While the awards continue to be topics of conversation and pride for our board, staff, partners, and stakeholders, one of the greatest joys was hearing the announcement seated with our team members during the awards event. To see the smile on everyone’s faces, feel the sense of pride in their hearts, and know of the celebration to follow was the greatest gift. Following the awards ceremony we surprised our whole staff with balloons, commemorative mugs, and breakfast with the news.
We are deeply honored by the recognition, not only because it celebrates the incredible, diverse, inclusive culture of our DSF team, but also because we were nominated by a team member and the results are directly related to DSF staff feedback through a survey provided by the Denver Post selection group. To receive this award, based on staff feedback, makes the recognition even more special.
Our team is made up of a very special group of individuals, each with our own backgrounds, stories, experiences, insights and voices. We are a group of individuals who, together, build a vibrant mosaic that is DSF’s organizational culture. It is our varied inputs, thoughts, perspectives, and heartfelt deep commitment to our work, our students and Scholars, and their success, that is our shared vision. Our culture is steeped in our DSF core values of equity, innovation, integrity, leadership, learning, and relationships. The combination of these values, demonstrated by our team members each day, is the fuel to our culture, knowing we can believe in ourselves and depend on each other. With additional staff-driven benefits like Trusted Time Off, role redundancy, 401K matches and comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits, we are only going to be stronger from here.
Our community—both internal and external—makes our programs possible. And, for that, year over year, DSF makes college possible through our three part model of College Access, Scholarships, and College Success for thousands of Denver Public Schools’ students.
At DSF, teamwork really does make the dream work. We celebrate the culture our team has co-created, and continues to foster and are inspired every day to make each moment more impactful than the last. Congratulations to our DSF team!
