Colorado Center for Nursing Excellence
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
BUILDING ON A FOUNDATION OF EVIDENCE, THE CENTER ADVOCATES FOR AND PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, COACHING AND DATA ANALYSIS TO CONTINUALLY STRENGTHEN THE NURSING AND HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE. OUR DEFINING STRATEGY IS TO CONVENE AND ENGAGE THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE RIGHT TIME TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT SOLUTIONS TO EMERGING HEALTHCARE CHALLENGES.
- Income
- $3.4 million
- Spending
- $3.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 77%
- Reserves
- 4.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 46%
- Employees
- 18
- Volunteers
- 10
- Highest pay
- $192,798, ceo and pres
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 65 out of 100. Higher than 37% of charities in its peer group (employment, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.9 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 54% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 3% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 3% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1576% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (employment, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2510 of 10 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $355,431 spent. NURSE REFRESHER THE COLORADO CENTER FOR NURSING EXCELLENCE OFFERS NURSE REFRESHER COURSES FOR RNS AND LPNS WHO ARE EITHER LOOKING TO UPDATE THEIR CLINICAL SKILLS OR HAVE LET THEIR LICENSE LAPSE AND WANT TO APPLY FOR RELICENSURE IN THEIR STATE. ALL STUDENTS ENTERING THE PROGRAM ARE PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITY OF A VIRTUAL LEARNING PROGRAM (NOVEX) WHICH MEASURES AND REINFORCES CLINICAL JUDGEMENT AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS. THE PROGRAM IS SET UP IN A LEARNING IN PLACE FORMAT UNTIL STUDENTS ARE READY TO MOVE TO AN IN-PERSON CLINICAL EDUCATION EXPERIENCE IN PREPARATION FOR THEIR RETURN TO WORK. THE PROGRAM IS APPROVED BY STATE BOARDS OF NURSING IN 17 STATES AND OFFERS VERSIONS THAT ARE SHORTER IN LENGTH(LIGHT) FOR THOSE NEEDING LESS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND HAVE BEEN OUT OF THE WORKFORCE FOR 2 YEARS OR LESS. THE LONGER VERSIONS ARE FOR RNS AND LPNS WHO ARE LOOKING TO RELICENSE OR HAVE BEEN OUT OF THE WORKFORCE FOR MORE THAN 2 YEARS. THE FULL RN RELICENSURE PROGRAM TAKES 9 MONTHS TO COMPLETE AND REQUIRES BOTH VIRTUAL AND IN PERSON CLINICAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. CLINICAL SCHOLARS THE CLINICAL SCHOLAR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM SERVES NURSES WORKING IN A CLINICAL SETTING WHO WILL BE SUPPORTING STUDENTS COMING INTO THEIR FACILITIES FROM A VARIETY OF SCHOOLS OF NURSING. IT IS A CLINICAL EDUCATION PLATFORM THAT ALLOWS FACILITIES TO WORK CLOSELY WITH SCHOOLS OF NURSING TO PROVIDE NEEDED CLINICAL OVERSIGHT TO SUPPORT THE CLINICAL EDUCATION OF THE NEXT GENERATION OF REGISTERED NURSES, NEGATING THE NEED FOR ADDED CLINICAL FACULTY FROM THE SCHOOLS TO BE PRESENT. UPON COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM THE CLINICAL SCHOLAR WORKS DIRECTLY WITH THE STUDENTS IN THEIR FACILITY AND THE CLINICAL FACULTY FROM THE SCHOOLS TO REPORT ON STUDENT SUCCESS OR THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR A STUDENT. THE EDUCATION IS A 40-HOUR IN-DEPTH SYNCHRONOUS PROGRAM THAT IS OFFERED THREE TIMES A YEAR IN A VIRTUAL FORMAT. THE CLINICAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM HAS BEEN SERVING COLORADO AND SURROUNDING STATES SINCE 2005. NURSE REFRESHER THE COLORADO CENTER FOR NURSING EXCELLENCE OFFERS NURSE REFRESHER COURSES FOR RNS AND LPNS WHO ARE EITHER LOOKING TO UPDATE THEIR CLINICAL SKILLS OR HAVE LET THEIR LICENSE LAPSE AND WANT TO APPLY FOR RELICENSURE IN THEIR STATE. ALL STUDENTS ENTERING THE PROGRAM ARE PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITY OF A VIRTUAL LEARNING PROGRAM (NOVEX) WHICH MEASURES AND REINFORCES CLINICAL JUDGEMENT AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS. THE PROGRAM IS SET UP IN A LEARNING IN PLACE FORMAT UNTIL STUDENTS ARE READY TO MOVE TO AN IN-PERSON CLINICAL EDUCATION EXPERIENCE IN PREPARATION FOR THEIR RETURN TO WORK. THE PROGRAM IS APPROVED BY STATE BOARDS OF NURSING IN 17 STATES AND OFFERS VERSIONS THAT ARE SHORTER IN LENGTH(LIGHT) FOR THOSE NEEDING LESS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND HAVE BEEN OUT OF THE WORKFORCE FOR 2 YEARS OR LESS. THE LONGER VERSIONS ARE FOR RNS AND LPNS WHO ARE LOOKING TO RELICENSE OR HAVE BEEN OUT OF THE WORKFORCE FOR MORE THAN 2 YEARS. THE FULL RN RELICENSURE PROGRAM TAKES 9 MONTHS TO COMPLETE AND REQUIRES BOTH VIRTUAL AND IN PERSON CLINICAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. CLINICAL SCHOLARS THE CLINICAL SCHOLAR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM SERVES NURSES WORKING IN A CLINICAL SETTING WHO WILL BE SUPPORTING STUDENTS COMING INTO THEIR FACILITIES FROM A VARIETY OF SCHOOLS OF NURSING. IT IS A CLINICAL EDUCATION PLATFORM THAT ALLOWS FACILITIES TO WORK CLOSELY WITH SCHOOLS OF NURSING TO PROVIDE NEEDED CLINICAL OVERSIGHT TO SUPPORT THE CLINICAL EDUCATION OF THE NEXT GENERATION OF REGISTERED NURSES, NEGATING THE NEED FOR ADDED CLINICAL FACULTY FROM THE SCHOOLS TO BE PRESENT. UPON COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM THE CLINICAL SCHOLAR WORKS DIRECTLY WITH THE STUDENTS IN THEIR FACILITY AND THE CLINICAL FACULTY FROM THE SCHOOLS TO REPORT ON STUDENT SUCCESS OR THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR A STUDENT. THE EDUCATION IS A 40-HOUR IN-DEPTH SYNCHRONOUS PROGRAM THAT IS OFFERED THREE TIMES A YEAR IN A VIRTUAL FORMAT. THE CLINICAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM HAS BEEN SERVING COLORADO AND SURROUNDING STATES SINCE 2005.
- $2.2 million spent. ALL OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ALL OTHER PROGRAMS.
- ALL OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ALL OTHER PROGRAMS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since August 2002.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.