RMFI is Shovel Ready
The term shovel-ready is often used to describe projects that are ready to implement immediately, that are well thought out and appropriately resourced, and that inspire confidence in the end-result. But how does a project get to be shovel-ready?
RMFI knows that good people and their excellent work are what prepares a project for success – a shovel-ready project is made so by shovel-ready people. Good people are the backbone of RMFI. To ensure the quality of our work, our team commits to a set of principles to guide our work, as well as a set of strategic priorities to map it out. We invite you to learn more about both and join us in this effort!
Our Principles and Values
MISSION
The Work We Do
Rocky Mountain Field Institute conserves and protects public lands in Southern Colorado through volunteer-based trail and restoration projects, environmental education, and restoration research.
VISION
Why We Do This
We are committed to the landscapes we call home and to building a community to steward these places. By prioritizing the involvement of community volunteers and youth, RMFI envisions a world where our work fosters vibrant and healthy natural systems, as well as safe and sustainable opportunities for recreation and retreat, that are respected and cared for by the public.
How We Operate
Our Values
The way we do our work matters deeply. When we work, our people hold certain values in mind that ensure our every day actions are in line with our long-term goals.
Stewardship
We Act With Responsibility and Care
We are given great responsibility in our work: for the landscapes we are called to protect; for the resources entrusted to us to complete this work; and for the people who will enjoy these places for generations to come. We act with this responsibility in mind.
Community
We Do Not Work Alone
We know that collaboration yields richer results than any one of us can achieve alone. Every day, we foster relationships to build a community that we can work alongside in pursuit of healthy public lands.
Integrity
Our Actions Inspire Trust
The support of many empowers RMFI’s work; our community deserves people they can trust doing work they can believe in. When we act, we do so with honesty, fairness, and consistency, ensuring transparency and accountability to our partners, supporters, and volunteers.
Inclusivity
We Welcome All
Public lands, and the responsibility to care for these lands, belong to all of us. We work in such a way that empowers everyone to take part.
Excellence
Because Sometimes, Good Enough Isn’t Good Enough
We strive for excellence in our work, holding ourselves to the highest standards in the services we provide.
Sound like something you can get behind?
Consider joining our cause, as a member, donor, or volunteer!
Our Plans
Our Strategy Until 2028
So what specifically will RMFI do to pursue our mission and vision while embodying our values? After surveying our community, RMFI engaged the services of Communicon, Inc., a strategic consultant. Together with Communicon, our staff and board identified the following strategic priorities to pursue from 2025 through 2027.
Maintain Excellence in Programming
We need to hang our hat on good programs and services.
Over the next three years, we will take tangible steps to ensure that we continue to deliver high-quality, scientifically informed stewardship programs.
Our work should ensure lasting ecological impact. Some examples of how we will do this over the next three years include:
- Continue to ensure that staff maintain the highest level of training and certification in conservation practices
- Ensure program participants receive a valuable experience and walk away knowing the substantial benefits of the work they provide
- Hone our evaluation protocol to measure project effectiveness and partner satisfaction
Diversify Funding Resources
Public lands and the responsibility to protect them belong to all of us.
The Pikes Peak Region benefits immensely from the presence of public lands. From our economy to our physical and mental health, public lands from Pikes Peak to Palmer Park provide innumerable benefits to citizens and visitors of this region. All of us can and should take part in the stewardship of these places, and RMFI aims to provide the means to do so.
Examples of this work will include:
- Launching corporate sponsorship and individual membership programs to engage businesses and citizens further in the support of their public lands
- Help people establish a legacy of stewardship through planned gifts and tax-smart giving
- Explore new ways that our staff can engage in land stewardship to bring more landowners and citizens to that cause.
Continue to Build a Powerful Network of Volunteers
Volunteers leverage for change—if we give them a place to stand, they will move the world.
Volunteerism is central to RMFI’s mission, we don't just build trails; we are a vehicle to connect people to place through stewardship. To do so, we aim to engage a broad coalition of volunteers in the care of public lands.
We will continue to do so through 2027, strengthening volunteer recruitment, engagement, and retention by engaging in the following:
- Ensure that when a volunteer signs onto a project, they understand the valuable role they play in the work we are doing together
- Engage new volunteers by partnering with new organizations, such as academic institutions and community organizations
- Recognize the valuable impact our volunteers have by highlighting their contributions in our communications
Ours is a story worth telling
Communicate Strategically
Ours is a story worth telling.
RMFI and our partners have cared for public lands in Colorado for over 40 years. That means we have a story to tell, and we want to do so in an engaging and strategic way that expands our stewardship capacity and supports the ecosystem of public land stewardship that we are grateful to be a part of.
To do so between now and 2028, we are expecting to do the following:
- Tell the story of our work consistently across multiple channels
- Support our partners’ missions and work, and attend their events
- Engage our partners and supporters through direct communication, building strong relationships across our audience
Invest in Good Governance
Hard work requires excellent leadership.
As a community organization, we feel our leadership should reflect the whole community and be comprehensively equipped to carry out our mission.
To ensure this across our organization, we will engage in the following:
- Expand board representation to include a variety of stakeholders
- Provide ongoing education and leadership development for board members
- Implement clear policies, succession plans, and performance evaluations to continue to hone our leadership capabilities
Ready to get started? We sure are.
By focusing on these strategic priorities, RMFI will strengthen its role as a leader in land stewardship, ensuring that Colorado’s public lands remain protected for future generations. Through community engagement, sustainable funding, and program excellence, RMFI will continue to inspire stewardship and across the region.
If you are ready to get involved, we are excited to work with you! There are so many ways to get involved with RMFI. You can join as a member, corporate sponsor, volunteer, and so much more!
Want to learn more? Contact us at sam@rmfi.org