The Colorado African Organization (CAO) is an all-African 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission to foster unity, advocate for Africans in Colorado and provide services. As the umbrella organizationfor Africans and African communities in Colorado, CAO serves as the voice for African issues and needs at local, statewide and national conversations and events. CAO seeks to serve all African communities, regardless of ethnicity and/or religion, knowing that "sticks in a bundle are unbreakable."
Because Denver has become a fairly substantial resettlement site for African refugees and immigrants, there is a strong need for unity and services for Africans in the local area. Africans still only make up less than 1 percent of Colorado's population, or roughly 25,000 people, which also means their voices are underrepresented in the local government and mainstream societal levels.
CAO was formed in 2003 by a group of African professionals to help combat these issues by becoming the first organization to provide continued, long-term services to refugees and immigrants from all of Africa. Prior to CAO, Africans tended to confine themselves within their own cultural and ethnic groups, which ended up having a fragmenting effect on the population. This reality made it very difficult to obtain funding or have a unified voice on public policy issues.
Now, CAO serves as the parent group to all these ethnic and country-speficif groups, consolidating efforts and services under one umbrella organization. CAO offers resources to all African community groups, as well as any unaffiliated families or individuals, providing knowledge and support to help them in their adjustment to life in the United States. Because there are no African radio stations or publications, CAO reaches its constituents through local African immigrant networks via word of mouth, mimicking a mode of communication primarily used in Africa.
Beyond advocacy and events to ensure unity across the different African ethnic and country-specific groups in Colorado, CAO has two primary services: one is a case management program that exists to support African refugees in their resettlement efforts and the other provides preventive health education and information sessions, primarily in the Denver area. CAO also offers free English as a Second Language (ESL) and Computer Literacy classes to Africans at CAO offices. As a nonprofit organization, CAO seeks funding to operate from federal and state governments, various foundations, CAO fundraising activities and individual donations.
