Friends of the Front Range Wildlife Refuges

"Lucrative and Mindful Recommendations"

Friends of the Front Range Wildlife Refuges (Friends) is dedicated to the conservation and restoration of Rocky Mountain Arsenal and Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuges in the Denver metro area. Founded in 2007, Friends provides opportunities for the public to experience wildlife near a major metropolitan area through volunteering, events, and environmental education.

Vanessa Thurk, Executive Director of Friends, recalls how she first heard about YPTC at a local networking event, “Ultimately, YPTC’s expertise, flexibility, and responsiveness motivated us to choose YPTC. The staff have all been personable and helpful.” At the time, Friends lacked in-house accounting experience, which made YPTC’s support invaluable. Vanessa explains, “Thanks to YPTC, we’ve been able to manage more funding than ever before without having in-house accounting experience. YPTC staff have provided lucrative and mindful recommendations for our organization’s grants and fundraising.”

One of the aspects Vanessa appreciates most about YPTC is their problem-solving approach, “I appreciate how YPTC accountants work to understand and solve issues. Their responsiveness and problem-solving make me feel comfortable reaching out with difficult questions” she says. Nicole Clonts, YPTC Associate, has been particularly helpful during times of federal uncertainty. “We’ve had to make changes to our budget and grant reporting, and Nicole has helped me each step of the way,” Vanessa shares. She also mentions Jennifer Dombek, their previous YPTC Associate, who has continued to maintain a relationship with Friends through attending their annual event and even helping them prepare for an upcoming merger.

Vanessa recommends YPTC to other nonprofit organizations, stating, “You get all the benefits of accounting recommendations and expertise without having to hire an in-house accountant.”