Steve Elder

Steve joined For Impact as a partner in 2012, opening our Colorado office. Before that, he worked with For Impact as a client beginning in 2004. “As a client, we got transformational results working with For Impact and built a high-performing funding team. As a coach, I love helping organizations and teams get those kinds of results,” Steve says.

Steve brings 35 years of ‘for impact’ organizational leadership, including 25 years dedicated to higher education. Prior to his role at For Impact, Steve was Vice President for Advancement at Colorado College. During his tenure, he and his team successfully transformed the development effort using the For Impact model and frameworks. This initiative resulted in Colorado College securing more than $300 million in commitments, with $200 million raised while Steve served as Vice President. Before CC, he led development teams at the University of Redlands and the University of Southern California. 

As a For Impact coach, Steve has worked with a wide array of organizations, including The Hunger Project, Engineers Without Borders, and MindLeaps. 

Steve has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Utah and a master’s degree in communications management from the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Southern California. 

Steve lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, Jane, a teacher. He has two daughters, Emily, also a For Impact coach, and Kit, a graduate student.  Steve has a passion for the outdoors and serves on the board of directors of Eagle Summit Wilderness Alliance.