NWCCOG provides services to its members that are more cost-effective and efficient when executed on a regional basis, rather than being duplicated by each member jurisdiction.

For example, the NWCCOG Elevator Inspection Program ensures that member jurisdictions remain in compliance with building codes by employing certified elevator inspectors to work across jurisdictional boundaries, eliminating the need for individual jurisdictions to employ, train, and certify their own inspectors.

NWCCOG provides the “critical mass” necessary to take advantage of various federal programs.

Many federal programs have minimum population requirements necessary to enact the program. Through its combined membership, NWCCOG meets mandated population thresholds. This allows individual members to receive benefits they would otherwise be unable to receive. NWCCOG is the designated agency for several federal programs on behalf of its members. NWCCOG is responsible for programs under the Older Americans Act (Alpine Area Agency on Aging), the Clean Water Act (Regional 208 Water Quality Management Plan), and the Energy Conservation and Production Act (weatherization of homes of low-income families).

NWCCOG provides strength to individual member jurisdictions by speaking with a unified voice on regional issues.

For example, NWCCOG successfully developed a unified response to the Colorado Department of Transportation regarding transportation in the I-70 corridor. In addition, NWCCOG’s Water Quality and Quantity Committee (QQ) provides a unified voice to the state legislature regarding critical water issues.

NWCCOG provides a regional perspective to local, state, and federal policy makers.

NWCCOG gathers, analyzes, maintains, and distributes economic, demographic, and environmental data on a regional basis. Cost of living, housing, water quality, and transportation are but a few of the areas of data concerning regional issues.

Seventy percent of land in the NWCCOG region is in federal ownership. NWCCOG successfully promoted the concept of cross-boundary cooperation, between federal, state, county, and municipal agencies, on issues such as river restoration, wildfire mitigation and forest health.

NWCCOG promotes the concept of regional multi-jurisdictional cooperation for improved efficiencies and effectiveness between multiple governmental jurisdictions.

NWCCOG provides a regional forum for the purpose of facilitating communications between multiple governmental jurisdictions regarding issues and opportunities.

NWCCOG and its affiliated organizations are the only organizations within the region that provide a recurring forum for elected officials from both county and municipal governments, covering a 7,000-square-mile area. In addition, NWCCOG cooperates with other state and national regional organizations to expand the size of the forum.

NWCCOG provides custom designed services for individual member jurisdictions, effectively expanding the staff capabilities of those jurisdictions regarding specific needs.

NWCCOG makes its staff available to respond to specific requests for assistance from individual jurisdictions. NWCCOG also coordinates the acquisition of resources to assist individual members.

NWCCOG leverages members’ dues dollars into larger amounts of financial resources.

NWCCOG membership dues in 2007 comprised only 5.5% of the budget. NWCCOG utilizes its member dues as matching resources to acquire public and private grants. In addition, NWCCOG staff provides in-kind matching resources to add to the financial resources. Leverage ratios for financial resources range from $1 to $164 for each dollar of member dues.