The Elevate Boulder pilot will provide 200 low-income Boulder households with $500 per month in direct cash assistance for two years, no strings attached.

The City of Boulder has received a $70,000 grant from the Millennium Trust of Community Foundation Boulder County (CFBC) to support Elevate Boulder, the city’s guaranteed income pilot project which will provide direct cash assistance to support financial stability.

Elevate Boulder will provide 200 low-income Boulder households with $500 per month in direct cash assistance for two years, no strings attached. Through this project, the city and community partners hope to help community members become more financially self-sufficient, and foster equity. Applications will open in fall 2023.

“Most financial assistance programs come with lots of restrictions or conditions,” said Elizabeth Crowe, deputy director of the city’s Housing and Human Services department. “Guaranteed income pilot projects like Elevate Boulder can transform the way local governments support low-income community members, by trusting people to know what’s best for themselves and their families.”

Boulder City Council approved $3 million to design and implement a guaranteed income pilot as part of the city’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.

“We applaud the city’s use of federal dollars to help ease the burden for low-income community members,” said Tatiana Hernandez, CEO of Community Foundation Boulder County. “The city is inviting the public to join in supporting the project, and we are honored to support them with their fundraising efforts.”

Community members can contribute to the project through the Elevate Boulder Fund, hosted by CFBC. Contributions to this fund will be used to ensure an inclusive and dignified application process, robust project evaluation and, if funds allow increased support for project participants.

Interested donors can contribute to the Elevate Boulder Fund on CFBC’s website. If you have questions about how to donate to this fund, please contact the CBFC Philanthropy Team at philanthropicservices@commfound.org.

Learn more about Elevate Boulder and sign up for project updates on the city’s website.

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