The city and county have partnered with AidKit, a Colorado-based technology firm specializing in managing aid distribution, on two programs designed to offer immediate relief and create financial stability for people grappling with rising costs of living and the lingering impacts of COVID-19.
ELEVATE BOULDER
The city’s Elevate Boulder guaranteed income program was introduced last year to help residents struggling with the area’s high cost of living. It was designed to help participants cover essential expenses and create financial flexibility to invest in education, employment or savings.
Since its launch, the city has provided $500 a month to 200 low-income residents for a 24-month period. It targets residents earning between 30 percent and 60 percent of the area median income — a group often ineligible for traditional public assistance.
Elizabeth Crowe, deputy director of the Boulder Housing and Human Services Department, highlighted the financial struggles community members faced that sparked the program’s creation.
“We have around one in four community members who don’t have enough income or funding to be able to make ends meet,” Crowe told Government Technology. “The cost of living here is quite high. And while we have a number of nonprofit and city-supported programs that are helping low-income community members meet their basic needs, it’s just not enough.”
The city turned to AidKit to bring the program to life. Founded in 2021, AidKit helps state and local governments automate funding workflows, accelerate disbursements, protect against fraud and simplify case management.
AidKit’s platform simplified the Elevate Boulder application and verification process through various built-in digital tools, including a feature that let participants upload identification documents via cellphone.
The platform’s extensive fraud prevention capabilities and user-friendly features, Crowe said, were key factors in Elevate Boulder’s security and accessibility.
“Part of the technology platform that really worked well is the kind of [short message service] SMS feature. People were not just able to use their cellphones, but also take a picture of their document for identification purposes, to go through the steps to prove who they are,” Crowe said. “Their fraud protections were really important. There are people who, when given an opportunity, will try to squeeze into a program that they're not actually eligible for, so it was really important to have a very efficient process and staff that could help us spot the difference.”
The program’s first payments began in January 2024. Its early evaluation, conducted between August and October 2024 measured participant satisfaction and financial outcomes through surveys and focus groups. Survey results indicated a high level of satisfaction with the program’s administration, with 98.5 percent of respondents stating they were treated with respect and dignity by program staff, according to Crowe.
The pilot phase is scheduled to continue providing payments through January 2026. The city is exploring options to extend the program beyond the pilot period, Crowe said, with ongoing discussions with community partners and private funding sources regarding future financing.
SURVIVE AND THRIVE GRANT PROGRAM
Boulder County’s Survive and Thrive Grant Program focuses on providing financial support to child-care providers and nonprofits that have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program was conceptualized in October, when Boulder County partnered with AidKit to help facilitate the grant initiative. It specifically targets child-care providers and nonprofits — organizations that Emily Darrell, program manager in the Partnerships, Contracts, and Services Division of county Human Services, described as vital and integral to its social safety net.
Applications for the grant program close March 28 and the county plans to eventually distribute $7.8 million in one-time funding to local nonprofits and child-care providers recovering from COVID-19. The funding was made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act, with AidKit supporting development, execution and management of applications, and fund distribution.
AidKit was chosen based on its prior success on a similar county program,Nurturing Futures, which helps provide money to qualifying households for essentials like food, housing, doctor visits or child care.
The AidKit platform boosts accessibility, Darrell said — a priority for Boulder County.
“AidKit has really driven the process for us,” she said. “They had the capability of offering accessibility in their application, which was a priority for us because we knew we were prioritizing those that may not have experience applying for this type of funding opportunity.”
AidKit, she said, offered multilingual support and facilitated public meetings to help people understand the application and eligibility process for Elevate Boulder and the Survive and Thrive Grant Program.
Officials will continue to measure the programs’ effectiveness through participant surveys, focus groups and data analysis done with the OMNI Institute. As both programs progress, evaluations will assess long-term impacts and determine whether they will be sustained or expanded.
