Colorado Awarded First Pay for Success Grant for Early Intervention Services for at-risk Youth

Statement

The Office of State Planning and Budgeting (OSPB) learned today that the State of Colorado has been selected as a Social Innovation Fund - Pay for Success (PFS) subgrantee by the University of Utah Sorenson Impact Center. This is the first PFS grant for the state.

Pay for Success is an innovative funding model that drives government resources toward social programs that deliver positive outcomes for the people who need them most. As a subgrantee, the state will receive an award valued at $285,000 in cash and technical assistance from the Sorenson Impact Center.

"Since taking office, we've prioritized the efficient and effective use of taxpayer dollars to meet important social goals in Colorado," said Gov. John Hickenlooper. "This effort has included engaging the private sector, piloting new ideas, and making sound data-based decisions. Pay For Success projects can be an important part of our portfolio of options for innovation and good government."

In their winning application, OSBP proposed the development of a feasibility study to explore the possibility of using Pay for Success transactions to fund early intervention services for at-risk crossover youth -- defined as those youth who use services from multiple state systems, with the goal of assisting these youth in avoiding long-term involvement with public systems, particularly the juvenile justice system.

"The Sorenson Impact Center is excited to provide funding and tailored technical assistance to highly motivated governments and nonprofits in order to develop innovative, evidence-based interventions that measurably improve the lives of individuals and families in their communities," said Managing Director, Jeremy Keele.

The Sorenson Impact Center (Center), through a three-year, $3.5 million grant from the SIF, works with government leaders and nonprofit providers to advance the PFS model. The Center also received generous grants from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation and the Sorenson Impact Foundation. Pay for Success is an opportunity to deliver larger scale and better services to vulnerable populations without further straining government budgets or putting taxpayer money at risk.

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