“Modest stipends, incentives, and wage subsidies can alleviate some of the financial stress low income people face, improving their ability to focus on school,” said Perla Bustillos, COO and Program Director for Colorado Equitable Economic Mobility Initiative, the Cash for Coloradans project manager. With first-hand experience growing up in an immigrant family, Bustillos stressed how just a little bit of extra cash can make a world of difference.
The Colorado Lab will conduct a rigorous evaluation of each nonprofit’s approach to measure how cash supports—in addition to a proven career readiness program (e.g., Per Scholas)—influence employment and earnings outcomes, and whether