Elevate Boulder: A Guaranteed Income Program Supporting Economic Stability

About The Program

Elevate Boulder is the City of Boulder’s guaranteed income pilot, launched in fall 2023 to provide $500 per month for 24 months to 200 low-income residents impacted by financial instability. The program is designed to help participants meet their basic needs, improve financial stability, and reduce stress.

The City of Boulder partnered with AidKit to administer the program and ensure a seamless, secure experience for both participants and administrators. With low-barrier enrollment and automatic payments, the AidKit platform makes financial support efficient, accessible, and dignified.

“I think that’s like the biggest impact that it’s made. I’m just not as stressed… [Stress] affects your sleep, your relationship with your kids—everything.”
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‍— Elevate Boulder participant

Partnership Wins

1. Seamless Payment Processing

Before partnering with AidKit, the City of Boulder needed a secure and efficient way to distribute funds without placing an undue burden on participants. Many financial assistance programs require complicated documentation, manual processing, or delays in disbursement—barriers that prevent those in need from accessing timely support. AidKit provided a fully automated system, ensuring on-time, accurate payments every month.

With AidKit’s technology, 92% of participants reported that receiving payments was extremely easy—removing common barriers in public assistance programs and ensuring that cash reached those who needed it most without unnecessary complexity.

2. User-Friendly Eligibility Verification

The application process for Elevate Boulder needed to be accessible and streamlined so that eligible participants could enroll without unnecessary barriers. AidKit’s platform supported digital document uploads and automated eligibility checks, easing the burden on both applicants and city staff.

‍To increase flexibility, AidKit offered several ways to verify eligibility. Applicants already enrolled in select city benefit programs could be auto-approved through a secure data exchange, without uploading additional paperwork. For others, residency or income could be verified through third-party attestations submitted by a landlord, employer, or trusted community-based organization (CBO). CBOs, landlords, and employers received customized surveys through AidKit’s platform—ensuring more families could access support with ease.

3. Dignified Program Experience

Public benefits programs often come with stigma or intrusive oversight, making participants feel scrutinized rather than supported. Elevate Boulder aimed to be different—offering direct cash assistance without conditions, surveillance, or judgment. Participants were not required to justify their spending, report their purchases, or prove they were making “good” financial decisions. This approach respects autonomy and reduces stress.

The program’s emphasis on dignity was reflected in participant feedback: 98% felt respected, and 97% said they felt empowered by their participation. Without the pressure of added reporting requirements, participants described feeling relief and having the emotional capacity to focus on other priorities.

“The very first decision I made after finding out that I had been approved… was to let my 10-year-old have his very first birthday party. He’d never had a birthday party, and he’d always wanted one.”

— Elevate Boulder participant

Program Impact

Early evaluation findings showed significant improvements in participants' well-being after eight months of payments:

• Food Security: Fewer participants reported skipping meals due to financial constraints, with rates dropping by 16 percentage points.
• Housing Stability: The percentage of participants struggling to pay rent decreased from 60% to 37%, and late utility payments dropped by 14 percentage points.
• Mental Well-Being: Psychological distress decreased by 20 percentage points, with more participants classified as "likely to be well."

Elevate Boulder demonstrates that guaranteed income can provide immediate financial relief while improving long-term stability. By leveraging AidKit’s secure, participant-centered technology, Boulder has built a scalable and equitable model for delivering financial support with dignity.

With a final evaluation coming in 2025, Elevate Boulder continues to be a leading example of how direct cash programs can create lasting change.

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