A diverse group of smiling students gathered in a school hallway with their teacher, standing as a bridge to opportunity.

A Bridge to Opportunity

A first-generation American, who lived as a child in Denver’s Westwood public housing projects, Randy Ho could have taken two very different roads.

colorado's middle class squeeze

Insurance & Middle Class Health Squeeze

The squeeze demands real policy solutions.

Graphic logo featuring a lightbulb and text "ideas that work - the bell policy center - the best examples bettering Colorado", with stylized icons representing thought and innovation.

Examples of Ideas That Work

Ideas that Work allows us to tell the stories of Coloradans who come together to tackle problems that can’t be solved by individuals alone.

retirement in colorado

Report: Solutions to Retirement Crisis

America faces a retirement crisis, as a substantial number of working families are not saving enough to meet their needs in retirement.

Two-Generation

Bound to Succeed: Two-Generation Approaches to Education in Colorado

Our research report discusses an important emerging strategy that helps low- to moderate-income families move out of poverty, known as a two-generation approach. 

I voted" stickers on a metal surface, symbolizing participation in the election guided by the 2016 Ballot Guide.

2016 Ballot Guide

Each election cycle, we examine the statewide ballot measures and make recommendations based on the values that drive our work. Here is our take on 2016 ballot measures.

Colorado's Minimum Wage

Raising the Minimum Wage Won’t Hurt Colorado Jobs

A recent study claimed raising Colorado's minimum wage to $12 by 2020 would result in 90,000 jobs lost; this has been debunked.

local control of minimum wage in colorado

Minimum Wage Facts

Working full time at minimum wage is not enough to support the basic cost of living in most communities in Colorado.

A collection of various credit cards scattered and overlapped on a surface, illustrating the complexity of consumer credit transactions.

Testimony: Finance Charges on Certain Consumer Credit Transactions

Raising the costs on supervised loans and credit sales forces hard-working Colorado families, many whose credit histories are damaged by the Great Recession, to pay more for no justifiable reason.

Graduates in caps and gowns celebrating the conclusion of the ASPIRE Colorado pilot program during a commencement ceremony.

Testimony: Support HB16-1196 for ASPIRE Colorado Pilot Program

Based on research, the college savings accounts that will be established through the pilot program authorized in HB16-1196 will help expand the number of Coloradans from low-to moderate-income families who enroll in and complete college.