Governor Polis and Arnold Ventures Announce $20 Million Partnership to Boost Economic Opportunity, Strengthen Colorado's Workforce & Expand Education

The multi-year partnership will support data-driven investments to advance economic mobility for Coloradans

DENVER, March 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Governor Jared Polis and philanthropy Arnold Ventures announced The Colorado Partnership for Proven Initiatives, a new multi-year $20 million philanthropic partnership to improve economic opportunities for Coloradans, starting with expanding students' access to the support needed to thrive in the classroom and workforce, helping more Coloradans build brighter futures.

"In Colorado, we are expanding opportunities for Coloradans by investing in what works. This exciting new partnership with Arnold Ventures builds on our nation-leading progress to significantly expand access to high-quality education, strengthen our workforce, and create more pathways to economic success for all Coloradans," said Gov. Polis.

Over the next four years, Arnold Ventures will match investments made by the State of Colorado dollar-for-dollar, providing up to $10 million in support for evidence-based, proven initiatives to advance the economic mobility of Coloradans.

"In today's climate of constrained resources, our commitment to research-backed programs isn't just smart—it's essential," said Laura Arnold, founder and co-chair of Arnold Ventures. "By matching state investments with philanthropic capital, we're ensuring every dollar maximizes its impact for students, families, and the future of our communities."

"We are thrilled that Colorado Mountain College and Lamar Community College will participate in this pilot," said Dr. Angie Paccione, Executive Director for the Colorado Department of Higher Education. "These institutions are committed to enhancing student success and economic mobility, which are at the core of this project. By focusing on in-demand careers and addressing attainment gaps, we'll address state workforce needs and provide opportunities for all learners to achieve their educational and professional goals."

The first phase of the partnership will focus on higher education and workforce training, supporting the launch of proven student success initiatives at two Colorado community colleges: Lamar Community College and Colorado Mountain College. With the Partnership, these colleges will launch initiatives modeled on the Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) initiative, which was developed by the City University of New York (CUNY) and provides comprehensive academic, financial, and personal support for low-income students pursuing two-year associate degrees. Studies have found that ASAP and its replications result in higher graduation rates and higher salaries following graduation, which helps both students and taxpayers.

"CUNY ASAP has helped more than 110,000 CUNY students and has been replicated nationwide. We are sure that Colorado's adoption of this comprehensive support program will have a measurable impact for students at Lamar Community College and Colorado Mountain College," said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. "ASAP has garnered national accolades and doubled graduation rates; independent studies have consistently demonstrated its effectiveness and shown the significant return it provides on taxpayer dollars. We applaud Colorado's investment in this proven-successful model and thank Arnold Ventures for its ongoing support."

The State of Colorado and Arnold Ventures will work with the nonprofit, nonpartisan Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy to identify promising initiatives, scale proven initiatives, ensure funding sustainability, and implement these efforts. Colorado policymakers will also develop long-term strategies to allocate public resources toward initiatives that deliver proven results for local communities.

"There's a growing body of programs, like ASAP, that have been shown in gold-standard randomized trials to produce meaningful, sustained improvements in people's lives," said Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy President Jon Baron. "It's great to see Governor Polis and Arnold Ventures using that evidence to make progress at scale on education and economic mobility for Coloradans."

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Arnold Ventures is a philanthropy that supports research to understand the root causes of America's most persistent and pressing problems, as well as evidence-based solutions to address them. By focusing on systemic change, AV is working to improve the lives of American families, strengthen their communities, and promote their economic opportunity. Since Laura and John Arnold launched their foundation in 2008, the philanthropy has expanded, and Arnold Ventures' focus areas include education, criminal justice, health, infrastructure, and public finance, advocating for bipartisan policy reforms that will lead to lasting, scalable change. The Arnolds became signatories of the Giving Pledge in 2010. 

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SOURCE Arnold Ventures