Grantee Information
Focus Area: Multiple
Geographic Focus: Intermountain west
Target Beneficiaries: Various
Collaborating Partners: Third Sector Capital Partners, Inc., The Cicero Group, The Policy Institute
Funding Partners: Salt Lake County, Jim Sorenson, University of Utah, Laura and John Arnold Foundation
The Sorenson Impact Center at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business is committed to building local capacity for Pay for Success (PFS) and other social innovations through technical assistance, financial support, open and transparent processes, and knowledge sharing. The guiding objective of the Sorenson Impact Center’s PFS work is to facilitate high-quality and impactful programs that measurably improve outcomes for at-risk individuals, families and communities, as well as to grow the capacity of policymakers, service providers and other social sector stakeholders to make better-informed and more data-driven decisions.
The Sorenson Impact Center is helping to build the social innovation sector by focusing on government and service provider support in the western United States. Through academic support, technical assistance, and local capacity building, the Sorenson Impact Center is facilitating community-based solutions that have compelling evidence of improving the lives of underrepresented communities in the areas of youth development, economic opportunity and healthy futures within the region. Specifically, the Sorenson Impact Center provides capacity-building funds and high-level technical assistance to governments to explore the feasibility of implementing PFS projects in their jurisdictions. In parallel, the Sorenson Impact Center provides in-depth technical assistance to prepare service providers for PFS (and other similar funding opportunities) in areas like impact analysis, metrics, data systems, evaluation strategies and performance management. By pairing qualified government payors with outcomes-oriented and impactful providers in the same community, the Sorenson Impact Center is growing the pipeline of PFS projects in the western half of the country.| Adams County, CO: Adams County School District 50 |
| Boise, ID: Office of the Mayor of Boise, ID |
| Boise, ID: Charitable Assistance To Community's Homeless |
| Boise, ID: Lee Pesky Learning Center |
| Boise, ID: Terry Reilly |
| Las Vegas, NV: City of Las Vegas, NV |
| Missoula County, MT: Missoula County, MT |
| Missoula County, MT: Community Supervision Alternatives |
| California: Pomona Unified School District |
| Colorado: Department of Homeless Initiatives, State of Colorado |
| Colorado: Governor's Office of Planning and Budget |
| Colorado: Growing Home, Inc. |
| Colorado: International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology |
| Colorado: Larimer County Partnership |
| Oregon: City of Portland Housing Bureau |
| Utah: Alliance House |
| Utah: Governor's Office of Management and Budget, State of Utah |
| Utah: First Step House |
| Utah: The Road Home |
Washington: Washington State Department of Early Learning |
Adams County, CO
Adams County School District 50
Through a subgrant of approximately $120,000 from the Sorenson Impact Center, the Adams County School District 50 will develop a feasibility study exploring the potential for a Pay for Success (PFS) approach to improving school readiness for kindergarteners in the School District. Adams County School District plans to model its intervention after well developed and documented programs that include home visitation, parent support and high quality preschool. Measureable outcomes of this program include a completed feasibility study identifying a target population, baseline outcomes, anticipated programmatic outcomes, and an estimate of cost savings/avoidance within kindergarten readiness.
The School District’s award from the Sorenson Impact Center will provide for an entity-based PFS Fellow and the related training and technical assistance to develop a PFS program. In addition to funding a Policy Innovation Fellow to be housed in Adams County School District, the Sorenson Impact Center’s technical assistance services include: (1) research and data analysis to help Adams County identify and describe a target population and baseline outcomes for that population; (2) financial modeling and analysis of costs of various interventions versus the benefits to the District from those interventions; (3) budget scan to identify spending priorities and potential areas for cost savings; (4) high-level project management support from Sorenson Impact Center staff; and (5) connecting the District to other PFS-related resources around the country as needed.
Boise, ID
The Lee Pesky Learning Center (LPLC) is a Boise, ID based non-profit providing psycho-educational evaluations, academic and counseling interventions to students ages 6-18, at-risk for or with high incidence disabilities. High incidence disabilities include students with learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, and speech language impairment. This population of students comprises approximately 72% of the students receiving special education services. LPLC will receive an award valued at $284,104 from the Sorenson Impact Center, comprised of tailored technical assistance to scale their intensive 1:1 service model to improve grade level reading performance targets for first through third grade students at-risk for and with these high incidence disabilities.
The Sorenson Impact Center’s technical services will consist of: (1) research and data analysis to The Lee Pesky Learning Center identify and describe a target population and baseline outcomes for that population; (2) in depth needs assessment regarding impact strategy, organizational capacity and strategic partnerships; (3) Assistance with data collection and management systems and the development of evaluation processes for this data; (4) high-level project management support from Lab staff; and (5) connecting LPLC to other PFS-related resources around the country as needed.
Office of the Mayor, Boise, ID
Through a subgrant of approximately $140,000 from the Sorenson Impact Center, the Office of the Mayor of Boise, Idaho will develop a feasibility study exploring the potential for a Pay for Success (PFS) approach to chronic homelessness generally and recidivism among previously incarcerated individuals experiencing homelessness. The City of Boise will develop a program to address homelessness generally and recidivism among homeless offenders specifically, using Pay for Success approach. On any given day, the City of Boise estimates that 500 – 700 are homeless and that 50 – 100 of those are chronically homeless. Boise plans to use the Sorenson Impact Center grant resources to assist with target population identification, financial modeling, and cost analysis. Boise proposes measureable program outcomes of recidivism reduction, especially among the homeless population, and the reduction in the number of individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.
Boise’s award from the Sorenson Impact Center will provide for an entity-based PFS Fellow and the related training and technical assistance to develop a PFS program. In addition to funding a Policy Innovation Fellow to be housed in the Mayor’s Office in Boise, the Sorenson Impact Center’s technical assistance services include: (1) research and data analysis to help the State identify and describe a target population and baseline outcomes for that population; (2) financial modeling and analysis of costs of various interventions versus the benefits to the State from those interventions; (3) budget scan to identify spending priorities and potential areas for cost savings; (4) high-level project management support from Sorenson Impact Center staff; and (5) connecting the State to other PFS-related resources around the country as needed. Measureable outcomes of this program include a completed feasibility study identifying a target population, baseline outcomes, anticipated programmatic outcomes, and an estimate of cost savings/avoidance. Boise also proposes funding for consulting services related to facilitation of community roundtables as a means to cultivate support for proposed interventions.
California
The Pomona Unified School District
The Pomona Unified School District (PUSD) proposes to develop a feasibility study exploring the potential for a Pay for Success approach to provide a crucial funding stream to fund 400 preschool feeder slots that are due to be eliminated as a result of a state-mandated 20% budget reduction. PUSD hopes to use PFS to not only stabilize funding for the existing pre-school slots but also build internal capacity to collect and merge data from various systems that will allow the PUSD to more holistically focus on student outcomes that support the School Board’s objectives. The PUSD is already working with a service provider, Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP), on early development of the PFS model and on integration of a quality ratings and improvement system (QRIS) for each PUAD preschool site. Additionally, through the PFS project, PUSD hopes to analyze how many 4-year olds within the District lack access to high quality pre-school in order to ultimately scale the LAUP intervention to serve their needs. PUSD will receive an award from the Sorenson Impact Center valued at $284,849, and provide $55,000 in match funding to hire a PFS Innovation Project Manager to coordinate a PFS feasibility program.
The Sorenson Impact Center’s technical services will consist of: (1) research and data analysis to help PUSD identify and describe a target population and baseline outcomes for that population, including identification of population of 4-year olds who currently lack access to high-quality preschool; (2) financial modeling and analysis of costs of various interventions versus the benefits to the District from those interventions; (3) budget scan to identify spending priorities and potential areas for cost savings; (4) high-level project management support from Center staff; and (5) connecting the District to other PFS-related resources around the country as needed. Measureable outcomes of this program include a completed feasibility study identifying a target population, baseline outcomes, anticipated programmatic outcomes, and estimate of cost savings / avoidance.
Las Vegas, NV
City of Las Vegas, NV
The State of Nevada, Clark County and the City of Las Vegas will receive assistance from the HKS SIB Lab, Third Sector Capital Partners and the Sorenson Impact Center to explore the use of Pay for Success (PFS) in creating innovative strategies to improve social outcomes in early childhood education. Specifically, the three jurisdictions will engage in a feasibility study that will explore how an early childhood education PFS project can increase outcomes such as kindergarten readiness and third grade literacy as well as reduce public school special education and remedial education expenditures. The PFS project will target Southern Nevada and will be a part of Nevada’s ongoing efforts to improve early childhood education opportunities state-wide.
The collaborative feasibility process between the HKS SIB Lab and Third Sector Capital Partners will focus on four main areas: (1) evaluation of whether or not proposed interventions produce the desired outcomes, (2) cost-benefit analysis of proposed interventions, (3) design of potential PFS payment structures and outreach to potential investors, and (4) assessment of the most rigorous evaluation strategies that can be used to measure the initiative’s outcomes.
The State of Nevada is the only Social Innovation Fund Subgrantee leading an innovative partnership between state, county and city government to address PFS contracting and savings analysis for early childhood education interventions, which has the potential to serve as a model nation-wide.
Additionally, the Sorenson Impact Center will provide to the City of Las Vegas an entity-based PFS Fellow and the related training and technical assistance to develop a PFS program. The Sorenson Impact Center’s technical assistance services include: (1) research and data analysis to help the City identify and describe a target population and baseline outcomes for that population; (2) financial modeling and analysis of costs of various interventions versus the benefits to the City from those interventions; (3) budget scan to identify spending priorities and potential areas for cost savings; (4) high-level project support from Sorenson Impact Center staff; and (5) connecting the City to other PFS-related resources around the country as needed. Measureable outcomes of this program include a completed feasibility study identifying a target population, baseline outcomes, anticipated programmatic outcomes, and an estimate of cost savings / avoidance.
Missoula County, MT
Missoula County is home to 111,807 residents. Officials seek to reduce overcrowding of the jail's 394 adult and 24 juvenile beds through diversion programs for non-dangerous offenders and by decreasing or eliminating inappropriate incarceration. Missoula County proposes a threshold decrease in recidivism for the target population as a measurable outcome. Although existing jail beds are near or at capacity on a daily basis, leadership in Missoula County does not want to build more jail-bed capacity, but rather seeks to divert low risk and low need individuals from jail, while providing mental health and other supportive services to high recidivists.
The Sorenson Impact Center’s technical services are expected to consist of: (1) subject-matter content expertise from research academic partners of the Sorenson Impact Center to consult with CSA on “what works” in criminal / behavioral health treatments based on latest research and evidence; (2) research and data analysis to help CSA identify and describe one or more target populations and baseline outcomes for that/those population(s); (3) in-depth needs assessment regarding impact strategy, organizational capacity and strategic partnerships; (4) assistance identifying outcomes and metrics that align with organizational priorities and anticipated funder preferences; (5) assistance designing and implementing data collection and management systems that align with the targeted outcomes / metrics and advice regarding evaluation strategies that could be deployed to establish those outcomes; (6) high-level project management support from Sorenson Impact Center staff; and (7) connecting CSA to other PFS-related resources around the country as needed.
Colorado
Department of Homeless Initiatives, State of Colorado
The State of Colorado will develop a feasibility study exploring the potential for a Pay for Success (PFS) approach to scaling up its existing Colorado Second Chance Housing and Re-entry Program (C-SCHARP) through a subgrant of approximately $100,000 from the Sorenson Impact Center. The State of Colorado’s award from the Sorenson Impact Center will provide for an entity-based PFS Fellow and the related training and technical assistance to develop a PFS program. In addition to funding a Policy Innovation Fellow to be housed in the Colorado State Department of Homelessness Initiatives, the Sorenson Impact Center’s technical assistance services include: (1) research and data analysis to help the State identify and describe a target population and baseline outcomes for that population; (2) financial modeling and analysis of costs of various interventions versus the benefits to the State from those interventions; (3) budget scan to identify spending priorities and potential areas for cost savings; (4) high-level project management support from Sorenson Impact Center staff; and (5) connecting the State to other PFS-related resources around the country as needed. Measureable outcomes of this program include a completed feasibility study identifying a target population, baseline outcomes, anticipated programmatic outcomes, and an estimate of cost savings/avoidance.
C-SHARP is aimed at reducing recidivism rates by providing supportive housing to dual diagnosed (substance abuse and mental illness) former offenders. The measurable outcome for the proposed program is a threshold decrease in recidivism for the target population. C-SCHARP currently serves 30-60 offenders per year, but can be scaled up to 1,000 per year through PFS. The program will serve repeat offenders in the Denver metro area.
The C-SCHARP program is innovative because it recognizes that housing coupled with wrap-around supportive services dramatically reduces the risk to re-offend. Over the course of the initial pilot program, the year-one recidivism rate was 24-38% lower than other high-risk offenders with co-occurring disorders who did not receive C-SCHARP supportive housing services.
Boulder County Homelessness Systems Improvement Collaborative
The State of Colorado Governor’s Office proposes to develop a feasibility study to explore the possibility of using Pay for Success transaction 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 State of Colorado Governor’s Office will receive an award valued at $284,227 from the Sorenson Impact Center, and also provide a $52,850 match, to provide funding for a PFS Innovation Project Manager and the related training and technical assistance to coordinate a PFS program.
The Sorenson Impact Center’s technical services will consist of: (1) research and data analysis to help Colorado more narrowly identify and describe a target population and baseline outcomes for that population; (2) financial modeling and analysis of costs of various interventions versus the benefits to the State from those interventions; (3) budget scan to identify spending priorities and potential areas for cost savings; (4) high-level project support from Center staff; and (5) connecting the State to other PFS-related resources around the country as needed. Measureable outcomes of this program include a completed feasibility study identifying a target population, baseline outcomes, anticipated programmatic outcomes, and an estimate of cost savings / avoidance.
Growing Home, Inc. is a Colorado based nonprofit service provider working to improve kindergarten readiness through a combination of early childhood education, home visitation and parent education services through the Parents as Teachers (PAT) program, which they provide across the country. With a strong collaborative working relationship with Adams County School District 50, a 2015 Subrecipient of the Sorenson Impact Center (the Center), Growing Home will receive an award valued at $284,305 through a combination of technical assistance and grant funding from the Center to hire a PFS-focused Innovation Fellow, build internal Pay for Success capacity, and explore internal PFS feasibility, with the ultimate goal of participating in the School District’s PFS pilot currently being designed.
The Sorenson Impact Center’s technical services will consist of: (1) research and data analysis to help Growing Home, Inc. identify and describe a target population and baseline outcomes for that population; (2) in depth needs assessment regarding impact strategy, organizational capacity and strategic partnerships; (3) Assistance with data collection and management systems and the development of evaluation processes for this data; (4) high-level project management support from Lab staff; and (5) connecting Growing Home, Inc. to other PFS-related resources around the country as needed.
ICAST (International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology
ICAST is a Colorado-based nonprofit that has been providing a one-stop shop for green rehab in multi-family housing for low-income populations to support economic opportunity for residents of New Mexico and Colorado. Green-rehab benefits residents by improving health and safety of housing units and increasing comfort for tenants, as well as providing environmental benefits. ICAST aims to preserve affordable housing stock and create utility savings – money that can be reinvested into more housing opportunities for low-income communities. ICAST will receive an award valued at $283,497 from the Sorenson Impact Center, comprised of tailored PFS technical assistance to explore the potential to improve their green rehab program and utilize Pay for Success financing to scale the model to additional low-income housing units.
The Sorenson Impact Center’s technical services will consist of: (1) research and data analysis to help ICAST identify and describe a target population and baseline outcomes for that population; (2) in depth needs assessment regarding impact strategy, organizational capacity and strategic partnerships; (3) Assistance with data collection and management systems and the development of evaluation processes for this data; (4) high-level project management support from Lab staff; and (5) connecting ICAST to other PFS-related resources around the country as needed.
Larimer County Partnership
Oregon
The City of Portland Housing Bureau
The City of Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) will develop a feasibility study exploring the potential for a Pay for Success transaction to fund a multi-faceted housing intervention, including home repair, weatherization, and lead-paint or asbestos removal, which is integrated with medical case management for low-income families. Specifically, the project will include development of a data tracking system to demonstrate improved health outcomes for enrolled families as a means to demonstrate the intervention’s efficacy to potential PFS investors. The City of Portland will receive an award valued at $281,304 from the Sorenson Impact Center, and also provide a $50,624 match, to support an Innovation Senior Management Analyst (Fellow) to develop a PFS program.
The Sorenson Impact Center’s technical services will consist of: (1) research and data analysis to help the PHB identify and describe a target population and baseline outcomes for that population; (2) financial modeling and analysis of costs of various interventions versus the benefits to PHB from those interventions; (3) budget scan to identify spending priorities and potential areas for cost savings; (4) high-level project management support from Center staff; (5) assistance in developing data tracking systems necessary to demonstrate improved health outcomes for enrolled households; and (6) connecting the PHB to other PFS-related resources around the country as needed. Measureable outcomes of this program include a completed feasibility study identifying a target population, baseline outcomes, anticipated programmatic outcomes, a data tracking system to demonstrated improved health outcomes and estimate of cost savings / avoidance.
Utah
Alliance House is a Salt Lake City, UT based non-profit organization that was founded in 1987 and provides a supportive environment and support services to adults with serious, persistent mental illness (SPMI). Alliance House delivers the “Clubhouse International Model,” – an innovative psychosocial program that takes place in a setting that is neither institution nor treatment center, and seeks to support adults with SPMI in rebuilding their self-respect, dignity, and abilities through education, productive work, and meaningful relationships. Alliance House will a technical assistance award valued at $284,305, comprised of tailored, in-depth support services from the Sorenson Impact Center to increase staff capacity and invest in new technology in order to carry out increased research on the economic value of the evidence-based outcomes that the Clubhouse model produces, and the cost saving benefit of participating in the program.
The Sorenson Impact Center’s technical services will consist of: (1) research and data analysis to help Alliance House identify and describe a target population and baseline outcomes for that population; (2) in depth needs assessment regarding impact strategy, organizational capacity and strategic partnerships; (3) Assistance with data collection and management systems and the development of evaluation processes for this data; (4) high-level project management support from Lab staff; and (5) connecting Alliance House to other PFS-related resources around the country as needed.
Columbus Community Center
Salt Lake City, UT
Sorenson Impact Center will provide subgrant funding and technical assistance to the Columbus Community Center to develop a feasibility study to determine the efficacy and potential of their NextWork program on a larger scale. The NextWork program is a vocational training program for young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) that simultaneously engages employers to identify job categories and skillsets for which these young adults would be qualified. The Columbus Community Center’s innovative program focuses on longer-term outcomes of job placement, retention, and earnings, rather than simply training and program completion.
Washington State Department of Early Learning
Olympia, WA
The Washington State Department of Early Learning’s (DEL) home visiting and early intervention program seeks to prepare young children for success in school. DEL is currently working to merge with the state’s child welfare and juvenile justice system and improve the reach, targeting, delivery, outcomes, evaluation, and quality improvement of their home visiting and early intervention programs. With technical assistance from the Sorenson Impact Center, DEL will connect individual level child data with administrative sources of outcomes data, continue program feasibility studies, develop a plan for a local or regional PFS project and hire a coordinator to move the projects forward.