Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute
A permanent project of the Colorado Center on law and Policy, the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute (COFPI) is leading efforts to resolve Colorado's biggest fiscal challenges. COFPI works for changes in public policy through timely, credible and accessible fiscal policy analysis, education, advocacy and coalition building.
Formerly the Colorado Fiscal Project, COFPI was founded in 1996 as an all-volunteer coalition of community-based organizations, individuals, advocates, educators and nonprofits. In 1999, with funding from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the Open Society Institute, COFPI became a permanent project of the Colorado Center on Law and Policy.
COFPI is also a government watchdog, holding public agencies and officials accountable, seeking more transparency in public financing and ensuring the state’s economic policies are constructed in fairness to all Coloradans.
COFPI's experts give hundreds of presentations annually to a variety of communities. Some of its activities include:
- Teaching lawmakers about the effectiveness of the Earned Income Tax Credit as a way to lift people out of poverty.
- Educating women leaving welfare and employers about what it takes to be self-sufficient.
- Presenting research about economic self-sufficiency.
- Working with state officials to improve budget processes and enhance accountability.
- Conducting research on tax, budget and other fiscal issues.
- Collaborating with other organizations to advance sound fiscal policies.
- Helping advocates and citizens more effectively participate in the policy process.
COFPI employs data-driven advocacy to protect and enhance the rights of the more than 750,000 low-income people across Colorado.
The Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute is a partner in the Looking Forward collaborative with the Colorado Children's Campaign and the Bell Policy Center.
The Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute is part of the State Fiscal Analysis Initiative, a network of 31 state-based research and public education organizations. It seeks to broaden public participation in decision-making about public policies and to strengthen the contributions of state-level nonprofit organizations in policy debates by enhancing their ability to provide reliable budget and tax analysis. SFAI was developed in part to respond to continuing reductions of government services for low-income and vulnerable populations, which began at the state level in the late 1980s as the economy lagged and states were no longer able to compensate for earlier cuts in federal programs. Its activities have intensified in recent years as welfare reform and other policy changes have increased states' responsibilities for social programs while reducing federal funding responsibilities.
The State Fiscal Analysis Initiative brings together groups with diverse backgrounds and missions which share a commitment to rigorous policy analysis, responsible budget and tax policies, a particular focus on the needs of low- and moderate-income families. The organizations broaden the debate on budget and tax policy through public education and the encouragement of civic engagement on these issues.
Since launching in 1993 in 11 states, SFAI has grown steadily. The 31 states in SFAI include more than 70 percent of the nation’s population. Additional state-level organizations are expected to join the network in the coming years.
Financial support for SFAI organizations comes principally from local and regional foundations, from individual donors, and from several national foundations including the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Open Society Institute, the Stoneman Family Foundation, the Public Welfare Foundation, and the John L. and James S. Knight Foundation.
The SFAI network is coordinated by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington-based research organization that works on a range of federal and state issues.
Other COFPI partners include the Economic Analysis and Research Network and the Economic Policy Institute.
