Economic mobility for every Coloradan.

We provide reliable research and advocacy to raise the economic floor and create a policy agenda that helps Colorado families and communities thrive.

Latest Research

Our research informs policymakers, legislators, and the public about issues critical to economic mobility for all Coloradans.

Given the state’s structural budget problems and the chaotic funding cuts raining down from the federal government, this legislative session will be dominated by fiscal concerns. In our 2026 legislative preview we explain the $840 million budget legislators will have to contend with. We’ve also got our eye on some consumer protection and workforce issues. 
We asked Sadé, who is the Co-founder and chief Executive Officer of Collaborative Healing Initiative within Communities (CHIC), to tell us about her work with CHIC and how she got to know the Bell.
ECE supports for 105 students at Metropolitan State University Denver improved educator retention, accelerated career advancement, and boosted professional knowledge and confidence.
Oct 30, 2025
The federal budget law passed in July 2025, known as HR1 or the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” will have profoundly negative  impacts on health care access and affordability, especially in rural Colorado. HR1 is beginning to show its impact with higher insurance premiums, but more significant changes will be phased in over the next seven years including higher uninsured rates, even more unaffordable premiums and out-of-pocket costs, and the closure of hospitals and clinics.
The Protect Colorado’s Future coalition has announced plans to put a graduated income tax on the 2026 ballot. This proposal would lower taxes for 98 percent of Coloradans, while raising taxes on individuals and corporations making more than $500,000 a year.
A graduated income tax is fairer than a flat tax and better correlates to one’s ability to pay.

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Events

Join us for our next upcoming event! We love to connect with the public and our partners about the issues we all care about.

The Bell will partner with the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, and the Colorado Fiscal Institute to preview the issues and policies that we believe will drive the 2026 session of the Colorado General Assembly. We hope you will join us! More information coming soon.

Featured

Featured content highlights timely updates and resources that speak to our priorities — and yours.

Mar 14, 2025
Read our update to our popular housing primer — a work that breaks down the lack of affordable housing and looks closely at who that affects most.
Aug 29, 2024
Colorado is one of the fastest aging states, and 70 percent of older adults will need some form of direct care to help with activities of daily living. What this means is that direct care for older adults will become ever more important.
Apr 23, 2025
Too many Coloradans struggle to attain economic security. If left unaddressed, Colorado’s policy decisions will continue to perpetuate wealth inequality and hinder a more fair and prosperous state.

On Our Radar

What we see as the most important updates right now.

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Partnerships

The Bell values our diverse partnerships. We routinely connect with local leaders and residents from communities across Colorado. 

“The Bell connects with local leaders and residents from communities across Colorado through outreach events and educational meetings, and also builds strong coalitions to elevate these voices.”

Naomi Amaha
Director of Policy and Government Affairs, The Denver Foundation

“The Bell’s partnership strengthens our work to advance economic mobility where financial resilience is hardest to build and the stakes are highest for those striving to get ahead.”

Barbara Freeman
Founder and CEO, Savings Collaborative

Colorado Policy 101

Explanatory content focusing on issues fundamental to economic mobility.

Sep 8, 2025
The caring economy includes the people and systems that provide care across all stages of life. This workforce is broad and often under-recognized, but it plays a critical role in keeping families, communities, and the overall economy strong.
Aug 29, 2025
Colorado’s rapidly aging population is reshaping the state, impacting the workforce, Medicaid, caregiving, housing, and the state budget.
Colorado’s state budget is a complex mix of revenues, expenses, and constitutional limits that has grown only modestly in recent decades, leaving key needs like education and transportation underfunded.

Explore Our Archive

The Bell has decades of rich content in our archive.