Burst for Prosperity seeks to reduce poverty in Washington State by researching and testing innovative models informed by the community that transform systems to help people achieve financial independence. The goal is for individuals affected by poverty in Washington State to become self-sufficient and financially independent members of the community.
Erika Shultz / The Seattle Times
The Refugee Farming Project has helped a group of Burundian refugees find hope through their stewardship of a hidden piece of land amid the industrial warehouses in the Kent Valley. Community leader Serges Hakizimana reflects on their experience.
The 2010 Public Policy Agenda recommends a strategic set of policy priorities that impact the three Burst for Prosperity strategic areas of Career Pathways, Building Financial Assets, and Microenterprise.
Building and managing strong partnerships at the local and state level and with public and private agencies is vital to Burst for Prosperity’s work.
» Review the current list of partners who help make it all possible
Burst for Prosperity evaluates and reports on the impact of its innovative pilots and demonstration projects on whether they are helping families achieve financial independence. Burst for Prosperity published three reports on Coaching, the Refugee Farming Project, and MicroSociety.
MicroSociety helps students at the Renton/Skyway Boys and Girls Club develop leadership and real-life skills. Seventh grader Hunter Eider talks about what he has learned and what he plans to do in the future.
The YWCA helped Burst for Prosperity test the Coaching for Prosperity model program in 2009 working with disadvantaged individuals. Lisa Roy describes the way her training has increased her ability to help clients achieve greater success and financial stability.
Burst for Prosperity’s Prosperity Coaching Pilots are transforming the way frontline staff relate to their clients. Sherry Williams, now a successful nonprofit executive but once a single teenage mother on public assistance, explains what a difference coaching makes.