MyFriendBen

We are looking for a part-time software engineer to join our team and help us increase access to public benefits and tax credits. You'll play a critical role as we scale a technological product incubated in Colorado to the rest of the country. Join our grounded, audacious and impatient team and work closely with Brian Hiatt, Elise Henson, Sydney Devine, Ivonne Hernandez, Rebecca Peterson, PMP and Caleb Peña. https://lnkd.in/gK4iEMM7

Our work in Colorado has set the stage for growth throughout the country, and we're looking for a Lead Entrepreneur who will scale this venture and create a new, independent organization. Join our existing project team, including Elise Henson and Brian Hiatt, and advisors at Gary Community Ventures to help set the strategy, plan for scale, and operationalize the spinoff for MyFriendBen. https://lnkd.in/gMDZUmrN

We're growing and we're looking for an entrepreneurial researcher to join our team! With proof of impact in Colorado and testing underway in additional states, we're looking for someone to help us replicate and scale nationally. We are looking for a resourceful team player that thrives in a startup environment and is passionate about connecting low-income households to meaningful programs they deserve, including tax credits, child care, health care, and assistance with rent/utilities and food. Become a friend of Ben and join the joyful, speedy and smart team of Rebecca Peterson, PMP, Elise Henson, Brian Hiatt, Sydney Devine, Caleb Peña, Ivonne Hernandez, Rodney Bautista and Kathleen Bottagaro. https://lnkd.in/g6p62g7R

In just 6 minutes, a family can find $2,500 in monthly benefits and tax credits. This information has the potential to change a family’s future, which is why we’re so excited to share that MyFriendBen was awarded $2.4 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to deepen the impact of the tool and expand the screener to other states. With this support, we are launching an effort — alongside innovative partners like PolicyEngine and Code the Dream — to unlock $100 million in public benefits across multiple states. As we grow, we are building cross-sector partnerships, interoperable applications and APIs, and shared open eligibility rules engines. By pooling talent, data and capacity, we can allow the experts on the ground - including community members and frontline staff - to focus on innovations that create excellent experiences for households. Special thanks to the Colorado friends of Ben who helped us prototype, test and prepare for scale. Those friends include Gary Community Ventures, Aurora Community Connection family resource center, Benefits in Action, City and County of Denver Human Services, Get Ahead at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Jefferson County, Colorado Human Services, Mile High United Way/211 and the Fax Partnership. Read more about our future plans and join us in this exciting work. https://lnkd.in/gW6y4NyG

We don't just help people. We help the people who help people. Take our partnership with Eagle County Government. With a lot of need in the community and just 24 people working across multiple programs, a tool like MyFriendBen helps social service staff more efficiently. We're excited to help friends of Ben, including Economic Services Deputy Director Michelle Dibos and Organizational Effectiveness Manager Melissa Moore, connect their community with the local, state and national programs that can make a meaningful difference in their lives every day.

“Imagine for a moment that you can go online, answer a few basic questions about yourself and your family and in 6 minutes you get a customized report that tells you about the benefits you’re eligible for. Often, those benefits equal $2,500 a month. That’s phenomenal and life changing for every family.” Santhosh Ramdoss, CEO of Gary Community Ventures, joined Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Dana Niemela, MSW, director of economic resilience at Denver Human Services to announce a new partnership that will introduce and embed MyFriendBen into the ways the City of Denver serves residents. We couldn’t have dreamt up this partnership without the vision and dedication of our friends at the City and County of Denver, including Dana and Anne-Marie Braga, MSSW, Adriana Lopez and Gordon Loui. Thanks to the hard work of Elise Henson, Brian Hiatt, Rodney Bautista, Rebecca Peterson, PMP, Sydney Devine, Caleb Peña, Ivonne Hernandez and Kathleen Bottagaro, MyFriendBen is available at no cost to everyone in Colorado. Watch the press conference here >>> https://lnkd.in/g7ixkFCT

For-profit companies spends millions on market research and user testing every year. It's good for users and it's good for business. We need more of this in social services. Friend of Ben Jess A. leads our effort to get feedback from MyFriendBen users. Every day, she's on the phone, texting, sending surveys ... you name it ... to learn more about how people use our tool and how we can improve. Along the way, she's heard a lot of personal stories about the impact of benefits. Take, for example, the mom who found a way to pay for afterschool programs for her two kids, the woman who received a new hot water heater or the man who gets a box of free food delivered once a week. Jess shared her thoughts on the role of user feedback in product design and community trust in our latest blog post. She also shared her own personal story about using the social safety net as a new mom. Hear more from Jess here >>> https://lnkd.in/gZU95--v

New technologies make it easier for families to find benefits and claim tax credits. In a new report, Credit Where Credit's Due, from the Bipartisan Policy Center researchers highlight local and state innovations to increase the number of folks who claim tax credits and benefits - two of the most effective tools we have to boost economic security and address poverty. We are thrilled to be to included in a new report along with Gary Community Ventures and our friends at Bright by Text.

Tax credits and public benefits are key to ending poverty, but millions of dollars in benefits go unclaimed every year. We think technology and user-centered design can go a long way in making our systems more accessible. Hear more from MyFriendBen's Executive Director Elise Henson in the latest perspective piece from Gary Community Ventures >>> https://bit.ly/elise_mfb