Aspen is a place for leaders to lift their sights above the possessions which possess them. To confront their own nature as human beings, to regain control over their own humanity by becoming more self-aware, more self-correcting, and hence more self-fulfilling.
Walter P. Paepcke, Aspen Institute Co-Founder
Aspen Institute
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Shared Success Midpoint Evaluation Overview
April 21, 2025
Economic Opportunities Program, and Shared Success
To understand the impact of the Shared Success demonstration, the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program selected the Financial Access Initiative and EA Consultants to evaluate the work of the 11 community lenders. This midline evaluation includes survey data from small business owners who participated in advisory services provided by Shared Success grantees. Of those surveyed, 74% reported improving job quality over the past year. This deck overviews the types of job quality changes made, what motivated them, the challenges faced, and plans for future improvements. The Financial Access Initiative and EA Consultants’ qualitative and quantitative research will continue to explore outcomes for small businesses and workers through the end of the Shared Success demonstration.
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About Shared Success
Good jobs and strong businesses are vital to the well-being of communities across the country. Yet millions of workers struggle with poor-quality jobs, and small business owners often struggle to find and retain the employees they need. Shared Success, a project of the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program (EOP), shows how building better jobs can uplift both sides at the same time. Supported by a $12 million investment from the Gates Foundation, EOP partnered with 11 community lenders to integrate job quality programming into their small business support services, supporting the needs of employees while helping small businesses succeed.
