Building a pathway to prosperity for hardworking families.
In 2019, as United Way of Western Connecticut looked to scale up our direct service programs, we knew we needed to make it easier and more convenient for ALICE to access and sign up. We began by sketching out a digital income verification process and from there emerged the idea of a digital marketplace for all ALICE households to access various types of programs, discounts, business offers, and information. Our ALICE Advisory Board, made up of individuals with lived experience, helped guide our development process, test our programs, and ultimately design our site. Through a subsidiary LLC, Prosperity Digital Marketplace, we built and launched Prosperi-Key, the product of innovation, ingenuity, and inclusivity.
HOW IT WORKS
Individuals register for an account at prosperikey.org. Once they are income-qualified, they become Key Members and can access services from nonprofits and businesses that are local to them. It is the only platform to income-qualify users in the ALICE income bracket, all through a friendly, confidential, and fast process.
PROSPERI-KEY'S SUCCESS
$1.2 Million Award through Senate Directed Funds
In 2022, United Way received a $1.2 million grant from the Senate Directed Funds to support Prosperity Digital Marketplace’s expansion of Prosperikey.org statewide. The grant provides funding to: Grow small and mid-size businesses offerings for ALICE by underwriting the cost for businesses to join Prosperi-Key; Recruit ALICE to join Prosperi-Key as “Key Members”; Enhance vocational and educational accessibility on Prosperi-Key, including collaboration with State workforce development programs; and help to build out the additional technology infrastructure for this expansion.
Prosperi-Key recognized as a #WorldChangingIdea!
Prosperi-Key competed in the Fast Company 2022 World Changing Ideas Awards in “Best World Changing Idea, North America” and “On the Rise: 0-4 Years in Business”, earning honorable mentions in both categories. The list of our fellow honorees is full of outstanding, innovative businesses and we are overjoyed to be recognized alongside them.