Boston, MA – The Phyllis and Jerome Lyle Rappaport Foundation has given a $1 million challenge grant to Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath) to support AMP Up Boston, a three-year transformative economic mobility coaching program offered as part of a research study to residents of the Boston Housing Authority (BHA). Under the grant, which was made possible through their relationship with the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston at Harvard University, the Rappaport Foundation will match commitments made by other donors equaling up to $1 million.

“We are so grateful for the generous support from the Rappaport Family Foundation and the Rappaport Institute at Harvard for helping Harvard scholars do impactful work in the Boston community,” says Kim Janey, president & CEO of EMPath. “This program will have a far-reaching impact, helping transform the lives of hundreds more families and many generations to come.”

The Rappaport Foundation’s support will help provide coaching for more than 250 residents of the BHA, including single mothers. The AMP Up Boston project will be evaluated by Professor Lawrence Katz at Harvard University, with support from the North America regional office of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Rappaport Institute. Professor Katz’s evaluation using a randomized controlled trial will help improve understanding of how EMPath’s mobility coaching approach, Mobility Mentoring®, can advance the economic mobility of BHA residents and become a national model. The evaluation will measure the impact of Mobility Mentoring on individuals’ economic outcomes over 3 to 10 years relative to comparable individuals who do not receive Mobility Mentoring.

Since its launch over a decade ago, the Mobility Mentoring model has helped Boston families with low incomes to double and even triple their incomes, unlocking opportunities to access stable housing, get advanced degrees and good jobs, save money, and more.

AMP Up Boston is operated by EMPath with support from the BHA.

The Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston is a Harvard-wide entity housed at the Harvard Kennedy School that works to improve the governance of Greater Boston by strengthening connections among the region’s scholars, students, and civic leaders. It was founded with support from the Rappaport Foundation.