Spera Connect

Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman found that every $1 invested in quality early childhood programs generates $4 to $16 in returns. The earlier we act, the greater the impact—for kids, families, businesses and communities ...

The American Dream Demonstration provided compelling evidence that low-income individuals, when given the appropriate tools and incentives, can successfully save and invest in assets that enhance their economic and social well-being ...

Is there a real relationship between expensive houses and better public schools? A new report sheds light on the connection between property value and school quality. Families often choose the location of their next home by where their children will go to school. As the focus on school performance has become more astute thanks to a rising emphasis on test scores and completion rates, home shoppers have become more cautious in their selections as well ...

The economic case for expanding preschool education for disadvantaged children is largely based on evidence from the High/Scope Perry Preschool Program, an early intervention in the lives of disadvantaged children in the early 1960s. In that program, children were randomly assigned to treatment and control group status and have been systematically followed through age 40. Information on earnings, employment, education, crime and a variety of other outcomes are collected at various ages of the study participants ...

Vacant and abandoned properties are burning a hole in the pockets of local governments, businesses, and individuals. The root of the problem may seem far beyond the control of local governments. The vacancies are often a result of larger forces, such as corporate decisions to transfer jobs overseas, or developers’ decisions to invest in sprawling new homes far on the urban fringe. But taking no action simply allows the problem to grow worse. The places ...

State and local governments are major investors in the country’s streets and highways, bridges, ports, airports, commuter rail, bus and subway systems, water treatment and distribution, sewerage, solid waste management, police and fire stations and equipment, and courthouses. In many places they build hospitals and clinics, and some provide electric distribution or telephone service as well. Research conducted over the past 25 years has established beyond a doubt that public infrastructure investment generates high returns. ...

People who are unhealthy earn lower incomes, put away fewer dollars in savings, and accumulate less wealth over the years compared to those who are healthy, a new study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research found. The research, conducted by researchers at the University of Georgia and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, found bad health can explain up to 40% of variation in lifetime utilities. Here’s what else it found: • Healthy ...

This report describes the “bottom-line” economics of various programs that try to reduce criminal behavior. We identify the types of programs that can, as well as those that apparently cannot, reduce criminal offending in a cost-beneficial way. This research was prepared for the Washington State legislature. The legislature directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (Institute) to evaluate the costs and benefits of certain juvenile and adult criminal justice policies, violence prevention programs, and ...

You are interested in giving to charity. But you might not know exactly where to start. What are the rules around tax deductions? What organizations are true charities? And how can you be sure your money is being used effectively? This Ultimate Guide to Charitable Donations will walk you through all the ins and outs of charitable giving, specifically from an individual donor perspective.  ...

The world is getting closer to a more sustainable model for pay-for-success arrangements. Reinvestment Fund, out of Philadelphia, announced a $10 million fund last year to support pay-for-success projects in a portfolio approach that would diversify investors from the risk of any single project ...