Colorado racial equity commission seeks funding for economic-impact study

The Colorado Black Coloradan Racial Equity Study Commission has raised more than $1 million but needs additional money to complete its historical research and hire a third party to study the economic effects of systemic racism, a commissioner said Wednesday.

The commission discussed a draft request for qualifications, or RFQ, for the economic analysis during its Aug. 19 meeting. Commissioners and staff plan to revise the document before seeking responses, tentatively by late October. A vendor-selection decision is targeted for early January 2027.

The contract would be funded through gifts, grants and donations, as required by Senate Bill 24-053, the 2024 law that created the commission and directed the state to fund the study without additional General Fund money.

Commissioner Brain said community groups and History Colorado had raised more than $1 million. He estimated the entire project could cost about $1.8 million, leaving roughly $500,000 to raise. That was an estimate, not an approved budget.

History Colorado Director DePrince cited a different preliminary estimate. She said the law’s fiscal note projected the economic study at $300,000, which she considered likely to be the high end. Using a hypothetical $200,000 study cost, she estimated that about $230,000 could remain to finish fundraising for the historical and economic work. The final cost will become clearer after proposals are received and a contractor is selected, she said.

“We still need to be fundraising while we are working on that RFQ process,” DePrince said.

What the analysis would examine

The draft RFQ calls for an analysis of the financial impact of systemic racism on historically impacted Black Coloradans. It also asks vendors whether it is feasible to estimate the effects of state entities, policies, systems and practices on Colorado’s broader economy.

That broader question remains unresolved. Legislative Council Staff said the phrase “if feasible” came directly from the law and is not defined there. Staff members said a consultant would have to determine whether available data support a quantitative estimate, a qualitative analysis or a combination of both.

Commissioners asked staff to include mixed-methods and critical quantitative research, experience collaborating with Black communities, cultural humility and equity-centered research among the qualifications. The draft allows subcontractors if respondents disclose those arrangements. The selected contractor would attend up to six commission meetings in 2027 and could be asked to provide a feasibility plan for the broader-economy analysis.

History Colorado will continue the historical research but does not plan to oversee the economic study. DePrince said the agency specializes in historical research rather than mathematics and statistics, and that separating the studies would help prevent the historical work from being shaped by predetermined economic conclusions.

The commission was told the historical research is scheduled for completion in March 2027 and the economic analysis in September 2027. Neither study was complete as of the Aug. 19 meeting.

How the work will shape recommendations

The law requires the final report to include the study’s goals, the results of both the historical research and economic analysis, and constitutionally consistent recommendations addressing harms identified in the research. It also calls for recommendations on incorporating the findings into Colorado K-12 history standards and increasing public awareness.

History Colorado’s project description says the economic analysis will be based on the agency’s historical research and used in drafting the commission’s final report.

At the meeting, Brain described the intended sequence as understanding historical harms, quantifying them and then proposing ways to repair them. He said the recommendations would be aimed at the Legislature, governor and state government. The commission has not finalized those recommendations.

The commission has not decided whether the third-party contractor will also draft and finalize the report and recommendations. Legislative Council Staff included that work provisionally in the draft RFQ because the office said it could not write the report under the legislation. The commission could remove the provision and limit the contract to the economic analysis.

The commission’s next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 30, 2026, when members are expected to continue discussing the RFQ and receive a more detailed fundraising and financial update.