Blog

Thoughts and insights from our work applying behavioral science to social problems.

How a Board Game Empowers Girls in Ghana to Control Their Reproductive Futures

by Rahin Khandker

The girls jittered as they looked down at the game board. If they moved their piece one more square forward, they would win the game. Afia drew the game card for her team and the blood immediately drained from her face. Oh no—it was the dreaded Chance card. The girls on the opposing teams shrieked […]

8 Ways to Unlock Better Teaching Practices

by Katherine Flaschen

Despite nearly universal enrollment rates in primary education in many low- and middle-income countries, many children are not receiving the quality education they need to thrive. Nine out of ten children in Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, cannot read with comprehension by the age of 10. A critical piece in solving this learning crisis is to […]

3 Tips for Making It Easier to Choose a Charity

by Jen Shafer

“The needs of the charitable world are endless, but unfortunately my financial resources are not—that is the most challenging part about giving.” “When I get too many emails, it’s overwhelming.… I just start deleting them.” Donors receive a constant stream of requests for their attention and money. Fundraisers know this, and so they engage in […]

A Novel Solution for Increasing Donations to Giving Platforms

by Dave Sharp (Every.org) and Piyush Tantia

Every.org, a technology-driven nonprofit and online fundraising platform, is dedicated to creating an easier and more meaningful giving process for both donors and nonprofits. As is the case for many platforms, maintaining operational sustainability while offering free services to other nonprofits poses a significant challenge. A key component of their sustainability model involves encouraging donors […]

Ten Questions with Antoinette Schoar: On Financial Heuristics, Scaling, and Storytelling

by The ideas42 Team

Financial Heuristics Training is one of ideas42’s most successful field-based interventions, one that has been replicated and scaled across geographies and populations. ideas42 co-founder Antoinette Schoar reflects on how the training program has evolved, and how this model has influenced ideas42’s approach to real-world problems.

Expanding who can “do” behavioral science

by The ideas42 Team

Our Behavioral Design Center has shown that by modeling with nonprofits how to ask the right questions, we can help them develop effective, evidence-based designs.

Smart Court Appearance Strategies: Grace Periods

by Samantha Hammer, Alissa Fishbane, and Shannon McAuliffe

In this edition, we’re turning to a promising practice, rooted in behavioral science, that’s ripe for more courts to take up: grace periods following a nonappearance.

“What Do You Mean by ‘Systems Change?’” The Challenge of Communicating Social-Sector Lingo to Everyday Givers

by Nick O’Donnell

When most people think about the work nonprofits do, they think about direct-service work—providing food or offering low-cost healthcare. But work like this is only part of what the wide world of nonprofits can accomplish, and this limited view of their “typical” work often means that important, deserving organizations miss out on the resources they […]