• Accion East—We focused on addressing behavioral barriers limiting the number of loan applications Accion receives from family childcare providers in NYC.  We designed sample outreach postcards and suggested other ways to increase applications and referrals. Read project brief. 
  • Arab American Family Support Center —We  helped identify barriers to effective data collection at AAFSC,  and prepared an intake training guide and referral template to address these barriers and improve intake and data practices. Read project brief.
  • Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation —Based on our analysis  of behavioral barriers that may prevent tenants  in affordable and mixed income housing from participating in an on- time rent payment credit-building initiative and other asset-building programs, we developed outreach materials and other strategies to increase engagement. Read project brief.
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City—This project focused on identifying and mitigating behavioral barriers that discourage prospective volunteers from applying and following through to become Big Brothers. Read project brief.
  • Breakthrough New York—The BDC identified behavioral barriers limiting the number and diversity of students applying for Breakthrough-NY’s free 10-year program. We redesigned one of their webpages and suggested other ways to increase applications, particularly from boys of color.Read project brief.
  • Citizens' Committee for Children—After identifying behavioral barriers limiting responsive actions to CCC’s “Take Action” emails, the BDC redesigned the template email and offered recommendations to motivate advocates to send more letters to state and city leaders. Read project brief.
  • Community Food Advocates—We created a flyer and advised CFA on outreach strategies to inform NYC students and their families about the new Pandemic EBT benefits. We also identified barriers to school lunch participation and offered guidance on how to mitigate them. Read project brief.
  • CUNY Early Childhood Professional Development Institute (PDI)—We revised introductory correspondence with participants in PDI’s training and test preparation program, which provides training and support to early childhood teachers seeking Pre-K certification. We also outlined points and features to include in other communications and promotional material to enhance program recruitment and retention. Read project brief.
  • DOROT— Through its volunteer visiting programs, DOROT promotes intergenerational connections and combats social isolation among older adults. We helped them design an intervention to encourage volunteers to expand their involvement. Before implementing the BDC’s recommendations, volunteers were fulfilling 40% of the Response Team volunteer opportunities. Following initial implementation, in February 2020 volunteers were fulfilling 55%. Read project brief.
  • Enterprise Community Partners—We developed a client survey for Enterprise's FASTEN (Funds and Services for Tenants Experiencing Need) eviction prevention program, with the aim of maximizing responses and their value in informing program design and ongoing services for this client population. Read the project brief.
  • ExpandED Schools—We worked with ExpandED School’s Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) program to identify barriers keeping after-school educators from participating in its STEM Educators Academy (SEA). Based on our findings, we redesigned their email communications and a two-page training menu, and provided the SEA team with additional strategies to support participating sites and improve future communications. Read the project brief.
  • Green City Force (GCF)—Based on its analysis of factors that discourage GCF alumni from using services designed to help them succeed in their jobs and plan their career, the BDC develop an Engagement Guide and recommended additional strategies to increase ongoing utilization of GCF services.
  • Human Services Council—We examined factors limiting enrollment in HSC’s disaster response alert system, and recommended strategies to clarify the purpose and value of the system and expand participation. Read project brief.
  • LIFT-NY—We focused on identifying and addressing the behavioral barriers that keep some potential members from accessing LIFT’s supports and services. LIFT provides personalized coaching to help parents of young children achieve their long-term financial, educational, and/or career goals, ensuring a brighter future for their family as a whole. Read project brief.
  • Mind-Builders is a Bronx-based creative arts non-profit organization. Based on our analysis of behavioral barriers affecting student attendance in Mind-Builders music classes, the BDC developed a new Welcome Packet and a suite of other recommended strategies to increase uptake and retention in all class offerings.
  • Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC)—We prepared a series of communications from NMIC to its education and training program participants, and additional program redesign recommendations, to increase client outcome reporting and utilization of NMIC’s follow-up services. Read project brief.
  • NYC Kids RISE—We created a revised design for their savings program’s online interface and process to improve the user experience for families participating in the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program. Read project brief.
  • Participatory Budgeting Project—We worked to identify ways to address behavioral barriers that contribute to drop-off in engagement among volunteer Participatory Budgeting Delegates. This work was expected to inform citywide implementation of Participatory Budgeting, as well as enhancing delegate involvement in the PB processes in individual City Council districts. Read project brief.
  • Per Scholas—Based on our analysis of behavioral barriers that can discourage 17-24 year-olds from applying to Per Scholas’s free technology training programs, we designed sample outreach messages and recommended other changes to more effectively engage these young people. Read project brief.
  • Reading Partners—This project focused on illuminating and addressing behavioral barriers in Reading Partners New York’s volunteer onboarding process in order to increase the number of active volunteers serving New York City students. Based on diagnostic interview and survey findings, we redesigned the organization’s tutor training presentation to highlight the impact of and appreciation for volunteers’ work; share the experiences of current volunteers; and highlight the support available to volunteers who need it. Read project brief.
  • Queens Community House—We redesigned a weekly progress report email and advisory session worksheet for students at a transfer high school, and offered other suggestions leveraging behaviorally informed strategies to improve graduation rates. In the year following implementation of these changes, more students stayed after school to finish their work and reached out proactively to teachers for help. As a result, students did better in classes and, critically, passed state Regents exams at higher rates. Read project brief.
  • Room to Grow—We designed a flyer for the opening of their new Bronx location and offered recommendations on how to communicate with referring agencies to increase referrals and applications to the program. They saw increases of 26%-85% in their monthly referral statistics for August— December 2019 compared to the same time period the year before. Read project brief.
  • Sheltering Arms —We identified factors impeding Preventive Service referrals to the agency’s Health Home Care Management program, and recommended strategies to encourage referrals and facilitate the referral process. Read project brief.
  • uAspire—uAspire‘s text-message student-advising services provides personalized support to help college students make financially responsible decisions and secure and maintain the financial assistance needed to support their choices. To maximize the value of this support, we identified barriers limiting student response rates and strategies to overcome them. Read project brief.
  • University Settlement—We investigated the behavioral barriers limiting older adults’ participation in activities offered remotely. Based on findings, we redesigned outreach materials and suggested additional strategies to mitigate those barriers and increase engagement. Read project brief.
  • Urban Justice Center Domestic Violence Project—We focused on enhancing staff effectiveness in engaging clients in support groups and activities that have proven valuable to participants. Drawing on our analysis of factors limiting engagement, we developed text message campaigns for clients and staff, and identified a text message platform that fits UJC’s needs. Read project brief.
  • Youth Action Youth Build—We identified barriers to participation in program activities, developed a Journey Map to inform and motivate students, and recommended strategies to increase the number who persist throughout the course of the program. Read project brief.

We’re eager to work with organizations to apply a behavioral lens to program and service design in order to share behavioral insights and help more New Yorkers benefit from valuable programs. Reach out to us at bdc@ideas42.org or find us on X at @ideas42 to join the conversation.