For the last 15 years, ideas42 has been at the forefront of creating meaningful change by centering insights about how people actually make decisions and take action in the real world. Our solutions also reflect a sensitivity to the unique contexts that shape people’s everyday lives.
We’ve used this approach to generate hundreds of solutions impacting millions of lives. And while our aspirations will continually evolve in our next 15 years, our mission has never been clearer: using behavioral science to create a more equitable world.
As 2023 draws to a close, instead of reflecting on this passing year, we’re looking forward to what’s next. Read on for a look at some of the ways we're advancing our mission in 2024 and creating change in our core issue areas.
We are deploying VoterCast, a new platform that automatically creates tailored, evidence-based voter outreach materials for local election officials across the country. The tool will vastly improve how and when crucial information around elections is delivered to voters. By providing people with salient, timely, and actionable information, we are directly tackling some of the most persistent barriers to voting in 2024—especially for communities that are historically underrepresented in our electorate.
In 2024, we are putting behavioral insights to work at the level of policy and practice to address one of the most pressing issues of our time, from driving adoption of the climate provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act to helping farmers in Iowa invest in cover crops.
In 2024, we will use behavioral science to change negative attitudes and beliefs about guaranteed basic income and help advance a more generous social policy agenda that puts cash in families’ hands.
We will help relieve financial distress in 2024 for people with low and moderate incomes—in the U.S. and globally—by improving their access to short-term liquidity, reducing overindebtedness, and improving access to asset-building financial tools and products.
Charitable giving reached almost $500 billion in the U.S. in 2023. In 2024, we're designing new products and infrastructure to help more of these resources go to nonprofits tackling inequities while also ensuring that donors’ generosity truly translates to the social impact they envision.
In 2024, we will support young generations in low- and middle-income countries throughout their education journey by encouraging caregivers to engage in play with their young children in South Africa; tutors to support all learners to improve foundational numeracy and literacy in Senegal; high-achieving, low-income university students to access academic and mental health support at top universities in South Africa; and young adults to secure placement in jobs in Egypt.
In global health, the heart of every structural challenge has individuals who make (or fail to make) decisions—from powerful policy makers to mid-level managers who send administrative reports or place shipment orders—with significant consequences for those downstream. In 2024, we believe behavioral science can support upstream actors to prioritize better, make more evidence-informed choices, and be more responsive to the needs of the communities they serve and the health workers they employ.
In 2024, we will work with our college, nonprofit, government, and foundation partners to identify barriers to student success and develop innovative designs to help more students earn the degrees they seek.
To reduce known disparities in the legal system in 2024, our (Un)warranted initiative is changing how courts communicate with people to increase court attendance and prevent arrest warrants that jeopardize people’s freedom, economic stability, and well-being.
We will use behavioral science in 2024 to help humans effectively use, manage, and trust AI in healthcare, especially for the most marginalized groups. We will also work to build more trustworthy public health organizations that increase vaccinations in Black, Latino, and Native communities. Finally, we will help close care gaps and health care disparities around chronic disease management.
Stay tuned for more as we make progress on these projects in 2024 and beyond. We’re continuing the celebration of 15 years of ideas42’s impact—sign up for our newsletter if you haven’t already and don’t miss a thing!
