How do you solve a problem like distracted donors?
by Sarah Welch
Surprisingly, people often need less information and time to act than we expect. Giving donors less time can often lead to more action.
Uncovering the Lives Behind Better Cash Transfers
by Mukta Joshi, Wen Wen Teh, and Ariadna Vargas
Pictures of a cash transfer recipient with her savings box In many parts of the Global South, millions of individuals face the harsh realities of extreme poverty each day. They carry the heavy burden of not having enough resources to meet their needs, and this constant struggle takes a toll on their mental bandwidth. It […]
Values, Impact, and Norms, Oh My! New Research into How Donors Give
by Nick O'Donnell and Bradley Noble
New research on donor behavior can spark innovations to increase proactive, strategic, and impactful giving. This can mean more funds for more charitable organizations to solve critical social problems around the world.
Five Behaviorally Informed Ideas for Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health
by ideas42
Behavioral science has the power to catalyze progress across the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) sector. Over the last decade, our Global Health team has worked on more than 250 projects in over 30 low-and middle-income countries applying behavioral science to programs across the ecosystem. From reducing provider bias during contraceptive counseling to boosting male […]
Combatting Negative Self-Perception to Increase Youth Employment: Evidence from an Egyptian Labor Program
by Bradley Noble and Catherine MacLeod
Stable employment and career opportunities are critical components of development, but many people living in developing countries still lack access to them. To combat this, countries institute labor programs to match job seekers with employers, but too often these programs fail to design for the context in which job seekers actually behave. As a result, […]
Putting Communities First: How AI Can Revolutionize Local Governance
by Ariadna Vargas and Jeremy Barofsky
Memphis, Tennessee, is often the subject of negative media attention, particularly when it comes to crime and poverty. However, after working for months with local non-profit organizations as part of our Narrative Change work, we were able to confirm what residents of the city have always known—that there is so much more to Memphis than […]
6 Behavioral Science Principles Critical for Effective Family Planning Programs
by ideas42
Unintended pregnancies are a persistent global challenge with significant health, financial, and social consequences that disproportionately impact those with the least. Despite significant strides in increasing the availability of contraceptive services, 49% (111 million) of all pregnancies are unintended each year in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), preventing women from having the opportunity to choose […]
Civic Participation Beyond the Ballot Box: Harnessing Behavioral Science to Strengthen Democracy
by Laura Wolff
A broad goal of American democracy is to have a government that reflects, in composition and action, the will of a broad, diverse public. This ideal demands widespread and persistent public participation in civic discourse and action. Such engagement is critical to reducing the likelihood that the loudest, most extreme voices will be overrepresented in […]
Uncovering Hidden Biases in ChatGPT’s Written Content–and Preventing Them from Exacerbating Existing Inequalities
by Ariadna Vargas, Jeremy Barofsky, Miranda Allegar, Erik Simmons, and Maheen Shermohammed
ChatGPT is a cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) tool that has the potential to revolutionize the way we produce written content. We may very soon see writers using it as their own personal assistants to generate ideas, publishers using it to generate content effortlessly, and programmers using it to write pieces of code quickly. However, the […]
Refining Solutions for Supporting Facility-Based Delivery in Liberia
by Allison Schachter and Sara Flanagan
For many rural low-income pregnant women in Liberia, the ability to deliver at a health facility is riddled with barriers. While they may intend to deliver their baby at a health facility and believe it’s the safest place to give birth, it often requires extensive planning and saving, from determining when and how to leave […]
