ideas42

(Un)warranted: Reimagining and Reforming Court Communications Our goal is to prevent 500,000 missed court dates, and their resulting warrants and jailtime, over the next five years.

Every year, millions of people miss court dates—not because they don’t care, but because life gets in the way.

Court reminder programs are a proven, low-cost way to meet people where they are.

Learn about our work scaling reminders to help more people get to court.

www.ideas42.org/unwarranted/

A parent of two stretching dollars as costs rise. A recent immigrant building a new life while navigating limited credit history. These are among the many faces of small-dollar loan borrowers.

Dive deeper into these real stories in our latest report: www.ideas42.org/wp-content/u...

3 in 10 Americans say that their debt has reached unmanageable levels, and almost 10% of credit card balances went into delinquency in 2023.

Many families are struggling under the weight of accumulated debt and need help to recover.

#ImpactResearch #DataVisualization #InteractiveReport

Seeing the Forest for the Trees: Personal Reflection Prompts More Intentional Giving As we inch closer to Giving Season, our team wondered: Can themed reflection quizzes turn passion into action?

🧠 What happens when you ask people to reflect before they give?

Working alongside 1% for the Planet, we discovered something fascinating—a brief reflective exercise could be the missing link between charitable intentions and actual giving behavior.

www.ideas42.org/blog/seeing-...

Subtracting for Success A new white paper by ideas42 offers surprising insights into how educational programs can help more students succeed and graduate.

💡It’s time to rethink how we approach #studentsuccess

As millions of students finalize their higher education plans, a new whitepaper from ideas42 provides practical approaches colleges and universities can take to design smarter, simpler processes for students.

www.ideas42.org/project/subt...

More than numbers: Strengthening RCT and cost reporting for policy and practice Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are a powerful tool for understanding

We're excited to share insights from a recent collaboration between 3ie and @ideas42.bsky.social! Read Suvarna Pande and Catherine MacLeod's reflections on lessons from a review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating cash transfer programs.
Read the blog: bit.ly/RCT_cash_tra...

Boosting Court Appearance Rates with Mailed Reminders

Catalyst Grantee @ideas42.bsky.social worked with Sacramento #courts to boost appearance rates using mailed reminders. The result? Fewer missed court dates, fewer costly consequences. Read more. @microsoft.com

How the science of giving is revolutionizing philanthropy In a recent fireside chat, Managing Director Sarah Welch, explores how behavioral science is transforming how organizations approach fundraising.

In a recent fireside chat with GlobalGiving CEO Victoria Vrana, ideas42 Managing Director Sarah Welch explores the unexpected insights from #behavioralscience that are transforming how organizations approach fundraising—and changing philanthropy worldwide.

www.ideas42.org/blog/how-the...

Can We Create a Pattern Language for Behavioral Design? - by Piyush Tantia - Behavioral Scientist Psychologies, especially as represented in lists of biases, point out problems. Developing a pattern language would point us to solutions.

Can behavioral design have its own "pattern language"—like architecture or user experience design?

ideas42 Chief Innovation Officer Piyush Tantia explores how to make behavioral design more accessible, scalable, and effective in @behscientist.bsky.social.

behavioralscientist.org/can-we-creat...

Why People-Centered Approaches Matter More Than Ever The nonprofit sector is at a critical crossroads—bullied and pressured into silence. Organizations supporting those excluded from economic security face scrutiny, doubt, and hostility while striving t...

The nonprofit sector is at a critical crossroads—bullied and pressured into silence.

From @ideas42.bsky.social CEO Bridgette Gray, here are three concrete things we do in our work to help people maintain agency over their lives during a tumultuous time.

www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-pe...

Why Giving Feels Good: The Science of Generosity – by Sarah Welch - The Life You Can Save Research shows that helping others really does seem to be good for us. Generosity brings happiness, reduces stress, and strengthens social bonds—benefits that extend beyond the immediate act of giving...

Helping others isn’t just good for the world—it’s good for you, too.

From managing director Sarah Welch, read how embracing the profound benefits of generosity can help unlock more generosity in ourselves and our communities.

www.thelifeyoucansave.org/rationales-f...

How Farmer Networks Can Unlock Sustainable Agriculture Discover the power of cover cropping in agriculture. Learn how farmers in the Midwest exchange ideas and benefit from each other's experiences.

We know that powerful partnerships drive impactful change.

Our work with Practical Farmers of Iowa demonstrates how leveraging strong networks can lead to innovative solutions that benefit farmers and the environment alike.

www.ideas42.org/blog/cover-c...

Let’s honor their legacy by continuing to learn, uplift, and amplify Black voices.

#BlackHistoryMonth2025

Below is a small sample of some of the Black researchers, thought leaders, and practitioners who contributed to the advancement of the different disciplines that comprise the behavioral sciences.

#BlackHistoryMonth is a time to reflect on and celebrate the contributions made by Black people in all walks of life, across all industries, and in all parts of our society.

This celebration should include #behavioralscience.

Shifting Harmful Narratives About Poverty in the U.S. HIGHLIGHTS We are using behavioral science to change false, harmful narratives about poverty and lay the groundwork for more effective social policy that centers agency, dignity, and respect. We envis...

Our partnerships are the foundation for amplified impact.

Working with organizations across the U.S. that bring expertise in narrative change, we're reimagining narratives about poverty to make more effective public programs possible.

Learn more: www.ideas42.org/project/chan...

Daylight Advisors | philanthropic planning Daylight asked philanthropy advisors how they learn best. The top responses from attendees indicated that the best learning happens in open discussions with others, through practice and repetition, en...

Daylight's Behavioral Philanthropy Certificate, developed with ideas42, helps philanthropic advisors understand #behavioralscience principles and enhance client relationships.

Learn more about the course: www.daylightadvisors.com/certificates...

Careers Non-profit design and consulting firm that uses insights from the behavioral sciences to address complex social problems.

Join our team! 🙂🤓

We're currently hiring for two roles.

💡 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗿, 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵

💡𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿

Learn more and apply 👇

www.ideas42.org/careers/

Courts Without Fear How assuring no arrests boosts court appearance and efficiency.

By understanding how human behavior interacts with a system, we can develop new solutions that result in widespread change.

Learn about our work reimagining and reforming the communications people receive about their court dates, in Kansas City and across the U.S.

www.ideas42.org/15-years-of-...

@daylightadvisors.bsky.social and ideas42 launch Behavioral #Philanthropy Certificate (online, self-paced). This will be soooo good.

Registration is open now for the Behavioral Philanthropy Certificate!

Developed in partnership with Daylight, the Behavioral Philanthropy Certificate dives into the psychological factors influencing donor behavior.

Learn more and register💡

www.daylightadvisors.com/certificates...

Kahneman-Treisman Center Initiative Assists Students, Scholars in Applying Behavioral Science to Research | Princeton School of Public and International Affairs A few years ago, in a paper published in Science, researchers showed that reminders beforehand were more effective in getting criminal defendants to show up for court appearances than the deterrent th...

Our partnership with the Princeton School of Public & International Affairs Kahneman-Treisman Center for Behavioral Science & Public Policy demonstrates our commitment to teaching others to ensure behavioral science continues to be used for good

Learn more: spia.princeton.edu/news/kahnema...

Research and Evaluation Lead (Contractor) Remote United States

A great project evaluating court date notifications is in the works and the wonderful @ideas42.bsky.social is looking for a PhD to help lead the evaluation on a contract basis: $80-$120 per hour, up to 20-30 hours per week. Apply by January 15: job-boards.greenhouse.io/ideas42/jobs...
#econsky

The Power of Us: 2024 in Review We’ve collaborated with partners around the world in a range of fields. Here are a few projects that showcase how much more we accomplish together.

When we combine our #behavioralscience expertise, the insights of our partners, and the lived experience of the communities we work with, we create meaningful impact.

Read more from @ideas42.bsky.social CEO Bridgette Gray on what we accomplished in 2024.

www.ideas42.org/blog/the-pow...

Careers Non-profit design and consulting firm that uses insights from the behavioral sciences to address complex social problems.

Join our team! 🙂🤓

We're hiring for three roles entering 2025:

💡 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗿, 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵

💡𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿

💡𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 & 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱

Learn more & apply: https://bit.ly/3BD57lO

Learn how we're supporting girls in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and worldwide to take control of their reproductive futures.

https://bit.ly/4gKgxDD

Learn how we're designing school programs that help people enroll and persist in college, helping more people achieve their educational goals.

https://bit.ly/4gKgxDD

What billionaires and their advisers say keeps them from giving more and faster America’s wealthiest people have long urged each other to give away more of their money. So, what stands in the way of them giving more and giving faster?

What stands in the way of the wealthiest people giving more and giving faster?

"It’s like a massive, perfect storm of behavioral barriers,” said ideas42 Chief Innovation Officer Piyush Tantia to @apnews.com.

Read more: apnews.com/article/bill...

#nonprofit #behavioralscience

Behavioral Scientist’s Notable Books of 2024 - by Antonia Violante and Evan Nesterak - Behavioral Scientist Our list of noteworthy behavioral science books published in 2024.

It's the most wonderful time...to reflect on the most notable #behavioralscience books of the year! 📚💡🧠

Read more from @behscientist.bsky.social: behavioralscientist.org/behavioral-s...

Learn how we're building solutions to encourage donors to give to smaller, equity-focused organizations that create powerful change, and check out the other ways we made an impact in 2024.

https://bit.ly/4gKgxDD