At MDRC, we collaborate with public agencies, educational institutions, nonprofits, and other organizations that are dedicated to improving the lives of individuals, families, and communities.
What do we do?
Conduct research and evaluations
We do research to define policy problems, understand programs and systems and the inequities they produce, and identify promising interventions. We also run independent, rigorous evaluations to assess the impact and implementation of programs and policies.
Create and test new interventions
We work with partners to design new interventions and test them in the real world.
Improve programs and processes
We help organizations improve their programs and practices, scale effective interventions, and build their capacities for data management and analysis.
Promote the use of evidence in policymaking
We share evidence-backed and practical lessons for improving programs and policies with policymakers and other key decisionmakers.
Design innovative methods, approaches, and tools
We create new methodologies and tools for evaluation and data analysis, generate approaches to advancing equity in research and technical assistance, and produce public use data files from our projects for other researchers to use.
“MDRC worked collaboratively with our team to generate important and timely evidence on key questions we needed to answer to strengthen early learning systems for children in Boston.”
Dr. Jason Sachs
Former Executive Director for Early Childhood at Boston Public Schools
Want to learn more?
Contact us to explore how we can help your organization.
Two centers at MDRC offer specialized expertise for our research and technical assistance partnerships:
The MDRC Center for Applied Behavioral Science works with partners to design and test creative, cost-effective, evidence-based interventions informed by principles of behavioral science and human-centered design to improve the way social services and education programs are delivered.
The MDRC Center for Data Insights helps government agencies, educational institutions, and nonprofits use data analytics to improve their practices, organizational cultures, and the structure of their work in sustainable ways, to ultimately lower their costs and improve outcomes for their clients.
For nearly 50 years, we’ve worked with our partners to find effective solutions to some of the nation’s most pressing problems.
Our services are anchored in:
- a deep understanding of the education and social policy systems serving people with low incomes;
- the expertise of our diverse staff, made up of talented researchers, practitioners, and experts in service delivery;
- a focus on improving programs and policies with data and evidence; and
- a commitment to equity and to centering the experiences of program participants and staff in our work.
Interested in working with us?
We're eager to learn how we can help you.
“We have worked with MDRC for over 10 years, and our partnership has always been anchored in innovation and collaboration. They don’t just bring research expertise to the table; they actively engage with us—and together we design solutions that truly address the evolving needs of our participants.”
Tamara Johnson
Chief of Staff at Per Scholas
Some of Our Partners
