What is your organization's mission?
To drive impact by equipping changemakers with evidence and solutions. Learn more.
What are some highlights of your work over the past year?
In the past year, governments, philanthropies, service providers, activists, and businesses tapped the Urban Institute to conduct research and translate findings into actions that fuel meaningful change. As our work took hold among changemakers in these and other spaces, it inspired them to apply new approaches to alleviating the challenges faced by people and communities across the country.
Highlights:
• After groundbreaking Urban research showed that more than 100,000 new mothers could receive needed postpartum care by extending pregnancy-related Medicaid coverage to one year after giving birth, nearly 40 states and the District of Columbia changed their policies to allow the extension.
• Children in the District of Columbia will now have more agency in how they build wealth in adulthood because of strategic advice Urban provided city officials about its baby bonds program. Drawing on Urban’s deep body of research on the topic, Urban experts suggested an evidence-based approach to ensure DC children would indeed benefit from the effort. Ultimately, the city adopted our recommendation.
• More families with low incomes in Michigan are able to put food on their tables after Urban evidence revealed the unintended consequences of a policy to support people experiencing hunger. Michigan’s health department used Urban’s findings to encourage a change in state law.
What sets your organization apart in the field?
Over nearly 60 years, the Urban Institute has built a breadth and depth of expertise on myriad issues affecting Americans, including housing, jobs, education, and financial well-being. Because of this, we bring a unique ability to identify the intersecting challenges some families and communities experience—and how policy decisions can help or harm them. This capacity allows Urban to deliver evidence-based solutions that have the power to fuel meaningful, lasting change.
What is something new or innovative that your organization is excited to try?
Urban Institute researchers are exploring artificial intelligence (AI)—specifically, how it can increase upward mobility as well as how it can generate misinformation and embed discrimination. As an organization, we are also piloting guidelines around the use of AI in our research and policy work.
If you're hiring what makes your organization a great place to work?
Our work is an unqualified reflection of the great people we hire. Urban derives its strength from creativity, intellectual contribution and growth, and our differences in viewpoint, background, and experience. Accordingly, we welcome and celebrate diversity in all its forms: Urban is proudly multidisciplinary, multicultural, multiracial, academic and applied, and highly schooled and practically experienced.