Other RFA Initiatives
Economic Mobility Catalog: The Economic Mobility Catalog was created to help local government leaders identify and implement evidence-based strategies to advance economic mobility in their communities. The Economic Mobility Catalog contains summaries of over 50 high-level strategies and nearly 200 specific practices and programs that have demonstrated positive results in rigorous evaluations. For every strategy, practice, and program, the Catalog synthesizes the relevant research, identifies best practices in implementation, and aggregates additional resources for users interested in learning more. The resource also contains dozens of case studies that focus on how evidence-based strategies have been successfully implemented in cities and counties across the country.
Good Jobs & Equity Project: GJEP was launched in 2022 to support state, local and tribal government leaders in leveraging historic recovery investments from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to improve job quality and advance workforce equity. Backed by the Families and Workers Fund, the project will equip 12 jurisdictions with the tools, resources and skills needed to build and use evidence and data to create high-quality jobs. The project will also identify the most effective evidence-based strategies for improving job quality in more communities across the country.
Results for America 10th Anniversary Report: A 10-year report highlights how Results for America has helped government leaders use evidence and data to increase the impact of government dollars and steer more public dollars to solutions that accelerate economic mobility. Our mission for the next 10 years: To spread this approach far and wide. To close racial gaps and open opportunities for all. To work with leaders across the political spectrum to improve the impact of the over $2 trillion already being spent each year by governments in the United States to meet the needs of vulnerable populations and advance economic mobility.
RFA Standards of Excellence: RFA;s Invest in What Works State Standard of Excellence sets a “north star” for how state governments can consistently and effectively use evidence and data in budget, policy, and management decisions to achieve better, more equitable outcomes for their residents.
What Works Cities: The What Works Cities Certification program, launched in 2017 by Bloomberg Philanthropies and led by Results for America, is the first-of-its-kind standard of excellence for data-driven, well-managed local government. What Works Cities Certification recognizes and celebrates local governments for their exceptional use of data to inform policy decisions, allocate funding, improve services, evaluate the effectiveness of programs and engage residents.
Our Peer Organizations
The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL): J-PAL is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Anchored by a network of 262 affiliated professors at universities around the world, J-PAL conducts randomized impact evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty.
Anti-Oppression Research & Training Alliance (AORTA): A worker-owned cooperative organization providing training and resources to support racial, gender, economic, environmental, and disability justice; trans and queer liberation; anti-capitalism and anti-imperialism through integration and practice of democratic principles.
The Aspen Institute: The Aspen Institute is a nonpartisan forum conducting programming and research in areas including economic mobility, education, and justice, among others.
BrightHive: A public benefit corporation offering a cloud-based platform to streamline cross-enterprise data sharing and collaboration.
Brookings: The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization conducting in-depth research on topics including economics, development, governance, and metropolitan policy.
Center for American Progress: A policy institute providing guidance and research to improve the lives of Americans through bold, progressive ideas as well as strong leadership and concerted action.
Coleridge Initiative: A nonprofit organization providing technology and training to improve governments’ expertise in data analysis to ensure that data are more effectively used for evidence-based policy and decision-making.
Data Quality Campaign (DQC): DQC is a nonprofit policy and advocacy organization providing accessible education and workforce data to individuals, families, educators, communities, and policymakers.
Data Quality Campaign – Federal Funding Overview: A publication by DQC offering a brief overview of federal funding streams.
Democracy at Work Institute: A national organization dedicated to building the field of worker cooperative development. Useful as a source for research, education and relationship-building.
Economic Policy Institute (EPI): EPI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank focused on the needs of low- and middle-income workers in economic policy discussions. The organization is a useful resource for research and analysis on the economic status of working America as well as public policies that protect and improve the economic conditions of low- and middle-income workers.
Harvard Government Performance Lab (GPL): GPL supports state and local governments in designing and implementing solutions that reform and improve public services, from government spending through procurement to incorporating community voice. GPL’s research model involves capturing and sharing the insights, tools, and practices gained through these projects.
Institute for Research on Labor and Employment: Offers a list of experts who can provide insightful analysis, opinions, and comment on a wide range of labor and employment issues, particularly low wage work. Useful resource for identifying contact information for an expert near you.
Jobs for the Future (JFF): JFF drives transformation of the American workforce and education systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all through the incubation of creative approaches.
Maycomb Capital: An impact investing firm financing workforce development, early childhood, homelessness, healthcare, social services, and financial services strategies and enterprises.
Mathematica: This organization is known for helping state and local governments, among others, to improve programs, refine strategies, and enhance understanding to improve public well-being.
Mathematica – Education to Workforce Indicator Framework: This tool leverages existing evidence to establish a common set of metrics and practices for education-to-workforce data systems to assess and address inequities along the pre-K-to-workforce continuum to enable students and workers to achieve economic mobility and security.
MDRC: National nonprofit, nonpartisan evaluation and policy research organization pubilshing large-scale randomized control trials (RCTs) and other evaluations. In addition, MDRC makes evaluations’ data sets available to researchers at no charge.
National Association of Workforce Boards: The National Association of Workforce Boards is a membership-based organization composed of workforce agencies across the country. The organization serves as a resource for thought leadership and policy advocacy on all aspects of workforce development and supportive services.
National Fund for Workforce Solutions: The National Fund for Workforce Solutions is a network of 30+ communities dedicated to an evidenced-based approach to workforce development.