MDRC

Financial Trends

Organization Details

MDRC, founded in 1974, is a mid-sized nonprofit in the Employment sector that reported $83.9M in total revenue in fiscal year 2023.

Mission

MDRC WAS FOUNDED IN 1974 SO THAT HIGH-QUALITY RESEARCH AND EVIDENCE COULD PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN IMPROVING POLICY, PRACTICE, AND THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOW INCOMES. WE HOLD TRUE TO THAT COMMITMENT TODAY. A NONPROFIT, NONPARTISAN ORGANIZATION, MDRC CONDUCTS RIGOROUS STUDIES OF PROGRAMS AND POLICIES THAT AFFECT PEOPLE WITH LOW INCOMES, ACTIVELY DISSEMINATES THE LESSONS TO POLICYMAKERS AND PRACTITIONERS, AND WORKS DIRECTLY WITH PROGRAMS AND AGENCIES TO HELP IMPROVE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS. UNDERLYING ALL OUR WORK IS A DEEP RESPECT FOR THE KNOWLEDGE OF ON-THE-GROUND PROGRAM STAFF AND INDIVIDUALS DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE PROGRAMS AND POLICIES WE STUDY. OUR DIVERSE, INTERDISCIPLINARY STAFF OF RESEARCHERS AND FORMER EDUCATORS AND PROGRAM OPERATORS SUPPORTED BY EXPERTS IN FINANCE, LAW, TECHNOLOGY, HUMAN RESOURCES, AND COMMUNICATIONS WORK IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, IN A WIDE RANGE OF DOMAINS, INCLUDING PRE-K TO POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, HOUSING, AND JOB TRAINING. WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE OUR EMPLOYEES REPRESENTED BY SOCIAL POLICY WORKERS UNITED (SPWU) LOCAL 57 OF THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY & MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES (AFSCME). OVER THE YEARS, MDRC HAS BROUGHT ITS COMMITMENT TO BUILDING STRONG EVIDENCE TO AN EVER-GROWING RANGE OF POLICY AREAS. WE HAVE WORKED IN NEARLY EVERY STATE AND MOST OF THE NATION'S MAJOR CITIES. TODAY WE ARE WORKING ON PROJECTS IN FIVE POLICY AREAS AND FOUR CENTERS: - FAMILY WELL-BEING AND CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT - K-12 EDUCATION - POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION - ECONOMIC MOBILITY, HOUSING, AND COMMUNITIES - YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, AND EMPLOYMENT - CENTER FOR APPLIED BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE - CENTER FOR DATA INSIGHTS - CENTER FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESEARCH - CENTER FOR EFFECTIVE CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION WHAT WE BELIEVE - RIGOROUS, NONPARTISAN RESEARCH, ACTIVE DISSEMINATION OF WHAT WE LEARN, AND HANDS-ON TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CAN PROMOTE MORE EFFECTIVE PUBLIC POLICIES AND PROGRAMS, IMPROVE THE LIVES OF FAMILIES WITH LOW INCOMES, AND ADDRESS STUBBORN INEQUITIES IN OUR SOCIETY. - OUR RESEARCH INDEPENDENCE IS ESSENTIAL TO OUR ABILITY TO ACHIEVE OUR MISSION. WE VALUE INPUT FROM FUNDERS AND OTHER KEY STAKEHOLDERS, BUT, ULTIMATELY, WE MUST BE ABLE TO RELEASE AND DISSEMINATE WHAT WE LEARN, FREE FROM POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS. - RESEARCH, DISSEMINATION, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ARE MOST EFFECTIVE WHEN THEY ARE SHAPED BY THE WISDOM OF THE STAFF WHO ADMINISTER PUBLIC SYSTEMS AND PROGRAMS AND OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPERIENCE THEM. - OUR WORK IS STRONGER WHEN OUR STAFF REPRESENT DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS AND PERSPECTIVES, OUR MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ARE INCLUSIVE, AND OUR ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE PROMOTES GROWTH, LEARNING, AND INNOVATION. SERVICES WE PROVIDE 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. - 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 COLLABORATE 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. ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2023 MDRC HAD A SUCCESSFUL YEAR IN 2023 WELCOMING MANY TALENTED NEW STAFF, LAUNCHING NEW PROJECTS, PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS IMPROVE THEIR SERVICE DELIVERY, AND DEVELOPING AND RELEASING NEW FINDINGS TO INFORM THE DECISIONS OF POLICYMAKERS AND PROGRAM PROVIDERS. 2023 WAS ALSO A YEAR OF SIGNIFICANT PASSINGS: FOUNDING BOARD MEMBER AND LONG-TIME BOARD CHAIR ROBERT SOLOW, FOUNDING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WILLIAM GRINKER, AND LONG-TIME BOARD MEMBER REBECCA BLANK ALL DIED, LEAVING LASTING LEGACIES FOR MDRC AND THE NATION. SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2023 INCLUDE: MDRC EXPANDED THE GUERON SCHOLARS PROGRAM, WHICH OFFERS PAID INTERNSHIPS FOR UNDERGRADUATES AND MASTER'S-LEVEL STUDENTS AND DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS FOR STUDENTS ENGAGED IN DISSERTATION RESEARCH. THE PROGRAM SEEKS TO ENGAGE AND ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUALS FROM GROUPS THAT ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN THE EDUCATION AND SOCIAL POLICY RESEARCH COMMUNITIES. IN 2023, WE EXPANDED OUR COLLABORATION WITH THE POLICY ACADEMIES, BROUGHT ON MORE INTERNS AND FELLOWS, AND PROVIDED LIVING ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WHO NEED THEM. THE GUERON SCHOLAR PROGRAM HAS SERVED MORE THAN 50 TALENTED YOUNG PEOPLE SINCE ITS CREATION. MDRC PROJECTS EXPANDED THEIR USE OF PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH METHODS IN A VARIETY OF DOMAINS, INCLUDING THE MYGOALS FOR EMPLOYMENT SUCCESS PROJECT, MDRC'S CENTER FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESEARCH, AND IN MDRC'S EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION PROJECTS.

Program Service Accomplishments

Financial Overview (2023)

Year-over-Year Comparison

Governance

Special Practices & Reported Activities

Compensation of Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Historical Data