United States: Process Overview

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The content on this page has not been recently updated. This content is likely to be no longer fully accurate, both with respect to the research it presents and with respect to what it implies about our views and positions.

Published: 2010

Table of Contents

Goal of the report

We sought to identify outstanding charities in the area of US equality of opportunity whose work is proven, cost-effective, and scalable (i.e., has room for more funding). We conducted the research below during 2010, and as of 2011, we have de-prioritized further work on this cause (more in our discussion of GiveWell's 2011 priorities).

We do not claim that charities with these qualities are the only ones that should be funded, but rather that they are a good fit for individual donors, or people who are:

  • Looking to give $250,000 or less in a year, and therefore unlikely to be able to fund personalized projects or hire their own staff (or philanthropic advice).
  • Without personal/firsthand knowledge of particular charities' effectiveness - essentially starting with no or very limited knowledge of their options.
  • Without the time or capacity to visit charities' operations on the ground, develop relationships with charities, etc. - looking to give effectively but also quickly.

Also see our blog post on small, unproven charities, which argues that such donors should focus on what is proven, cost-effective and scalable.

Process for identifying and selecting charities

Generating a list of potential charities

We sought to find charities in this cause whose programs had been rigorously evaluated, preferably in a randomized controlled trial. Our page on the need for rigorously evaluated programs provides more information on why we rely on this criterion. In order to identify promising charities:

  • We checked every program listed on the following sites (each of which provides a list of programs that have been rigorously evaluated): (a) ChildTrends,1 (b) Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy, and (c) MDRC.2
  • We asked for charity recommendations that met the above criterion from the members of the Alliance for Effective Social Investing3 and David Anderson at Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy.4
  • In addition, we considered:
    • National charter school networks (e.g., KIPP, Achievement First, Green Dot).
    • Organizations for which we had knowledge of a randomized controlled trial of their programs but whose trials did not appear on one of our source sites.
    • The DC Central Kitchen, an organization we reviewed as part of our participation in a panel at Social Capital Markets (SoCap) 2010 conference.

Narrowing the field

The process described immediately above generated a list of both charities and programs. We initially narrowed the field by examining programs (i.e., when a charity was recommended to us we examined the programs it focuses on) and excluding any programs for which one of the following held:

  • We could not identify a charity running the program.
    • For each program, we checked whether the source itself (e.g., ChildTrends) provided a link to a charity running the program. We also conducted a Google search for the name of the program to identify charities running the program.
    • We excluded charities which listed the program among many programs they run, without evidence that the program accounted for a majority of their activities.
  • The summary information available for the evaluation had one of the following issues:
    • The source's summary of the program reported that the program had no statistically significant positive impacts.
    • The source only reported statistically significant effects at the p.1 as opposed to p.05 level.
    • The evaluation was not yet completed and had not published any results assessing impact.
    • The reported evaluation was not a randomized controlled trial. (More on why we used this heuristic)
  • The program was "outclassed" by another similar program with a stronger track record, i.e. the program focused on achieving a goal for which we already had a program with a stronger case for impact. For instance, we did not investigate charities running home visitation programs for young children as the Nurse-Family Partnership likely "outclassed" them in achieving this goal. For programs in this category, we have provided a link (click the name of the program) to a more detailed explanation.

The programs that were not eliminated in this process are designed priority programs.

Examining promising charities

Any charity focusing on a priority program was investigated in more depth, to determine the extent to which it meets our criteria. Note that when assessing the extent to which a charity is "proven," we included specific attention to both

  • Evidence of impact - i.e., whether there are any evaluations rigorously demonstrating that the charity's primary program(s) is/are effective.
  • Ongoing monitoring - i.e., the process by which the charity assesses the ongoing quality of its program and the likelihood that they are achieving comparable results to programs shown to work in past rigorous evaluations.

The table below provides links to these in-depth evaluations.

All programs and charities considered

The table below provides a full list of all the programs and charities we considered, the source for each, whether it met our initial heuristics, and additional information if relevant.

Each item links to a program or charity review (or both), if available.

Name Source Conclusion
KIPP Charter school Standout
Nurse-Family Partnership Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy Past top-rated charity with limited room for more funding
Incredible Years Series (Invest in Kids) ChildTrends Reviewed
Career Academies (National Academy Foundation) Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy Reviewed
Big Brothers/Big Sisters Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy Reviewed
Enhanced Services for the Hard-to-Employ (Center for Employment Opportunities) MDRC Reviewed
New Hope Project ChildTrends Reviewed
Experience Corps ChildTrends Reviewed
Harlem Children's Zone Independent knowledge of a randomized controlled trial Reviewed
Teach for America MDRC Reviewed
The Children's Agenda David Anderson, Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy Reviewed
DC Central Kitchen Participated in panel at SoCap 2010 Full review not completed
Center for Employment Training Replication MDRC Full review not completed
SMART – Start Making a Reader Today Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy Full review not completed
Success for All ChildTrends Full review not completed
Teen Outreach Program (TOP) ChildTrends Full review not completed
Building Educated Leaders for Life (BELL) Summer Learning Program ChildTrends Full review not completed
Reach Out and Read ChildTrends Full review not completed
Brief Strategic Family Therapy ChildTrends Outclassed by Big Brothers/Big Sisters
Creating Lasting Connections ChildTrends Outclassed by Big Brothers/Big Sisters
Friendly PEERsuasion ChildTrends Outclassed by Big Brothers/Big Sisters
Keep a Clear Mind ChildTrends Outclassed by Big Brothers/Big Sisters
Sembrando Salud ChildTrends Outclassed by Big Brothers/Big Sisters
Ready to Learn ChildTrends Outclassed by Experience Corps
Families First ChildTrends Outclassed by Invest in Kids
Achievement First Charter school Outclassed by KIPP
Green Dot Public Schools Charter school Outclassed by KIPP
Replications Charter school Outclassed by KIPP
The SEED Foundation Charter school Outclassed by KIPP
Uncommon Schools Charter school Outclassed by KIPP
JobStart MDRC Outclassed by National Academy Foundation
Healthy Steps for Young Children ChildTrends Outclassed by Nurse-Family Partnership
Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) ChildTrends Outclassed by Nurse-Family Partnership
Nurturing Program for Teenage Parents and Their Families ChildTrends Outclassed by Nurse-Family Partnership
Parents as Teachers ChildTrends Outclassed by Nurse-Family Partnership
Project CARE ChildTrends Outclassed by Nurse-Family Partnership
Transactional Model of Early Home Intervention ChildTrends Outclassed by Nurse-Family Partnership
Communities in Schools Alliance for Effective Social Investing Evaluation not a randomized controlled trial
Accelerated Academics Academy ChildTrends No impact
Action Schools! British Columbia ChildTrends No impact
Adolescent Social Action Program ChildTrends No impact
Adventure Island ChildTrends No impact
Aggressors, Victims & Bystanders ChildTrends No impact
AIDS-preventive intervention ChildTrends No impact
Bay Area School Reform Collaborative MDRC No impact
Boot Camp ChildTrends No impact
Building Early Language and Literacy ChildTrends No impact
Cambridge-Somerville Youth Study ChildTrends No impact
Comprehensive Child Development Program ChildTrends No impact
DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) ChildTrends No impact
DC HOPE ChildTrends No impact
Direct Instruction and Mediated Learning ChildTrends No impact
Discharge From Parole ChildTrends No impact
Employment Retention and Advancement MDRC No impact
Ending Violence ChildTrends No impact
Families and Schools Together ChildTrends No impact
Families United to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (FUPTP) ChildTrends No impact
Family Planning Clinic Support Services ChildTrends No impact
Fit for Life Boy Scout Badge ChildTrends No impact
Formative Assessments of Student Thinking in Reading (FAST-R) MDRC No impact
Griffin-Spalding Middle School Academy ChildTrends No impact
Healthy for Life Project (HFL) ChildTrends No impact
Heritage Keepers Life Skills Education ChildTrends No impact
High School Smoking Prevention Program ChildTrends No impact
Home Visitation Trial for Urban Women ChildTrends No impact
Hospital and Home Support Interventions During Infancy ChildTrends No impact
Hutchinson Smoking Prevention Project (HSPP) ChildTrends No impact
Impaired Minds Produce Actions Causing Trauma (IMPACT) ChildTrends No impact
Kids Can Bike ChildTrends No impact
Making A Difference! ChildTrends No impact
Minnesota Competence Enhancement Project (MCEP) ChildTrends No impact
My Choice, My Future! ChildTrends No impact
Paint Creek Youth Center ChildTrends No impact
Parent-Child Assistance Program ChildTrends No impact
Parent-Targeted Intervention for Adolescent Substance Use Prevention ChildTrends No impact
Peer Intervention Program ChildTrends No impact
Phonological Awareness Training (PAT) ChildTrends No impact
Postponing Sexual Involvement ChildTrends No impact
Professional Development in Math Study MDRC No impact
Project ACCEL ChildTrends No impact
Project ALERT ChildTrends No impact
Project Ploughshares Puppets for Peace (P4) ChildTrends No impact
Project SNAPP ChildTrends No impact
Project Taking Charge ChildTrends No impact
Recapturing the Vision ChildTrends No impact
Safer Choices ChildTrends No impact
School Choice Scholarships Program ChildTrends No impact
SEARCH/TEACH Tutoring ChildTrends No impact
Skill-based intervention on condom use ChildTrends No impact
Teen Court ChildTrends No impact
Teens in Control ChildTrends No impact
The McMaster Teen Program ChildTrends No impact
Twelve Together ChildTrends No impact
Untitled Clinic-Based Bicycle Helmet Promotion ChildTrends No impact
Untitled Prevention Intervention for Hispanic Couples ChildTrends No impact
Virtual Environment Technology to Prevent Teen Smoking ChildTrends No impact
California Works for Better Health MDRC Evaluation not a randomized controlled trial
Chicago's New Communities Program MDRC Evaluation not a randomized controlled trial
Dreamkeepers and Angel Fund Emergency Financial Aid MDRC Evaluation not a randomized controlled trial
Extended-Service Schools MDRC Evaluation not a randomized controlled trial
Foundations for Success MDRC Evaluation not a randomized controlled trial
High School Reform Conference Series MDRC Evaluation not a randomized controlled trial
Instructional Leadership Study MDRC Evaluation not a randomized controlled trial
Learning Communities Demonstration MDRC Evaluation not a randomized controlled trial
Literacy in Libraries Across America MDRC Evaluation not a randomized controlled trial
Neighborhood Jobs Initiative MDRC Evaluation not a randomized controlled trial
Project GRAD MDRC Evaluation not a randomized controlled trial
Project on Devolution and Urban Change MDRC Evaluation not a randomized controlled trial
Protecting You/Protecting Me (PY/PM) ChildTrends Evaluation not a randomized controlled trial
Scaling Up First Things First MDRC Evaluation not a randomized controlled trial
School-to-Work Transition Project MDRC Evaluation not a randomized controlled trial
Supporting Healthy Marriage MDRC Evaluation not a randomized controlled trial
Talent Development MDRC Evaluation not a randomized controlled trial
Accelerated Benefits Demonstration MDRC Evaluation in progress
Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count MDRC Evaluation in progress
AutoSave MDRC Evaluation in progress
Building Strong Families MDRC Evaluation in progress
Coordinated Care for High-Cost Medicaid Recipients with Disabilities MDRC Evaluation in progress
Evaluation of the Content Literacy Continuum MDRC Evaluation in progress
Head Start CARES Project MDRC Evaluation in progress
New York City Small Schools of Choice Evaluation MDRC Evaluation in progress
Performance-Based Scholarship Demonstration MDRC Evaluation in progress
Reintegration of Ex-Offenders Random Assignment Evaluation MDRC Evaluation in progress
Response to Intervention (RtI) Programs for Struggling Elementary Readers MDRC Evaluation in progress
TANF/SSI Disability Transition Project MDRC Evaluation in progress
Texas Developmental Summer Bridge Study MDRC Evaluation in progress
The Camden Regional Equity Demonstration Project MDRC Evaluation in progress
The Developmental Education Initiative MDRC Evaluation in progress
Transitional Jobs Reentry Demonstration MDRC Evaluation in progress
Youth Corps MDRC Evaluation in progress
Career Beginnings ChildTrends Summary did not report significance at 5% significance level
Parent-Child Home Program ChildTrends Summary did not report significance at 5% significance level
Preventive Alcohol Education Program ChildTrends No charity
Seeking Safety ChildTrends No charity
Parenting Adolescents Wisely (PAW) Program ChildTrends No charity
¡Cuídate! ChildTrends No charity
21st Century Community Learning Centers ChildTrends No charity
5-A-Day Power Plus Program ChildTrends No charity
Abecedarian Project Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy No charity
Accelerated Schools MDRC No charity
Active Programme Promoting Lifestyle in Schools (APPLES) ChildTrends No charity
Adolescent Alcohol Prevention Trial (AAPT) ChildTrends No charity
Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach ChildTrends No charity
Adolescent Coping with Stress ChildTrends No charity
Adolescent Training and Learning to Avoid Steroids Program (ATLAS) ChildTrends No charity
Afrocentric Peer Counseling ChildTrends No charity
AIDS Education and Counseling in an Office Setting ChildTrends No charity
Alcohol Misuse Prevention Study (AMPS) ChildTrends No charity
Alcohol Skills Training Program ChildTrends No charity
AlcoholEdu for College ChildTrends No charity
All Stars ChildTrends No charity
All4You ChildTrends No charity
Al's Pals ChildTrends No charity
American Heart Association (AHA) Physical Activity Intervention ChildTrends No charity
Amity Prison Therapeutic Community Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy No charity
Anger Coping Program ChildTrends No charity
ARREST (AIDS Risk Reduction Education and Skills Training Program) ChildTrends No charity
Arthur Television Program ChildTrends No charity
ASSESS ChildTrends No charity
Athletes Targeting Healthy Exercise & Nutrition Alternatives (ATHENA) ChildTrends No charity
Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-Up ChildTrends No charity
Be Proud! Be Responsible! ChildTrends No charity
Becoming A Responsible Teen (BART) ChildTrends No charity
Behavioral Weight Control Programme ChildTrends No charity
Behavioral Weight Loss Program for Children and Their Parents ChildTrends No charity
Bicultural Competence Skills Program (BCSP) ChildTrends No charity
Bienestar Health Program ChildTrends No charity
Block the Sun, Not the Fun ChildTrends No charity
BrainPower ChildTrends No charity
Breakthrough To Literacy (BTL) ChildTrends No charity
Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention of College Students (BASICS) ChildTrends No charity
Canada's Earnings Supplement Project MDRC No charity
Canada's Self-Sufficiency Project MDRC No charity
Canadian Self-Sufficiency Project Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy No charity
Canvassing program ChildTrends No charity
Carolina Abecedarian Project ChildTrends No charity
Carrera Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy No charity5
CASASTART ChildTrends No charity
Case-Management Program for Academic Enhancement ChildTrends No charity
CAST (Coping and Support Training) ChildTrends No charity
Catch 'Em Being Good ChildTrends No charity
Check and Connect ChildTrends No charity
Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH) ChildTrends No charity
Child Health Supervision ChildTrends No charity
Child Parent Psychotherapy for Family Violence (CPP-FV) ChildTrends No charity
Children Are People Too (CAP) ChildTrends No charity
Children Get a Head Start on the Road to Good Nutrition Head Start Curriculum Guide ChildTrends No charity
Children of Divorce Intervention Program (CODIP) ChildTrends No charity
Class Action - Project Northland Phase 2 ChildTrends No charity
Clinic-Based AIDS Education Programs for Adolescent Females ChildTrends No charity
Clinician-based Cognitive Psychoeducational Intervention for Families ChildTrends No charity
Cognitive Behavior Therapy ChildTrends No charity
Cognitive Behavioral Family Intervention (CBFI) ChildTrends No charity
Cognitive/Affective Empathy Training Program ChildTrends No charity
Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools ChildTrends No charity
Cognitive-Behavioral Training Program for Behaviorally Disordered Adolescents ChildTrends No charity
Cognitively Guided Instruction ChildTrends No charity
Cognitive-Relaxation Coping Skills (CRCS) ChildTrends No charity
Communication Skills Condom Use Program ChildTrends No charity
Communication Skills Training program (CST) ChildTrends No charity
Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol ChildTrends No charity
Comprehensive Oral Hygiene Training Program ChildTrends No charity
Computer-Delivered Sexual Risk Reduction Intervention ChildTrends No charity
Condom Intervention With Women ChildTrends No charity
Condom Promotion Videos for College Students ChildTrends No charity
Conflict Resolution Training Program ChildTrends No charity
Connecticut's Jobs First MDRC No charity
Consulting Program for Teachers to Prevent Vandalism ChildTrends No charity
Contingent Math Tutoring ChildTrends No charity
Coping Cats ChildTrends No charity
Coping With Depression (CWD-A) ChildTrends No charity
Culturally Appropriate STD/AIDS Education in a Clinic Setting ChildTrends No charity
DaisyQuest ChildTrends No charity
Dance for Health ChildTrends No charity
Dare to be You ChildTrends No charity
Dartmouth Prevention Project ChildTrends No charity
Dialogic Reading ChildTrends No charity
Diet and Exercise Program for Families ChildTrends No charity
Dietary Intervention Study in Children (DISC) ChildTrends No charity
Doors to Discovery ChildTrends No charity
Draw the Line/Respect the Line ChildTrends No charity
Early Head Start ChildTrends No charity
Early Intervention Program for Adolescent Mothers ChildTrends No charity
Early Literacy and Learning Model ChildTrends No charity
Early Risers ChildTrends No charity
Early Start ChildTrends No charity
Early Training Project ChildTrends No charity
Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program and Behavior Skills Training Gun Safety Program ChildTrends No charity
Emergency Department-Based Asthma Intervention ChildTrends No charity
Enhanced Managing Pressures Before Marriage (MPM) ChildTrends No charity
Equipping Youth to Help One Another (EQUIP) ChildTrends No charity
Evaluation of Academic Instruction in After-School Programs MDRC No charity
Evaluation of Child Care Subsidy Strategies MDRC No charity
Evaluation of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program MDRC No charity
Even Start ChildTrends No charity
Everybody's Different ChildTrends No charity
Eye Movement Desensitization and Processing (EMDR) ChildTrends No charity
Facts & Feelings ChildTrends No charity
Familias Unidas ChildTrends No charity
Families and Schools Together (American Indian adaptation) ChildTrends No charity
Family Matters ChildTrends No charity
Family Therapy as a Supplement to Dietary Counseling for Obese Children ChildTrends No charity
Family/Media Approach to HIV Prevention ChildTrends No charity
Family-Based Behavior Modification Program to Target Obesity ChildTrends No charity
Fast Track Prevention Project ChildTrends No charity
First Step to Success (FSS) ChildTrends No charity
Florida's Family Transition Program MDRC No charity
Focus ChildTrends No charity
Focus on Families ChildTrends No charity
Focus on Kids ChildTrends No charity
Fostering Individualized Assistance Program (FIAP) ChildTrends No charity
Foundations of Learning Project MDRC No charity
FRIENDS Program ChildTrends No charity
Functional Family Therapy ChildTrends No charity
Gimmie 5 (4th and 5th Grade Students) ChildTrends No charity
Gimmie 5: A Fresh Nutrition Concept for Students ChildTrends No charity
Girlfriends for KEEPS ChildTrends No charity
GO GIRLS! ChildTrends No charity
Good Behavior Game Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy No charity
Guiding Good Choices (formerly Preparing for the Drug Free Years) ChildTrends No charity
Head Start ChildTrends No charity
Head Strong ChildTrends No charity
Health Belief Model Intervention to Increase Condom Use Among High-Risk Female Adolescents ChildTrends No charity
Healthy Families New York (HFNY) ChildTrends No charity
Healthy Start Program ChildTrends No charity
Healthy Weight Regulation Curriculum ChildTrends No charity
Hear and Say Reading with Toddlers ChildTrends No charity
Heart Smart School Health Promotion ChildTrends No charity
High 5 ChildTrends No charity
Hip-Hop to Health Jr. ChildTrends No charity
Home Visiting Intervention for Depressed Mothers and Their Infants ChildTrends No charity
Home Visiting to Vulnerable Families by Nurses ChildTrends No charity
Home-Based Nurse Intervention (INT) ChildTrends No charity
Homebuilders ChildTrends No charity
Howard Street Tutoring Program ChildTrends No charity
Hygiene Intervention for Child Care Centers ChildTrends No charity
Hygiene Intervention for Preschool Students ChildTrends No charity
Hygienic Intervention in Child Day-Care Centers ChildTrends No charity
Infant Health and Development Program (IHDP) ChildTrends No charity
Informed Parents and Children Together (ImPACT) ChildTrends No charity
Intensive Supervision Program in Detroit, Michigan ChildTrends No charity
Interactive Book Reading ChildTrends No charity
Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Postpartum Depression ChildTrends No charity
Interpersonal Skills Program ChildTrends No charity
Intervention to Increase Father Involvement ChildTrends No charity
Job Corps ChildTrends No charity
Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training Program (JOBS) ChildTrends No charity
Job Training Partnership Act ChildTrends No charity
Jobs-Plus Community Revitalization Initiative for Public Housing Families MDRC No charity
Kaiser Kids Sun Care Program ChildTrends No charity
Keepin' it R.E.A.L. ChildTrends No charity
KindergARTen Summer Camp ChildTrends No charity
Know Your Body ChildTrends No charity
Leadership Education Through Athletic Development (LEAD) ChildTrends No charity
Learning Language and Loving It: The Hanen Program for Early Childhood Educators ChildTrends No charity
Let's Begin with the Letter People ChildTrends No charity
Life Skills Training (LST) ChildTrends No charity
Lifestyle Education for Activity Program (LEAP) ChildTrends No charity
Linking the Interests of Families and Teachers (LIFT) ChildTrends No charity
LionsQuest "Skills for Adolescence" ChildTrends No charity
Los Angeles Jobs-First GAIN MDRC No charity
Los Angeles Jobs-First Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN) Program Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy No charity
Making Proud Choices! ChildTrends No charity
Marvelous Me ChildTrends No charity
Mastery Learning ChildTrends No charity
Mathletics ChildTrends No charity
Mentor-Implemented Violence Prevention Intervention for Assault-Injured Youth ChildTrends No charity
Metropolitan Area Child Study (MACS) ChildTrends No charity
Middle School Physical Activity and Nutrition (M-SPAN) ChildTrends No charity
Midwestern Prevention Project ChildTrends No charity
Minnesota Family Investment Program MDRC No charity
Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) ChildTrends No charity
Monetary Incentive Program ChildTrends No charity
Montreal Prevention Experiment ChildTrends No charity
Motivational Brief Intervention for High-Risk College Student Drinkers ChildTrends No charity
Moving to Opportuniy program (MTO) ChildTrends No charity
Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT) ChildTrends No charity
Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy No charity
Multisystemic Therapy ChildTrends No charity
Multisystemic Therapy for Juvenile Offenders Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy No charity
My Baby U ChildTrends No charity
National Evaluation of Welfare-to-Work Strategies MDRC No charity
New Beginnings ChildTrends No charity
New Chance ChildTrends No charity
Next Generation MDRC No charity
Nuestras Familias ChildTrends No charity
Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAP-SACC) ChildTrends No charity
Obesity-Focused Active Parenting ChildTrends No charity
Ohio Learning, Earning, and Parenting Program (LEAP) ChildTrends No charity
Ohio's Learning, Earning, and Parenting Program MDRC No charity
Online Treatment for Pediatric Recurrent Pain ChildTrends No charity
Opening Doors MDRC No charity
Opportunity NYC Demonstrations MDRC No charity
Osteoporosis Prevention and Self-Management Course ChildTrends No charity
Parent Education Group for Families Affected by Depression ChildTrends No charity
Parent Management Training - Oregon Model (PMTO) ChildTrends No charity
Parental Training and Contingency Contracting for Overweight Children ChildTrends No charity
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy ChildTrends No charity
Parenting Through Change (PTC) ChildTrends No charity
Parent-Mediated Treatment Program ChildTrends No charity
Parents' Fair Share MDRC No charity
Peacebuilders ChildTrends No charity
Peer Coping Skills Training (PCS) ChildTrends No charity
Peer-led HIV Prevention Education ChildTrends No charity
Penn Prevention Program (PPP) ChildTrends No charity
Perry Preschool Project Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy No charity
Phonological Awareness Training and Letter Knowledge Training ChildTrends No charity
Physical Activity and Teenage Health (PATH) ChildTrends No charity
Physical Training Program for Obese Children ChildTrends No charity
Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) ChildTrends No charity
Plan a Safe Strategy Program (PASS) ChildTrends No charity
Planet Health ChildTrends No charity
Portland Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) Program Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy No charity
Positive Action Family Program ChildTrends No charity
Positive Action Program ChildTrends No charity
Positive Parenting ChildTrends No charity
Positive Prevention ChildTrends No charity
Positive Youth Development Program ChildTrends No charity
Preventing Adolescent Problems ChildTrends No charity
Primary Project ChildTrends No charity
Problem Solving for Life ChildTrends No charity
Problem Solving Program for Childhood Obesity ChildTrends No charity
Professional Development in Reading Study MDRC No charity
Progresa Poverty Program ChildTrends No charity
Project 4-Health ChildTrends No charity
Project AIM (Adult Identity Mentoring) ChildTrends No charity
Project Aware ChildTrends No charity
Project BELONG ChildTrends No charity
Project CHARM ChildTrends No charity
Project EX ChildTrends No charity
Project Iris ChildTrends No charity
Project Northland ChildTrends No charity
Project RESPECT ChildTrends No charity
Project SAFE (Strengthening America's Families and Environment) ChildTrends No charity
Project Sixteen ChildTrends No charity
Project SPARK ChildTrends No charity
Project Support ChildTrends No charity
Project TALC ChildTrends No charity
Project Toward No Tobacco Use (Project TNT) ChildTrends No charity
Project Towards No Drugs ChildTrends No charity
Project Transition MDRC No charity
Project TRUST ChildTrends No charity
Project WIN ChildTrends No charity
Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) ChildTrends No charity
Promoting Emergent Math Skills and Math Interest in Preschool-Aged Children ChildTrends No charity
Quantum Opportunities Program (QOP) ChildTrends No charity
Raising Healthy Children ChildTrends No charity
Reach for Health Service Learning Program ChildTrends No charity
Reaching Educators, Children and Parents (RECAP) ChildTrends No charity
Read to Achieve Summer Literacy Day Camp ChildTrends No charity
Reading One-to-One ChildTrends No charity
Ready, Set, Leap! ChildTrends No charity
Real Men ChildTrends No charity
Reconnecting Youth ChildTrends No charity
Reducing Children's Television Viewing to Prevent Obesity ChildTrends No charity
Reducing Sedentary Behavior ChildTrends No charity
RELATE Program for Teens ChildTrends No charity
Reproductive Health Counseling for Young Men ChildTrends No charity
Resolve It, Solve It ChildTrends No charity
Responding in Peaceful and Positive Ways ChildTrends No charity
Restorative Justice Conferencing ChildTrends No charity
Riverside Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN) Program Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy No charity
Safe Child Program ChildTrends No charity
Safe Dates ChildTrends No charity
Safe Performance Curriculum ChildTrends No charity
Safe Teen Work Project ChildTrends No charity
SAFEChildren ChildTrends No charity
San Quentin Squires Program ChildTrends No charity
Saving Sex for Later ChildTrends No charity
School Attendance Demonstration Project ChildTrends No charity
School Nurse-Delivered Adolescent Smoking Cessation Counseling Intervention ChildTrends No charity
School-Based Cardiovascular Exercise and Nutrition Program with Parent Participation ChildTrends No charity
School-Based Intervention to Reduce Aggressive Behavior in Maladjusted Adolescents ChildTrends No charity
Schools and Homes in Partnership (SHIP) ChildTrends No charity
Schools Without Failure (SWF) ChildTrends No charity
Second Step ChildTrends No charity
Self Sufficiency Project (SSP) ChildTrends No charity
SHAPEDOWN ChildTrends No charity
Signs of Suicide Prevention Program ChildTrends No charity
Sistering, Informing, Healing, Loving, and Empowering (SiHLE). Simon: correct program name seems to be Sistering, Informing, Healing, Living, and Empowering ChildTrends No charity
Skills for Academic and Social Success ChildTrends No charity
Smoke Free Class Competition ChildTrends No charity
Social Aggression Prevention Program (SAPP) ChildTrends No charity
Social Cognitive Training (SCT) ChildTrends No charity
Social Influences Curriculum ChildTrends No charity
Social Learning Parent Training ChildTrends No charity
Social Problem-Solving (SPS) ChildTrends No charity
Social Skills and Academic Skills Training for Rejected Boys ChildTrends No charity
Social Skills Training Program for Children With ADHD ChildTrends No charity
Social Skills Training Program for Children's Social Functioning ChildTrends No charity
Social Skills Training Program for Pre-Adolescent Girls with Few Friends ChildTrends No charity
Sound Foundations ChildTrends No charity
South Oxnard Challenge Program (SOCP) ChildTrends No charity
Spit Tobacco Intervention for High School Athletes ChildTrends No charity
Stanford Adolescent Heart Health Program ChildTrends No charity
STAR (Stop, Think, Ask, Respond) Parenting Program ChildTrends No charity
STARS (Start Taking Alcohol Risks Seriously) for Families ChildTrends No charity
Staying Connected With Your Teen ChildTrends No charity
Steps to Respect Bullying Prevention Program ChildTrends No charity
STOP Technique and the Insight Program ChildTrends No charity
Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Youth 10-14 (Formerly Iowa Strengthening Families Program) ChildTrends No charity
Strong African American Families (SAAF) ChildTrends No charity
Structured Learning Training (SLT) ChildTrends No charity
Student Support Partnership Integrating Resources and Education (SSPIRE) MDRC No charity
Students Managing Anger Resolution Together (SMART) Talk ChildTrends No charity
Study of Mentoring in the Learning Environment (SMILE) ChildTrends No charity
Summer Career Exploration Program ChildTrends No charity
Summer Training and Education Program (STEP) ChildTrends No charity
Sunny Days, Healthy Ways ChildTrends No charity
Superkids/Superfit ChildTrends No charity
Talking Parents, Healthy Teens ChildTrends No charity
Targeted Messages for HIV Prevention ChildTrends No charity
Teach Baltimore ChildTrends No charity
Teaching Students to be Peacemakers ChildTrends No charity
Team Assisted Individualization (TAI) for Math ChildTrends No charity
Team Building Exercise Program ChildTrends No charity
Technical Skills Condom Use Program ChildTrends No charity
Teen Intervene ChildTrends No charity
Teen Talk ChildTrends No charity
Teenage Parent Demonstration ChildTrends No charity
TeenSTAR ChildTrends No charity
The Aban Aya Youth Project ChildTrends No charity
The Adolescent Transitions Program – Parent and Teen Focus ChildTrends No charity
The Adolescent Transitions Program – Parent Focus ChildTrends No charity
The Buddy System ChildTrends No charity
The Coping Power Program ChildTrends No charity
The Enhanced Reading Opportunities Study MDRC No charity
The Family Bereavement Program (FBP) ChildTrends No charity
The Family Health Project ChildTrends No charity
The Insiders Juvenile Crime Prevention Program ChildTrends No charity
The Reading First Impact Study MDRC No charity
The UK Employment Retention and Advancement Project MDRC No charity
The Youth AIDS Prevention Project (YAPP) ChildTrends No charity
Three Generations Project ChildTrends No charity
Tobacco Policy Options for Prevention (TPOP) ChildTrends No charity
Toddlers Without Tears ChildTrends No charity
Too Good For Drugs ChildTrends No charity
Tools of the Mind ChildTrends No charity
Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) ChildTrends No charity
Triple P-Positive Parenting Program ChildTrends No charity
Tutoring with the Lindamood Phonemic Sequencing reading curriculum Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy No charity
UCLA Family Development Project ChildTrends No charity
Untitled Fitness and Nutrition Intervention ChildTrends No charity
Untitled Health Care Program for First-Time Adolescent Mothers and their Infants ChildTrends No charity
Untitled Information-Based AIDS Intervention ChildTrends No charity
Untitled Lifestyle-Focused Physical Activity Intervention ChildTrends No charity
Untitled Nutrition Education Behavior Change Strategy ChildTrends No charity
Untitled Program for Siblings of Children with Disabilities ChildTrends No charity
Untitled School Based Suicide-Prevention Program ChildTrends No charity
Untitled School-based Exercise Education Program ChildTrends No charity
Untitled School-based Physical Activity Intervention ChildTrends No charity
Untitled School-based Physical Training Intervention ChildTrends No charity
Untitled Social Cognitive AIDS Intervention ChildTrends No charity
Untitled Social Cognitive Theory-Based Intervention ChildTrends No charity
Upward Bound ChildTrends No charity
Varying Maternal Involvement in a Weight Loss Program ChildTrends No charity
Varying the Timing of an HIV-Prevention Intervention ChildTrends No charity
Vermont's Welfare Restructuring Project MDRC No charity
Video-Based STD Patient Education ChildTrends No charity
Voluntary Summer Reading Intervention ChildTrends No charity
Washington State Client-Centered Pregnancy Prevention Programs ChildTrends No charity
Western Australian Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition (WASPAN) ChildTrends No charity
What Could You Do? ChildTrends No charity
Who Do You Tell ChildTrends No charity
WIC Nutrition Education Demonstration Study ChildTrends No charity
Wisconsin Works MDRC No charity
Woodrock Youth Development Project (WYDP) ChildTrends No charity
Work Advancement and Support Center Demonstration MDRC No charity
You Can't Say You Can't Play ChildTrends No charity
Youth Corps ChildTrends No charity

Ongoing updates

The above steps were completed between February and November of 2010.

We plan to revisit our recommended charities in this cause annually, seeking updates on their progress and funding needs and revising their ratings as appropriate. Otherwise we are not currently planning ongoing updates in this cause, as it has been deprioritized. Therefore, we will continue to stand by our recommended charities, but cannot commit to actively searching for more promising charities over time.

Sources

  • 1

    ChildTrends, "List of All Programs (A-Z)."

  • 2

    MDRC, "Homepage."

  • 3

    Alliance for Effective Social Investing, "Homepage."

  • 4

    Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy, "About this Site."

  • 5

    An email from a Children's Aid Society representative to GiveWell on December 7, 2012, indicates that Children's Aid Society implements the Carrera Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program in New York City.