Behind the Data
In this film, a data collection team with Innovations for Poverty Action travels to Pujehun district in Sierra Leone to conduct surveys for a randomized evaluation. While there, the team meets with elders, navigates barely passable roads, and travels by canoe to track survey respondents, all part of their mission to collect high-quality data—data that is fed into the research and evidence decision-makers need in order to know what works, what doesn't, and why.
Since our founding in 2002, we have impacted hundreds of millions of lives with evidence-based solutions.
Our Impact
Our Impact
We work hand-in-hand with local decision-makers to identify needs, create evidence, and put evidence into action. We are building a results-focused culture of learning and continuous improvement in the fight against poverty.
Where We Work
Our long-term presence in 19 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean has enabled us to build long-term relationships with key decision-makers whose questions and needs drive our research.
What We Do
We are a global research and policy nonprofit committed to reducing global poverty with evidence. With a network of partners and researchers, we design and test innovative solutions, support our partners to generate and use data and evidence, and help bring proven approaches to scale across the globe.
Who We Are
Our passionate, diverse, and intellectually curious staff work with the top minds and leaders in international development. Learn more about our colleagues, researchers, and partners.
Our Values
Our core values drive our work: commitment to improving lives, rigor, integrity, co-creation, diversity, and collaboration.
Our Story
Our Founding
IPA is founded by economist Dean Karlan to identify and promote solutions to global poverty.
2002
Our 20th Anniversary
IPA-generated evidence is improving the lives of more than 300 million people affected by poverty worldwide—through access to improved social safety nets, cash transfers, free health products, and more.
2022
Informing COVID-19 Guidelines
IPA and partners conducted the first RCT that proves mask use reduces COVID-19 transmission. The study also found a combination of strategies to significantly increase mask use. The findings informed both CDC and WHO recommendations.
2021
Supporting Governments in COVID-19
IPA quickly mobilizes to meet partners’ data needs to protect the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing evidence from 20,000+ experiences to 30+ government departments and impacting 50+ million lives.
2020
A Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prize in Economics is awarded to IPA-affiliated researchers Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, and Michael Kremer for their “experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.”
2019
Launch of Right-Fit Evidence Unit
IPA launches the Right-Fit Evidence advisory unit based on the pivotal book The Goldilocks Challenge by IPA founder Dean Karlan and Mary Kay Gugerty. IPA expands its expertise to helping organizations get the most of their data and evidence efforts beyond RCTs.
2017
Scaling Up Ultra-Poor Graduation Programs
IPA publishes results on the six-country study of the Ultra-Poor Graduation Model in Science, influencing government and NGO anti-poverty programs around the world.
2015
Scaling Up Cash Transfers
Based on IPA evidence, Good Ventures makes a $25 million grant to GiveDirectly to support unconditional cash transfer programs. Evidence and new funding for the approach continue today.
2015
IPA Incubates Evidence Action
IPA incubates Deworm the World and Dispensers for Safe Water, which becomes Evidence Action. GiveWell lists IPA among six standout organizations, and The Life You Can Save rates IPA as a trusted charity backed by evidence. Evidence Action spins off in 2014.
2013
Evaluation of Microcredit Programs
Results are released from the first microcredit randomized evaluations in the Philippines and India.
2009
First Country Offices
IPA launches its first country offices in Peru and the Philippines.
2005
Our Founding
IPA is founded by economist Dean Karlan to identify and promote solutions to global poverty.
2002
Our 20th Anniversary
IPA-generated evidence is improving the lives of more than 300 million people affected by poverty worldwide—through access to improved social safety nets, cash transfers, free health products, and more.
2022
Informing COVID-19 Guidelines
IPA and partners conducted the first RCT that proves mask use reduces COVID-19 transmission. The study also found a combination of strategies to significantly increase mask use. The findings informed both CDC and WHO recommendations.
2021
Supporting Governments in COVID-19
IPA quickly mobilizes to meet partners’ data needs to protect the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing evidence from 20,000+ experiences to 30+ government departments and impacting 50+ million lives.
2020
A Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prize in Economics is awarded to IPA-affiliated researchers Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, and Michael Kremer for their “experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.”
2019
Launch of Right-Fit Evidence Unit
IPA launches the Right-Fit Evidence advisory unit based on the pivotal book The Goldilocks Challenge by IPA founder Dean Karlan and Mary Kay Gugerty. IPA expands its expertise to helping organizations get the most of their data and evidence efforts beyond RCTs.
2017
Scaling Up Ultra-Poor Graduation Programs
IPA publishes results on the six-country study of the Ultra-Poor Graduation Model in Science, influencing government and NGO anti-poverty programs around the world.
2015
Scaling Up Cash Transfers
Based on IPA evidence, Good Ventures makes a $25 million grant to GiveDirectly to support unconditional cash transfer programs. Evidence and new funding for the approach continue today.
2015
IPA Incubates Evidence Action
IPA incubates Deworm the World and Dispensers for Safe Water, which becomes Evidence Action. GiveWell lists IPA among six standout organizations, and The Life You Can Save rates IPA as a trusted charity backed by evidence. Evidence Action spins off in 2014.
2013
Evaluation of Microcredit Programs
Results are released from the first microcredit randomized evaluations in the Philippines and India.
2009
First Country Offices
IPA launches its first country offices in Peru and the Philippines.
2005
Our Founding
IPA is founded by economist Dean Karlan to identify and promote solutions to global poverty.
2002
IPA Incubates Evidence Action
IPA incubates Deworm the World and Dispensers for Safe Water, which becomes Evidence Action. GiveWell lists IPA among six standout organizations, and The Life You Can Save rates IPA as a trusted charity backed by evidence. Evidence Action spins off in 2014.
2013
Evaluation of Microcredit Programs
Results are released from the first microcredit randomized evaluations in the Philippines and India.
2009
First Country Offices
IPA launches its first country offices in Peru and the Philippines.
2005
Our Founding
IPA is founded by economist Dean Karlan to identify and promote solutions to global poverty.
2002
Our 20th Anniversary
IPA-generated evidence is improving the lives of more than 300 million people affected by poverty worldwide—through access to improved social safety nets, cash transfers, free health products, and more.
2022
Informing COVID-19 Guidelines
IPA and partners conducted the first RCT that proves mask use reduces COVID-19 transmission. The study also found a combination of strategies to significantly increase mask use. The findings informed both CDC and WHO recommendations.
2021
Supporting Governments in COVID-19
IPA quickly mobilizes to meet partners’ data needs to protect the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing evidence from 20,000+ experiences to 30+ government departments and impacting 50+ million lives.
2020
A Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prize in Economics is awarded to IPA-affiliated researchers Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, and Michael Kremer for their “experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.”
2019
Launch of Right-Fit Evidence Unit
IPA launches the Right-Fit Evidence advisory unit based on the pivotal book The Goldilocks Challenge by IPA founder Dean Karlan and Mary Kay Gugerty. IPA expands its expertise to helping organizations get the most of their data and evidence efforts beyond RCTs.
2017
Scaling Up Ultra-Poor Graduation Programs
IPA publishes results on the six-country study of the Ultra-Poor Graduation Model in Science, influencing government and NGO anti-poverty programs around the world.
2015
Scaling Up Cash Transfers
Based on IPA evidence, Good Ventures makes a $25 million grant to GiveDirectly to support unconditional cash transfer programs. Evidence and new funding for the approach continue today.
2015
IPA Incubates Evidence Action
IPA incubates Deworm the World and Dispensers for Safe Water, which becomes Evidence Action. GiveWell lists IPA among six standout organizations, and The Life You Can Save rates IPA as a trusted charity backed by evidence. Evidence Action spins off in 2014.
2013
Evaluation of Microcredit Programs
Results are released from the first microcredit randomized evaluations in the Philippines and India.
2009
First Country Offices
IPA launches its first country offices in Peru and the Philippines.
2005
Our Founding
IPA is founded by economist Dean Karlan to identify and promote solutions to global poverty.
2002
Our 20th Anniversary
IPA-generated evidence is improving the lives of more than 300 million people affected by poverty worldwide—through access to improved social safety nets, cash transfers, free health products, and more.
2022
Informing COVID-19 Guidelines
IPA and partners conducted the first RCT that proves mask use reduces COVID-19 transmission. The study also found a combination of strategies to significantly increase mask use. The findings informed both CDC and WHO recommendations.
2021
Supporting Governments in COVID-19
IPA quickly mobilizes to meet partners’ data needs to protect the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing evidence from 20,000+ experiences to 30+ government departments and impacting 50+ million lives.
2020
A Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prize in Economics is awarded to IPA-affiliated researchers Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, and Michael Kremer for their “experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.”
2019
Launch of Right-Fit Evidence Unit
IPA launches the Right-Fit Evidence advisory unit based on the pivotal book The Goldilocks Challenge by IPA founder Dean Karlan and Mary Kay Gugerty. IPA expands its expertise to helping organizations get the most of their data and evidence efforts beyond RCTs.
2017
Scaling Up Ultra-Poor Graduation Programs
IPA publishes results on the six-country study of the Ultra-Poor Graduation Model in Science, influencing government and NGO anti-poverty programs around the world.
2015
Scaling Up Cash Transfers
Based on IPA evidence, Good Ventures makes a $25 million grant to GiveDirectly to support unconditional cash transfer programs. Evidence and new funding for the approach continue today.
2015
IPA Incubates Evidence Action
IPA incubates Deworm the World and Dispensers for Safe Water, which becomes Evidence Action. GiveWell lists IPA among six standout organizations, and The Life You Can Save rates IPA as a trusted charity backed by evidence. Evidence Action spins off in 2014.
2013
Evaluation of Microcredit Programs
Results are released from the first microcredit randomized evaluations in the Philippines and India.
2009
First Country Offices
IPA launches its first country offices in Peru and the Philippines.
2005
Our Founding
IPA is founded by economist Dean Karlan to identify and promote solutions to global poverty.
2002