Mdrc

What it reported doing in 2024

Information and dissemination: for mdrc's evidence to make a difference in the public policies and practices that affect people with low incomes, it must reach a broad audience. We produce clearly written research reports as well as policy briefs, "how-to" guides and toolkits, interactive tools, infographics, blog posts, commentaries, videos, and podcasts that distill the results of our studies and discuss their implications for policy and practice. We widely disseminate our findings to the media and public interest groups; to government officials and philanthropy; to practitioners and managers in states, localities, education systems, and communities; at professional conferences and in journal articles; through news bulletins e-mailed to more than 14,000 people; via our comprehensive website; through a robust social media presence, particularly on linkedin, facebook, x/twitter, bluesky, and instagram (with a combined 60,000+ followers); and through the provision of hands-on technical assistance to public and nonprofit program operators. We maintain several well-read blogs, including ideas and evidence, the implementation research incubator, reflections on methodology, inpractice, and the future of career and technical education. Mdrc's information and dissemination efforts are funded both by project funds and by its endowment and grants from foundations.program development: mdrc operates more than 100 active projects, funded by government agencies and foundations, through its five policy areas and four centers. Mdrc's program development department works with the policy areas and centers to incubate new work and find supporters to fund it.methodology: mdrc is known for developing and using cutting-edge research methodologies and sharing them with the larger field through journal articles, working papers, tools for researchers, and its reflections on methodology blog. As a demonstration of our commitment to open science and research replicability, mdrc makes available public use data files and restricted use data files from its evaluations for other researchers to access.strategic initiatives: mdrc maintains cross-departmental working groups focused on developing and maintaining corporate strategies related to quantitative methods, implementation research, program operations, and data security, among other important topics.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 86.9%; rating input score 87
• Program expense ratio: 81.1%; rating input score 81
• Fundraising efficiency: $21,339.06 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -5.1%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.67; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.41; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 4%; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -0.1% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 1.9% per year; rating input score 100; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 4.3% per year; rating input score 100; 31st percentile among comparable filings