Governments around the developing world use cash transfer programs—in which money, rather than goods, is given directly to people who need it—for social protection and to economic growth. They’re a well-known anti-poverty too, but they often fail to help recipients reach their long-term financial goals. 

To address this, we’ve used behavioral design to create light-touch interventions and rigorously tested their effectiveness in countries across sub-Saharan Africa. Emerging evidence is clear: behavioral science helps cash transfer recipients set, save towards, and reach their financial goals.

For a comprehensive overview of our work, visit the Behavioral Science for Cash Transfers site.

Interested in learning more about applying behavioral science to cash transfer programs? Reach out to us at info@ideas42.org or tweet at @ideas42 to join the conversation.