Civil Society

We strengthen communities by redesigning how giving and civic participation happen, making generosity and engagement the easy choice.

A digital graphic design featuring green and gray pixels arranged in a pattern on a black background.
ON THIS PAGE →
People organizing canned and packaged food items at a food distribution event.
Our Work
  • A person holding a smartphone with a digital overlay that says 'DONATE' with a heart icon, surrounded by icons of clothing and dollar signs.

    Everyday Generosity

    We redesign donation platforms, giving experiences, and nonprofit communications to help more people give more effectively.

    Case Studies

    • Read Closing the Philanthropy Gap Case Study →

  • Two people discussing a development plan on a whiteboard, with handwritten notes and diagrams, one is sticking a yellow sticky note labeled 'Sticky Flaw'.

    Strategic Philanthropy

    We work with donors, foundations, and their advisors to turn generous intentions into action and create lasting, values-aligned change.

    Case Studies

    • Read Overcoming Psychological Barriers to Giving→

  • Multiple voting booths with American flags and 'VOTE' printed on them, each with a ballot inside, set up for an election in a well-lit indoor space.

    Civic Participation

    We design programs and initiatives to make it easier for people to connect, volunteer, and work together to solve community problems.

    Case Studies

    • Read Graduating Students into Voters →

Partners

Our Partners

  • Text that reads "VOTE .ORG" in red and blue letters.
  • Logo with text 'National Vote at Home Institute' and a checkmark inside a circle, surrounded by a house roof outline.
  • NAAA logo in blue letters across a black background.
  • Logo of the Center for Civic Design with circular blue icon and gray text.
  • Logo with purple arrow-like symbol and the text 'Democracy Works'.
  • Gates Foundation logo with the name in black text on a white background.
  • GlobalGiving logo with text
  • PayPal logo with blue and dark blue text and icon
  • GoFundMe logo in green with text and sunburst graphic.
  • Charity Navigator logo with dark blue text and colorful star and dot graphics.
  • Silhouette of a person climbing a mountain at sunset with a flag.
Testimonials

  • “The team at ideas42 brings an awesome combination of thoughtfulness and genuine intellectual curiosity to their work. Collaborating on voter communications, they consistently went the extra mile to understand and demonstrate why certain strategies work, digging into the underlying psychology rather than taking anything at face value. They’re the kind of partners who dive in fully — engaged, creative, and always willing to think differently about hard problems. On top of all that, they’re genuinely funny and kind people to work with. It’s a pleasure working alongside them.”

    — TJ Pyche, Vice President, Ready for Tuesday

  • “ideas42 is doing incredible work to bolster the entire generosity ecosystem, and our partnership with them is a perfect example of that. They asked deep, behavioral questions we often have never even considered. Questions that completely change the way we connect with our audiences. Their distinctive approach gives us a much more meaningful way to move people to action and get help to where it’s needed and well used.”

    — Kyle Gardner, CFRE, Senior Vice President, Development, Charity Navigator

Want to unlock generosity and
engagement in your community?