About
Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality expands economic security and opportunity and advances racial and gender equity for everyone in the U.S. through research, analysis, and ambitious policy ideas.
We bridge academia and policy to equip policymakers and advocates with rigorous research, trusted analysis, and innovative policy solutions needed to make change. Our ideas are backed by evidence and data and rooted in the lived experiences of people affected by poverty.
Our Approach
- Racial Justice: Achieving economic security requires a clear focus on advancing racial justice. We prioritize ideas that create racially equitable outcomes and push back against our nation’s long history of racism.
- Lived Experience at the intersections of racism and poverty are essential for effective research and public policies. We integrate lived experience through our staffing, planning, idea development, research methods, and collaborations.
- Ambitious Vision: We develop ambitious medium- to long-term ideas that remove structural barriers to economic inclusionand opportunity and ensure that people have the resources to support themselves and their families.
- Collaboration: We join forces with advocates, organizers, policymakers, philanthropy, and scholars. Our partners influence our priorities, help shape our policy ideas, and find ways to make big ideas actionable.
Ideas with Impact
Our research and policy ideas have helped:
- Expand and strengthen pandemic unemployment assistance
- Create the periodic payment structure of the advanced, expanded, monthly Child Tax Credit
- Expand college financial aid for people in prison
- Distribute emergency funding to child care providers
- Establish progressive paid leave policies for families in Travis County, Texas
- Secure right-sized federal funding for neighborhoods and cities after a flawed census
Our Core Issues
People experiencing poverty face hurdles to economic security that are deeply interconnected. Our multidisciplinary approach cuts across issue areas to address complex problems with solutions that support the whole person and whole communities.
Jobs & Education
Building an inclusive economy that works for everyone requires increasing worker agency and power. We offer policy ideas to create good jobs, improve job quality, and expand access to education and training.
Humans & Health Services
Accessible and inclusive health care and child and family services are essential to strengthening communities and the country. We identify policy ideas that support health and well-being and help people thrive at home, school, and work.
Tax & Income Supports
Income support programs—including cash assistance and tax credits— help families meet their basic needs and promote economic mobility. We provide solutions to ensure that everyone has resources they need to take care of themselves and their loved ones.
Census & Data Justice
In a healthy democracy, every community is fairly counted, represented, and resourced. But data from the census and federal surveys underrepresents people experiencing poverty and communities of color. We advance a vision where the government counts everyone fairly, protects data privacy, and improves data quality.