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How Global Poverty could be different



Baby bonds could be started for low-income children

Technology / solar / water management skills could be taught to the least educated / illiterate / lowest caste people

A "document locker" could help people access social benefits

Abandoned bikes could go to the poor / developing countries

Sex workers could not face financial discrimination

Smallholder farmers could have a greenhouse-in-a-box

Adopting could be quicker, cheaper, less hurdled by bureaucracy, legal / safe, and open to more (single people / LGBTQ+) to prevent millions of abandoned / vulnerable children worldwide

The investing gap could contribute to income inequality

Low-income people could receive legal help with trained legal navigators

Solving indoor air pollution could prevent around 4 million deaths a year

Cities / towns could have free public wifi

Reliable, high-speed, protected data, decentralized, non-profit internet could be provided to people

Schools could be more socio-economically integrated

Minimum balance, banking fees, accessibility / location, lack of public education / financial literacy outreach could be deterrents to financial inclusion

Inflation could be lowered with elevated interest rates / an economic recession

Low income people could have access to museums and cultural institutions

GMO crops could be harming small-scale farmers through unaffordable / not climate adaptable seeds and pesticide use

A rehabilitative model / cash support / schools / places to sleep could be used to help street children

Excessive government spending could cause inflation

Free trade / bilateral trade agreements could have negative effects on labor / environment

Youth and adults could learn important social-emotional and life skills

Gold mining could not destroy the Amazon rainforest

People could be able to dress for success

Sack gardening could be used for nutrition, preventing desertification, and food security

The U.S. debt-collection industry could be regulated more

Waste pickers could have labor protections, cooperatives, or unions

Grocery stores, restaurants, and other food vendors could put less food in dumpsters

Slums could have creative arts

Public benefit administrative burdens / forms could be reduced / be easier to comply with

Libraries could eliminate fines or ask for donations

Early childhood toxic stress could lead to lifelong learning and behavior issues

Internships could help the long-term unemployed get back to work

Renters could build equity or buy their buildings

Under-resourced students could explore creative writing

Arcade games could teach personal finance

A game could help students plan for college finances

Broadband internet infrastructure could be accessible for people

Community fridges and pantries could be available

Humans could be invested in

Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) could crowd out the private sector, create debt, underprice risk, change incentive structures for employees, and not sufficiently track impacts on the poor / environment

A "Nation Building Best Practices Model" could be used in international development

Social services could be delivered remotely / by video calling

Doulas and/or midwives could result in positive pregnancy and infant outcomes

Executive skills and self-regulation coaching could help people achieve goals

An incubator could help low-income businesses grow

Soccer or other recreation parks could be located at public transit stops

Grocery stores could sell unattractive, mislabeled, or expired food at lower cost

Social clubs could create community development, networking, and other positive outcomes

A single information system could be used for people seeking social / homeless / housing services

People could be trained in offering high quality childcare

U.S. citizens could have clean, running water and plumbing

Selective U.S. universities could expand and establish satellite locations

A two-generation / intergenerational care / whole family approach could be used in social services

Countries could have open borders

Community health workers / entrepreneurs / mentors could improve health outcomes

The workforce system could be revamped by accurate labor market data, better website information/applications/online courses, and employer/education coordination

A classroom could be on wheels for at-risk youths and adults

"Learning landscapes" in commonly used areas / playgrounds could help boost education and literacy

Promise Neighborhoods could decrease poverty and improve educational outcomes

Community beautification could create economic development, lower crime, and raise quality of life

Buying a mobile home and renting land could be financially harmful to residents

Businesses and nonprofits could be pay-what-you-can

A workforce "skills gap" between employers and workers could be made up

Alternatives to college could be promoted, funded, and accepted for jobs

Workers' low wages could be subsidized by the government, philanthropy, and/or the hiring organizations

Venture capital could reach entrepreneurs in diverse areas to create economic opportunities

Students could cook, serve, and clean up lunch

Healthy school meals could be free for children

Local governments could have one integrated data system and universal intake

The welfare cliff could be fixed in public benefits to not discourage work / marriage

A housing voucher program could aid poverty

Cash could be given through rental subsidies, taxes, or child savings accounts to aid poverty

Diapers / diaper banks could be available to low income families

Apps could encourage saving / budgeting as well as offer financial advice / education / rewards

Communities and schools could have gardens and/or food forests

Mobile produce trucks could bring fresh fruits and vegetables to neighborhoods

Healthy food / nutrition tips could be delivered to people

Healthy foods could be subsidized in the food stamp program

Underprivileged kids could experience the outdoors, outdoor sports, summer camp, and/or camping

Mentorship could act as an extended family

Moving to jobs could be easier for low-income people

Tax-free investments could revitalize distressed economic areas

Graduation programs could be better than just giving cash to aid poverty

Mentorship programs could help at-risk youth, drug addicts, homeless, ex-offenders, potential terrorists, immigrants, refugees, new employees, and students

Businesses / nonprofits could be worker-owned cooperatives

Insurance could be bought in case of job loss or disability

Employers could offer lower interest payday loans

Financial wellness / savings / loan products could be offered to employees

The post office could offer financial services

Check cashers and credit unions could form strategic alliances to reach low-income consumers

Banking products could be more available, transparent, and accessible for low-income consumers

Organizations could have open hiring practices

Employers could offer work-based learning to low-income youth

Digital vans could bring wifi access and computers to low-income or rural areas

Parenting classes could be taught in high school or be offered by nonprofits

Emergency financial microgrants could be provided to students

Schools could have washers and dryers

Microinsurance could be offered to low-income people

Menstrual products could be affordable and accessible for low-income women

Research could be communicated and organized in easy-to-read formats

Employers could help employees achieve postsecondary, ESL, or GED education

Social services could be coordinated / mapped out across agencies and community organizations

Families could lead themselves out of poverty

Zero interest loans could help people build credit

Financial coaching could be integrated into existing social services

Students could be able to see at school

Job training organizations could work with employers to fulfill hiring needs

Public policy clearinghouses could be easier to use and more comprehensive

Moving to better neighborhoods could positively affect poor families

Every location could have an address

Financial literacy could be taught in high schools

Adult basic education could be achieved at work

Job training could be done by apprenticeships or internships

Philanthropy could be collaborative, flexible, and larger to create bigger impacts

Job training and education could be financed by future salaries

Workers could create online campaigns

Children could be registered at birth

Job training vouchers could be distributed by companies

Community colleges could be free

Panhandlers could be offered a job for the day

Running and exercise programs could people who are homeless / have mental health issues / prisoners

Foundations and labor unions could fund alt-labor organizations

The homeless could have access to free laundry

An online account could distribute all public benefits

Children could be encouraged to get passports and travel

Public benefits could be deposited directly into savings accounts

Employer-matched, portable accounts could be set up to finance worker training and learning

Local and national social services could be searchable / applied for online

Alternative Staffing Organizations (ASOs) could help hard-to-employ individuals find temporary work

Small-dollar loans could have transparent terms, be online, offer financial education, and the opportunity to build credit

Parents could be encouraged to talk more to their newborns and infants

A rating and reviews website for local social services could be developed and used

Fake companies could be used for job training

Companies could offer regular and increased hours to workers

Unopened, unexpired medications could be provided to patients in need

The GED could lead to a high school diploma

Lotteries or prizes could encourage people to save more

Low income students could be given more information and support to apply to competitive colleges

Disabled workers could be guaranteed a minimum wage

Debit card users information could be used in credit scoring

Cash stipends could be given directly to the poor

Banking could be mobile

GED programs could be linked to college or career training

REDF could be a model for workforce development organizations

Citizens could receive a basic / guaranteed income (with restrictions or on a EBT card)

Preschool could be part of the public education system

Financial counseling could aid with asset building for low-income individuals and families

Homeowners could rent their homes after a foreclosure

Job seekers could achieve desired employer skills online

Positive deviance could be used to produce beneficial behavioral change and outcomes

Online benefit screening tools could be combined, streamlined, and allow people to apply for benefits online

B1G1 organizations could create more development

Children could stay with their families rather than being placed into foster care

Year Up could be a model for workforce development organizations

A landlord watchlist website could improve housing conditions

A digital merit badge system could give credentials to job seekers and encourage life long learning

Ride sharing could expand and be targeted towards low income populations

Car sharing could expand and be targeted to low income populations

Quality ratings could be developed and refined for childcare providers

Access to childcare could be improved in low income communities

Firms could be mandated to provide the first two years of short-term disability insurance

A two-tiered disability benefit system could be used to not discourage work

A new federal competitive grants program could be used to support better workforce training and education systems

Real time labor market information about worker resources and needs could be developed

Performance-based scholarships could increase student achievement

Incarceration could not be treated as "voluntary unemployment" to calculate child support arrears

Learning communities at community colleges could promote student achievement

Career Academies could improve labor market outcomes for students

Developing countries could enact food stamp programs rather than ration systems

Families could receive assistance with the FAFSA form in order to increase college attendance

Interest rates could be capped for payday loans

Asset limits for public benefits could be reformed to not discourage saving

The Saver's Credit could be simplified and expanded

Children Savings Accounts could be required for every newborn or kindergartner

A Saver's Bonus could be offered to low-income tax filers

Tax refund increases could be required to be put into an IRA or other savings product

Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) or matched savings accounts could be expanded and encompass more goals

Employment applications could not ask about criminal history to reduce recidivism

The Nurse-Family Partnership / parent home visiting programs could be used more widely

A welfare emergency fund could be triggered into action by a poor economy

Earning supplements could provide beneficial, cost-efficient effects for low-wage workers

Employers could enroll workers in an opt-out direct deposit savings account

Social impact bonds could fund public programs

Ex-prisoners could have better access to benefits to decrease recidivism

All public housing could be offered through portable rental vouchers

Job sharing or short-time working could decrease unemployment

Mealtics could be purchased by restaurant-goers to provide food to the needy

The EITC could be changed to minimize the distortion of incentives to work, marry, and have children

The U.S. minimum wage could be indexed to inflation or increased

Banks could design and market savings accounts to low income consumers

Schools could offer better counseling for at-risk youth