Pilot Learnings
Our early pilots yielded insights into the Benefit Navigator's potential to simplify complex benefit and tax credit systems.
Our most recent Benefit Navigator Pilot ran from September 2023 through June 2025. We partnered with 60 agencies and 400 case managers.
September 2023
through June 2025
Our initial Benefit Navigator Pilot ran from 10 agencies in Los Angeles used the tool with 32 case managers in the control group and 32 in the user group.
March 2023
to September 2023
Conference Presentations
APPAM
The Quest to Exit Poverty
We were invited presenters at APPAM (Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management), a respected academic and professional gathering in the fields of public policy, public administration, and applied social science research. Submissions meet rigorous standards and must be considered of interest to the professional community.
November 2024
Building a benefit navigator to tackle administrative burden and fuel economic mobility.
The annual NAWRS Workshop brings together state and local government researchers, federal officials, academics, and nonprofit analysts who work on social policy and program evaluation.
August 2025
The Research Report That Started It All
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USC & Imagine LA
Examining the Complex Social Safety Net for Low-Income Working Families
August 2021
In 2020, our founding organization, Imagine LA, partnered with USC's Center for Social Innovation to better understand the complex landscape of public benefits. Together they mapped the labyrinth of benefits and tax credits, uncovering billions of untapped dollars and systemic barriers. Out of this research, the Benefit Navigator was born - a trusted online tool to empower caseworkers and families to open pathways to lasting economic mobility.
Policy Change
Opening Pathways to Resilience and Possibility.
Our four-pronged approach to better outcomes and systemic transformation includes:
Collaborate
Partner with leading advocacy organizations — including BAEI, EPIC, and End Child Poverty in California — by sharing access to our data and tools to strengthen their policy efforts.
Convene
Present insights at national forums such as APPAM, NAWRS, the Aspen Institute, and the Center for Civic Futures (formerly, Center for Public sector AI) to inform public policy dialogue.
Lead
Advance thought leadership in benefits access — from immigration and tax credits to the impacts of new federal work requirements under HR1/OBBBA.
Illuminate
Collect and analyze “Barriers to Application” data to reveal why eligible households don’t apply for benefits and identify opportunities for administrative reform.
Pilot Results
Our most recent Benefit Navigator Pilot ran from September 2023 through June 2025. We partnered with 60 agencies and 400 case managers across a variety of service populations to discover [enter 2-3 key findings from 2.5 results]
Read the Full Report >
Our initial Benefit Navigator Pilot ran from March 2023 to September 2023. 10 agencies in Los Angeles used the tool with 32 case managers in the control group and 32 in the user group and we learned [2-3 key results]
Read the Full Report >
Conference Presentations
In November of 2024 we were invited to present at APPAM where we shared [insert 2-3 key points]
See the Full Presentation >
In August of 2025 we were invited to present at NAWRS on a panel that highlighted [insert 2-3 key points]
See the Full Presentation >
Commitment to Learning
From day one of the Initial Pilot of the Benefit Navigator, we have made Third Party Evaluation central to our work. Not only are we committed to our human centered approach in designing and building our tools, we also rigorously evaluate the impact our tools are having - those two combined are where real change occur.
