Behavior Change for Good Initiative
Behavior Change for Good Initiative is a non-profit academic research center at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania that develops evidence-based behavior change programs in health, education, and savings using its pioneering megastudy methodology.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersPhiladelphia, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Behavior Change for Good Initiative does
The Behavior Change for Good Initiative (BCFG) is a non-profit academic research center founded in 2012 and housed within The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. It develops evidence-based behavior change programs targeting daily decisions in three domains: health (exercise, nutrition, medication adherence), education (student achievement, teacher effectiveness), and savings (financial behavior). The initiative operates by uniting an interdisciplinary team of more than 100 Team Scientists from leading institutions—including Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Yale, and UPenn—with large organizational partners to conduct applied behavioral science research at population scale.
BCFG's core methodological contribution is the 'megastudy' approach: large-scale field studies that simultaneously test dozens of behavioral science intervention strategies proposed by diverse scientists, using A/B testing to identify which strategies work best and for whom. This methodology was published in Nature and codified in a 'Guide to Megastudies' in PNAS Nexus. Notable empirical outputs include a 2-million-person savings megastudy in PNAS Nexus demonstrating that email nudges can increase monthly savings deposits, and a national megastudy in PNAS showing that low-cost email nudges to elementary school teachers can boost student math achievement, particularly when personalized.
The initiative is funded through donations and research grants—including a $2 million commitment from the University of Pennsylvania in 2018—and does not sell commercial products or services. It distributes findings through peer-reviewed academic publications (PNAS, PNAS Nexus, Nature), its Substack newsletter, annual reports, and press coverage in outlets such as Knowledge at Wharton, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. Leadership comprises Co-Directors Katherine Milkman (Wharton) and Angela Duckworth (UPenn), Executive Director Dena Gromet, and a small core operational staff supported by a broader affiliated research network.
Behavior Change for Good Initiative firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Behavior Change for Good Initiative
- Legal name
- Behavior Change for Good Initiative
- Website
- https://bcfg.wharton.upenn.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Behavior Change for Good Initiative is a non-profit academic research center at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania that develops evidence-based behavior change programs in health, education, and savings using its pioneering megastudy methodology.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Behavior Change for Good Initiative industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Behavioral Science Research
- NAICS
- Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Health, Health Promotion & Behavior Change (SBCC) (BPADAIAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), Economic Evaluation & Health Technology Assessment (Public Programs) (HLAJANAL)
Keywords
Where Behavior Change for Good Initiative is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Philadelphia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Behavior Change for Good Initiative business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Research Funding: The initiative operates as a research center funded through donations and grants. The website includes a donate button linking to the University of Pennsylvania's giving platform. They also receive funding from various institutional funders listed on their website.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Behavior Change for Good Initiative product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BCFG develops and conducts "megastudies"—large-scale field experiments that simultaneously A/B test multiple behavioral science intervention strategies (designed by a diverse Scientific Team of 100+ academics) to determine which approaches most effectively change behavior in health, education, and savings domains. The initiative is a non-profit academic research center at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; it does not sell commercial products but disseminates findings through peer-reviewed publications (PNAS, PNAS Nexus, Nature), a published methodology guide, and annual reports.
Product overview
The Behavior Change for Good Initiative is an academic research initiative at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania—not a commercial product company. Its core offering is the 'megastudy' research methodology: large-scale field experiments that simultaneously test dozens of behavioral science strategies to identify which interventions most effectively change behavior in health, education, and savings domains. Related offerings include a published 'Guide to Megastudies' methodology guide and annual research reports. No commercial software products, modules, or integrated product platforms are offered.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Megastudies
Quantifiable outcome
- Email nudges to teachers improved student math achievement (PNAS study)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Behavior Change for Good Initiative
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Behavior Change for Good Initiative technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Behavior Change for Good Initiative partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Large Organizational PartnerscoreBCFG partners with large organizational partners to conduct megastudies. These partnerships are central to BCFG's methodology, providing access to large populations for field experiments. Partners collaborate with BCFG's scientific team to test behavioral interventions at scale.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Behavior Change for Good Initiative competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ideas42: Nonprofit applied behavioral science organization that designs and tests behavioral interventions across domains including education, finance, and health. Closely comparable to BCFG in mission, methodology, and nonprofit research-center structure.
- Behavioral Insights Team (BIT): Global applied behavioral science consultancy that partners with governments and large organizations to run randomized field trials and nudges. Directly comparable to BCFG in using rigorous field experiments to test behavior-change interventions at scale.
- University of Chicago Booth Center for Decision Research: Academic center studying human judgment and decision-making through behavioral research. Comparable as a top-tier university-based research hub producing rigorous behavioral science research.
- J-PAL (Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab): MIT-based global research center running large-scale randomized field experiments to evaluate social programs. Comparable to BCFG in methodology (RCTs at population scale), academic affiliation, and cross-domain intervention research.
- University of Pennsylvania Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics (CHIBE): Penn-based research center conducting behavioral economics research on health and financial decisions. Directly comparable as a fellow UPenn-affiliated behavior change research initiative.
- Stanford Behavior Design Lab (BJ Fogg): Stanford lab focused on designing and testing behavior change interventions, founded by BJ Fogg. Comparable in academic setting, behavior change focus, and field experiment methodology.
- Duke Center for Advanced Hindsight: Dan Ariely's behavioral economics research center at Duke that runs large-scale field experiments on consumer, health, and financial behavior. Comparable to BCFG in academic affiliation, intervention testing, and cross-domain focus.
Broad incumbents
- RAND Corporation: Large, established research institution conducting policy analysis and behavioral/social science research across many domains. Comparable as an established research organization with broad behavioral science work, though it operates at much larger scale and broader scope than BCFG.
- National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER): Long-established private, nonprofit research organization facilitating economic and behavioral research through working groups and field studies. Comparable as a nonprofit research network producing rigorous behavioral and economic studies.
Emerging players
- Yale Tobin Center of Economic Policy: Yale-based research center applying behavioral and economic analysis to policy questions. Comparable as an academic behavioral research center, though with narrower policy focus than BCFG.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Behavior Change for Good Initiative social profiles
Digital presenceBehavior Change for Good Initiative financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Behavior Change for Good Initiative leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Behavior Change for Good Initiative funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
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Behavior Change for Good Initiative M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Behavior Change for Good Initiative
What does Behavior Change for Good Initiative do?
BCFG develops and conducts "megastudies"—large-scale field experiments that simultaneously A/B test multiple behavioral science intervention strategies (designed by a diverse Scientific Team of 100+ academics) to determine which approaches most effectively change behavior in health, education, and savings domains. The initiative is a non-profit academic research center at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; it does not sell commercial products but disseminates findings through peer-reviewed publications (PNAS, PNAS Nexus, Nature), a published methodology guide, and annual reports.
Is Behavior Change for Good Initiative a public or private company?
Behavior Change for Good Initiative is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Behavior Change for Good Initiative founded?
Behavior Change for Good Initiative was founded in 2012. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Behavior Change for Good Initiative based?
Behavior Change for Good Initiative is headquartered in Philadelphia, United States, in the North America region.
How does Behavior Change for Good Initiative make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Research Funding.
Who are Behavior Change for Good Initiative's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ideas42, Behavioral Insights Team (BIT), University of Chicago Booth Center for Decision Research, J-PAL (Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab), University of Pennsylvania Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics (CHIBE), Stanford Behavior Design Lab (BJ Fogg) and Duke Center for Advanced Hindsight. Broad incumbents are RAND Corporation and National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). Yale Tobin Center of Economic Policy is listed as an emerging player.
Does Behavior Change for Good Initiative have an API?
No public API is recorded for Behavior Change for Good Initiative.
What industry is Behavior Change for Good Initiative in?
Behavior Change for Good Initiative's product category is Behavioral Science Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAIAL, Community Health, Health Promotion & Behavior Change (SBCC), with a secondary code of BPAGAKAI, Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 5417 and its SIC code is 8731.