MEF Associates

What MEF Associates does

MEF Associates is a private, for-profit social policy research firm founded in 2009 by Mike Fishman and Mary Farrell and headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. The firm specializes in rigorous research and evaluation of social programs serving low-income individuals, children, and families, applying randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental impact analyses, mixed-methods studies, administrative data analysis, and behavioral economics/human-centered design. Core offerings fall into Research & Evaluation and Technical Assistance, supplemented by proprietary products such as the Multidimensional Hardship Index (MHI) and the Coordinating to Improve Family Experiences Toolkit, plus toolkits on father engagement, family input, and Tribal TANF data. Work spans TANF, child support, early care and education, child welfare, fatherhood, workforce development, food assistance (WIC), and Tribal human services.\n\nThe firm's revenue is generated almost entirely through negotiated federal, state, and local government contracts and grants, with the Administration for Children and Families (and its OPRE/OFA components) as the dominant funder, supplemented by SSA, HHS, and DOL awards at the federal level; Tennessee, Colorado, Louisiana, California, Washington, and Allegheny County engagements at the state/county level; and select private foundation work (e.g., CFE Fund). MEF serves both as prime contractor and as a frequent subcontractor to larger research organizations (MDRC, Mathematica, Abt Associates, Urban Institute, Child Trends). Pricing is entirely contract-negotiated and quote-based, with no commercial or productized pricing model. Demand generation is driven by reputation, past performance, publications, and conference presentations within the federal human services policy community rather than paid marketing.\n\nMEF is independently owned with no disclosed parent company, institutional investors, or funding rounds, and appears to be founder-led. The firm has 11–50 employees and operates from a single Alexandria office, with work performed on a national basis across at least a dozen states. Strategic positioning is built on narrow domain specialization, methodological rigor, and a growing portfolio of reusable frameworks/toolkits that extend the firm's value beyond traditional time-and-materials consulting.

Name

MEF Associates

Legal name

MEF Associates

Website

https://mefassociates.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MEF Associates is a private Alexandria, Virginia-based social policy research firm that conducts rigorous program evaluations, impact studies, and technical assistance for federal, state, and local human services agencies serving low-income families, children, and individuals. Founded in 2009.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Policy Research and Evaluation

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Intergovernmental Affairs & Federal Grants Administration (BPAIAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Results-Based Financing (RBF) & Performance-Based Grants (BPADAOAF)

Keywords

• Social policy research
• Program evaluation services
• Technical assistance
• Human services consulting
• Impact analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Contracts and Grants: MEF Associates derives the majority of its revenue from federal government contracts and cooperative agreements. Key funders include the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE), the Office of Family Assistance (OFA), the Social Security Administration (SSA), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of Labor. MEF serves as both prime contractor and subcontractor on these awards.
2. State and Local Government Contracts: Direct engagements with state human services agencies (e.g., Tennessee Department of Human Services, Louisiana Department of Children and Families, California Department of Social Services) and county-level departments (e.g., Allegheny County, Sacramento County, San Joaquin County) for evaluations, technical assistance, and policy research.
3. Private Foundation and Nonprofit Contracts: Occasional engagements with private foundations and nonprofit organizations. Examples include evaluation work for organizations such as the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund) and contracted research for nonprofits.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MEF Associates provides rigorous social policy research, program evaluation, and technical assistance services to federal, state, and local human services agencies. The firm conducts randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental impact analyses, implementation studies, and behavioral economics interventions to shape the design and improvement of social programs serving low-income individuals, children, and families.

Product overview

MEF Associates is a social policy research firm offering a portfolio of research, evaluation, and technical assistance services focused on social programs. The company operates as a services-based organization rather than a software product company. Its core offerings include Research and Evaluation services, Technical Assistance, and various specialized tools and publications such as the Coordinating to Improve Family Experiences Toolkit, the Multidimensional Hardship Index (MHI), family input toolkits, father engagement resource guides, and WIC participant research studies. These products and services are designed to help federal, state, and local human services agencies improve program design, implementation, and outcomes for individuals, children, and families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research and Evaluation Services Rigorous research and analysis services that shape the design and implementation of social programs, including program evaluations, impact studies (RCTs, quasi-experimental designs), and implementation analyses for federal, state, and local human services agencies.
• Technical Assistance Technical assistance services provided to federal, state, and local human services agencies to support research-informed policy decisions and program improvements, including behavioral economics workshops, training, and ongoing coaching.
• Coordinating to Improve Family Experiences Toolkit A comprehensive toolkit for state and local human services agencies to improve benefits coordination and support whole families, including tools, assessments, activities, and original guidance to help agency leaders identify pain points, select and implement solutions, and track progress over time.
• Multidimensional Hardship Index (MHI) A proprietary measurement tool that measures the range and intensity of hardship across five dimensions—economic security, education and training, health, standard of living, and relational resources—to assess participant well-being in human services settings.
• Toolkit: Elevating Family Input in TANF and Child Support Programs Resources for program staff, leaders, and families to gather and incorporate family input into TANF and Child Support Programs, developed as part of the TANF and Child Support Moving Forward project.
• Creating a Culture of Active Father Engagement Resource Guide Resource guide designed to support Head Start programs in building and sustaining a father-friendly program culture, grounded in best practices and enriched by insights from partnership work.
• WIC Participant and Program Characteristics Studies Data compilation studies on participant and program characteristics for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), collecting demographic data, income and nutrition risk characteristics, breastfeeding initiation estimates, and food package data.

Quantifiable outcome

• Statistically significant 10 percentage point increase in teacher retention approximately one year after implementation of the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program Teacher Salary Increase Pilot
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, significant and minor.

• The Urban InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024MEF partnered with The Urban Institute as part of the Tennessee TANF Opportunity Act evaluation and in developing the Coordinating to Improve Family Experiences Toolkit. The Urban Institute serves as a key strategic partner on multiple federal and state evaluation projects.
• The Adjacent PossiblecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024MEF partnered with The Adjacent Possible alongside The Urban Institute to develop and test the comprehensive Toolkit for Improving Benefits Coordination to Support Whole Families, funded by the Administration for Children and Families.
• MDRCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMEF serves as a frequent subcontractor to MDRC on major federal evaluation projects including the TANF/SSI Disability Transition Project, Behavioral Interventions for Child Support Services (BICS), Subsidized and Transitional Employment Demonstration, Enhanced Services for the Hard-to-Employ, and Procedural Justice-Informed Alternatives to Contempt (PJAC).
• MathematicacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMEF serves as a subcontractor to Mathematica on multiple federal contracts including the State TANF Case Studies project, TANF Outcomes Technical Assistance and Logistics (TOTAL), WIC Participant and Program Characteristics, and Literature Review of Wage Subsidies and Work Based Learning.
• Abt AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMEF has served as a subcontractor to Abt Associates on projects including the Understanding the Intersection Between TANF and Refugee Cash Assistance Services, How Do TANF Policies Support Families Experiencing Homelessness, and the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Study.
• Urban Institute (Tennessee TANF Evaluation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMEF partnered with Urban Institute alongside the Tennessee Department of Human Services to conduct the multi-year evaluation of the Tennessee Opportunity Pilot Initiative, including impact evaluation, implementation evaluation, and cost study.
• Kauffman and AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMEF leads the Next Steps for Tribal TANF Research and Data project in collaboration with Kauffman and Associates and three consultants (Dr. Geni Cowan, Dr. José Chávez, and Dr. Heather Sauyaq Jean Gordon). Kauffman and Associates brings expertise in Indigenous community engagement.
• MDRC and Mathematica (TOTAL Project Partnership)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMEF leads the TANF Outcomes Technical Assistance and Logistics (TOTAL) project with partners MDRC and Mathematica, providing training and technical assistance to TANF programs in states and territories on new outcome reporting requirements.
• Urban Institute and The Adjacent Possible (TPRA Project)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe TANF Policy Research and Analysis (TPRA) Project team comprises Urban Institute, The Adjacent Possible, and MEF Associates, working closely with OPRE and OFA to synthesize and build evidence on TANF.
• Washington State Division of Child Support (DCS)significantImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe Division of Child Support in the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services contracted MEF to evaluate its Building Assets for Fathers and Families (BAFF) initiative, which helped noncustodial parents build assets through Individual Development Accounts, financial literacy education, and credit/debt management.
• Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund)significantImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMEF conducted an evaluation of the Financial Empowerment Center (FEC) initiative, funded by the CFE Fund, which integrated one-on-one financial counseling into antipoverty service delivery in five cities.
• BLH Technologies and ICF InternationalminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMEF collaborated with BLH Technologies and ICF International to develop and deliver TANF training and technical assistance services through the Office of Family Assistance in the Administration for Children and Families.
• MDRC (Quality Interventions Study)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDRC serves as prime contractor on the Variations in Implementation of Quality Interventions study examining quality-child outcomes relationships in early care and education. MEF Associates is co-leading site recruitment and involved in all phases of project implementation.
• The Stephen GroupminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMEF completed a systematic evidence review of Family Centered Treatment® for the State of Nebraska in partnership with The Stephen Group, according to Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse standards.
• Child TrendsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMEF was a subcontractor to Child Trends on the Human-Centered Design for Human Services project, which explored the application of HCD across ACF service delivery programs at federal, state, and local levels.
• Baltimore City Head Start / Center for Urban FamiliessignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerMEF partnered with Baltimore City Head Start and the Center for Urban Families on a three-year initiative to support father-friendly Head Start programming, developing a resource guide grounded in best practices and insights from this partnership.
• Baltimore City Head StartsignificantImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBaltimore City Head Start participated in the Planning Father Engagement project (2023-2025) in partnership with MEF Associates, developing practical steps and resources for father-friendly program culture.
• Center for Urban FamiliessignificantImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe Center for Urban Families partnered with MEF and Baltimore City Head Start on a three-year initiative to build and sustain father-friendly programming, contributing insights from the organization's work with urban families.
• MDRC (Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMEF ran behavioral insights pilots under the ACF-funded project led by MDRC, testing approaches to increase downward modification requests from incarcerated noncustodial parents and improve re-engagement of TANF recipients.
• Center for Urban Families (CFUF)significantImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCFUF contracted MEF to conduct a randomized control trial of its DAD MAP fatherhood curriculum, testing a culturally tailored parenting and responsible fatherhood program for low-income fathers.
• Opportunity Insights and Johns Hopkins UniversitysignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerOn the Creating Moves to Opportunity project, MEF partnered with Johns Hopkins University and Opportunity Insights to conduct in-depth interviews with Housing Choice Voucher families participating in the randomized control trial.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• RTI International: RTI International is a large multidisciplinary research institute that conducts social and health policy research for federal agencies, competing for the same federal evaluation contract pool as MEF but across a much broader portfolio of program areas.
• Westat: Westat is a research firm with significant federal contracts in health, social services, and education, competing for the same pool of federal evaluation contracts as MEF and serving HHS, ACF, and DOL clients.
• NORC at the University of Chicago: NORC is a large independent research organization with federal contracts in social policy, health, and education evaluation, serving similar government clients as MEF with a broader methodological and topical portfolio.

Direct peers

• Mathematica: Mathematica is a major social policy research and evaluation firm that serves as a prime contractor on many of the same federal vehicles (TANF TOTAL, State TANF Case Studies, WIC PC) where MEF is a subcontractor, with identical federal client base and methodological depth.
• Urban Institute: The Urban Institute is a leading economic and social policy research organization that partners with MEF on the Coordinating to Improve Family Experiences Toolkit and the Tennessee TANF Opportunity Act evaluation, with directly overlapping subject matter expertise and federal funders.
• Child Trends: Child Trends is a research organization focused on children and families, with whom MEF subcontracts on the Human-Centered Design for Human Services project, sharing the same federal clients (ACF, OPRE) and overlapping child welfare and family policy expertise.
• James Bell Associates: James Bell Associates is a research and evaluation firm focused on human services, particularly child welfare, juvenile justice, and workforce development, with a similar federal client base (ACF, OPRE) and methodological approach to MEF.
• Abt Associates: Abt Associates is a large research and consulting firm that conducts program evaluations for federal agencies, with MEF subcontracting to Abt on TANF-refugee, homelessness, and Head Start studies, making Abt a directly comparable prime peer in social policy research.
• MDRC: MDRC is a nonpartisan social policy research organization focused on education, employment, and income security programs, frequently contracting with MEF as a prime on multi-site federal evaluations such as PACE, BICS, and BIAST, with directly overlapping federal client base and methodology.
• Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago: Chapin Hall conducts research on children, youth, and families with overlapping focus areas in child welfare, family economic security, and TANF-related work, making it a closely comparable niche peer to MEF in scope and federal client base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MEF_Associates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about MEF Associates