Tanya Agrawal

Evidence Action

Evidence Action is a global non-profit operating in seven countries in Africa and Asia. We were founded in 2013 to address a big gap in the fight against global poverty–many of the most promising interventions are either implemented at a very small scale, or not at all. We set out to address this gap by building programs that would scale evidence-based and cost-effective interventions, leading to significant improvements in quality of life for hundreds of millions. Our model worked. In less than a decade, our two flagship programs, the Deworm the World Initiative and Dispensers for Safe Water, have grown to measurably impact over 280 million people each year by supporting governments to deworm and through our last-mile delivery network providing safe water access. This success is achieved through the dedication and talent of our staff, the hard work of our partners, and the commitment of our supporters. Every part of our work across the lifecycle of our programs is driven by evidence. This starts with the interventions we select to invest in, and continues as we use real-time data to refine and adapt our operations, including responding rapidly and effectively to resolve challenges as they arise. Our pursuit of cost-effectiveness is driven by a recognition that when we optimize every aspect of our programs, we can reach as many people–and do as much good– as possible with each dollar. We measure value for money in terms of the number of lives we can help improve. Scale enables our massive impact. We invest in solutions for which the need is great, and leverage existing networks like schools or community organizations to grow rapidly, minimize costs, and increase efficiencies. We think big and act urgently–because poverty does not wait. By 2024, we seek to double our impact. We are strengthening and expanding our existing programs, and working to identify a new generation of evidence-based and cost-effective interventions that we can scale to reach millions more