Urban Institute, The

The Urban Institute is a nonprofit policy research organization established in Washington, D.C., in 1968. The Institute's goals are to sharpen thinking about society's problems and efforts to solve them, improve government decisions and their implementation, and increase citizens' awareness about important public choices. Leaving politics to others, the Urban Institute brings three critical ingredients to public debates on domestic policy initiatives: accurate data, careful and objective analyses, and perspective. UI's staff also evaluates government programs—-practical work that grounds UI's policy research in the experiences of the people who create, run, and use these programs. The Urban Institute's strong suits are rigorous analysis, innovative methodology, fresh thinking, and technical expertise. Much of UI's research spans several disciplines and blends quantitative and qualitative approaches to problem-solving. UI is involved in research projects with partners in more than 45 states and 20 countries.