News // Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities // University of Notre Dame

LEO's statement on racial injustice

Published: June 29, 2020

In the past weeks we have grieved along with the nation about the racism that exists in our country, the traumatic pain it causes, and the hopelessness felt as senseless deaths like George Floyd’s happen time after time. We hear and...

New poverty measure confirms coronavirus-driven federal stimulus measures were effective

Published: June 22, 2020

Author: Colleen Sharkey

Notre Dame research finds that the poverty rate fell by 2.3 percentage points from 10.9 percent in the months leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic (January and February) to 8.6 percent in the two most recent months (April and May).

Launch of Criminal Justice Initiative

Published: June 09, 2020

Author: Leigh Lynes

While the federal prison population receives most of the national policy attention, the population of people in community corrections is much larger. More than 4.5 million people in America are on probation and parole and more than 700,000 people...

Future learnings

Published: June 09, 2020

Author: Leigh Lynes

Outsmarting poverty requires long-haul thinking. This is why we partner with organizations committed to breaking the cycle of poverty across lives and generations. And this is why we have convened a new cohort of six innovative service providers--some of poverty’s...

What the experts say: case management

Published: June 09, 2020

Author: Leigh Lynes

Consider the following scenario: A single mother of three young children is living in a southern U.S. city. She gave birth to her oldest during her senior year of high school, then dropped out....

Forming the future

Published: June 09, 2020

Author: Leigh Lynes

Victor Cardeno, LEO Undergraduate Research Assistant It’s never been easy for me to personally relate to poverty. I’ve led a very fortunate life; I have a wonderful family...

Veteran housing voucher research on Capitol Hill

Published: June 09, 2020

Author: Leigh Lynes

LEO studied the federal HUD-VASH supportive housing voucher program for homeless veterans and found that for every voucher distributed, one fewer veteran is living on the streets. Co-founder Bill Evans and Catholic Charities USA held a congressional policy...

We're Texas bound!

Published: June 09, 2020

Author: Leigh Lynes

Texas has a reputation as a prosperous state with a booming economy that is great for business. But many Texas families aren’t experiencing this same success. The poverty rate in Texas is 13.4%. Unique challenges—such as Texas’ large immigrant population...

In the business of change

Published: June 09, 2020

Author: Leigh Lynes

Students at i.c.stars. Photo credit: DW Johnson Photography. Times of new beginning often go hand-in-hand with a sense of transformation. As we encounter this new decade,...

Up at night

Published: June 09, 2020

Author: Leigh Lynes

Heather Reynolds, LEO's Managing Director I recently revisited one of my all-time favorite sitcoms, Parks and Recreation. Something about the main character, Leslie Knope, has always resonated with me...

Calling poverty's fiercest adversaries

Published: June 09, 2020

Author: Leigh Lynes

Social distancing. Today, this phrase defines our lives. But here at LEO, we haven’t found ourselves socially distant. Physically distant, yes. Socially distant? Not at all. If anything, we’ve grown more social, more empathetic, more human. We know our vulnerabilities...

LEO leaders discuss homelessness prevention, and how COVID-19 impacts people in poverty

Published: June 04, 2020

Author: Leigh Lynes

On a late spring evening, LEO’s Managing Director Heather Reynolds and Head of Research Operations Rachel Fulcher-Dawson discussed with 40 people around the country—from their living rooms, bedrooms, and even closets, in the case of moderator Ted...

COVID-19 and Commitment to Research: NPower

Published: June 04, 2020

Author: Leigh Lynes

At LEO, our commitment to evidence is unwavering[1]. Over the past two months, our partners—nonprofits who support those experiencing poverty—have faced an unprecedented test. As many fight for survival, we at LEO have been amazed by their...

New Texas Partners Aim to Understand Impact

Published: May 29, 2020

Author: Leigh Lynes

Poverty is complex and won't be solved by just one sector or approach. That's why we're partnering with the Texas Public Policy Foundation and five Texas service providers to study the impact of their programs on families struggling to make ends...

COVID-19 and Commitment to Research: i.c.stars

Published: May 27, 2020

Author: Leigh Lynes

At LEO, our commitment to evidence is unwavering[1]. Over the past two months, our partners—nonprofits who support those experiencing poverty—have faced an unprecedented test. As many fight for survival, we at LEO have been amazed by their...

COVID-19 and Commitment to Research: Helping Restore Ability

Published: May 12, 2020

Author: Leigh Lynes

At LEO, our commitment to evidence is unwavering[1]. Over the past two months, our partners—nonprofits who support those experiencing poverty—have faced an unprecedented test. As many fight for survival, we at LEO have been amazed by their...

i.c. stars Pivots, and Keeps Serving and Learning

Published: May 01, 2020

Author: Leigh Lynes

Photo credit: DW Johnson Photography Picture it: A classroom space in the heart of Chicago. Young adults, in business attire and clustered around laptops, the room buzzing as they talk...

Virtual Training for New Partners

Published: May 01, 2020

Author: Leigh Lynes

Travel restrictions gave us the opportunity to launch our first-ever e-cohort in April, when we convened a group of social service organizations for a virtual two-day workshop. These agencies have all been disrupted...

5 Project Designs, A Future of Learning

Published: May 01, 2020

Author: Leigh Lynes

Project development is at the heart of LEO's operations. Good partners yield good projects, and good projects yield discoveries about what works to end poverty. Our project count is ticking upwards, as we are...

LEO’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19)

Published: March 25, 2020

Author: Leigh Lynes

Our world has changed so quickly, and we want to update our partners, supporters, and friends on how the COVID-19 outbreak has impacted LEO operations. In short, our work to build evidence about what works to end poverty has...