An economy that works for all of us,
not some of us.
NDWA Labs is the innovation arm of the
National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA).
Founded in 2015, NDWA Labs was launched to experiment with new strategies for improving job quality for for the 2.2 million domestic workers - nannies, house cleaners and home care workers - in the US. Our approach is to innovate on old solutions, build smart and practical technology tools and products, and form partnerships that help us reach and lift standards for domestic workers.
We take an experimental and innovative approach to finding solutions
for challenges faced by domestic workers.
NDWA Labs believes there is not one single solution to transforming the domestic work industry. We need to be creative and employ multiple strategies simultaneously for real and meaningful change. We build products where they are needed, form partnerships when we can, and work to shift culture where it’s creating a barrier.
We believe in the promise of technology.
NDWA Labs has been experimenting with ways to use technology to ensure we are shaping a future of work that works for all of us, not just some of us. Many problems faced by domestic workers have elements that can be solved with technology, such as connecting workers, aggregating payments and creating formal contracts for a largely informal industry. Our in-house entrepreneurs develop and build tech-based solutions where none exist.
PORTFOLIO
Alia Benefits: Portable benefits for domestic workers
Alia Benefits is a portable benefits platform that makes it easy for clients and employers to contribute to the benefits for the domestic worker who works in their home. Benefits include Paid Time Off and accident insurance.
Alia Cares: Emergency cash relief during COVID
Alia Cares was a rapid innovation to assist workers left out of government economic relief efforts in response to COVID. When the coronavirus pandemic shut down the US economy, NDWA began raising money to help domestic workers - who were losing work at devastating rates - through the Coronavirus Care Fund. The fund had an initial goal of $4 million, but raised more than $30 million for domestic workers experiencing financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic.
La Alianza: Real-time data on domestic workers
La Alianza is building a unique data set on domestic workers in the US. Since 2018 NDWA Labs has been experimenting with using Facebook Messenger to find and engage domestic workers at scale, and succeeded in rapidly growing a chatbot for Spanish-speaking domestic workers.
About National domestic workers alliance
NDWA is the nation’s leading voice for dignity and fairness for the millions of domestic workers in the United States, most of whom are women.
Founded in 2007, NDWA works for the respect, recognition and inclusion in labor protections for domestic workers. NDWA has won legislation protecting domestic workers’ rights in eight states including New York, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Oregon, Connecticut, Illinois, and Nevada. The Alliance is powered by over 60 affiliate organizations - plus local chapters in Atlanta, Durham, and New York City - of over 20,000 nannies, house cleaners, and caregivers for the elderly and people with disabilities in 37 cities and 18 states.
