GiveDirectly’s work is rooted in integrity and focused on safety. We deliver unconditional transfers to people in poverty while managing the risks this creates, including fraud, abuse, and safety threats. Our code of ethics and values, along with national laws, guide staff conduct and set clear standards. We continuously improve safeguards to strengthen protection for […]
Blog - Yearly Archives: 2025
Candid thoughts from staff, donors, and recipients on our work and the broader movement towards cash transfers.
Opinions
Switching to more cash aid would help millions in 2025
2025 is a defining moment for the humanitarian system. The scale of aid cuts facing the sector isn’t just a short-term budget challenge — it demands a fundamental rethink of how we deliver help. The efficiency of cash means it’s one of the few answers we have to the challenge in front of us. The […]
Opinions
Bill Gates wants to give his wealth to moms – make it cash | Washington Post
May 19, 2025 By Mona Hanna and Miriam Laker-Oketta Bill Gates recently pledged to give away nearly all his $200 billion in wealth by 2045, aspiring to have no mom, child or baby die from a preventable cause. As two physicians — one in Michigan, one in Uganda — we know accomplishing such a bold goal will […]
Operations
Why we sent the largest-ever cash payment to homeless Americans
In 2024, the U.S. saw the highest number of people unhoused — 770,000 on a given night — despite $10B+ in federal spending on homelessness. There is growing evidence that a large lump sum of cash can help homeless families become stably housed, which is why GiveDirectly launched a program in Chicago doing just that. We […]
Opinions
Deep aid cuts show cash transfers have never been more urgent | Devex
The speed of the cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development is probably the most significant shock wave to hit the sector since the start of official “Overseas Development Assistance” was classified in 1969. They are part of a wider trend — including cuts from the United Kingdom and many European donors — pushing us all to reevaluate the way forward. […]
Operations, Recipients
How to explain AI/ML across the digital divide
When a crisis hits a low-income country, aid groups often struggle to quickly find and help those most in need because governments have incomplete or outdated information on their citizens (‘social registries’). This is why GiveDirectly has used mobile phone metadata and AI to predict people’s level of need and send them emergency cash quickly—often […]