Economic security – Cash in the News

This week, basic income was in the news, with the announcement of the “Economic Security Project.” This group is considering whether cash assistance and basic income might better guarantee economic opportunity in the United States, and it supports organizations like GiveDirectly, whose work can add to that discussion. Elsewhere in cash news, The New York […]

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The largest basic income experiment in history

The second milestone for cash in 2016 (see here for Part 1) was GiveDirectly’s launch of the first long-term Universal Basic Income evaluation in history. Over the last twelve months, cash transfers have moved toward center stage in international policy circles under a new name, Universal Basic Income (UBI). While there has been much debate, […]

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The year in cash – $27 million distributed

The end of the year is always a time for reflection, and this year asks more than most. With a confluence of global crises, and rising skepticism of institutions, the actions we take as individuals – and the signals they send – are perhaps more important than ever. At GiveDirectly, we’ve been deeply encouraged to […]

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19 studies – Cash in the News

With the release of two important papers – one meta-analysis showing the poor do not spend cash transfers on alcohol or tobacco and another showing the anti-poverty effects of mobile money – this week saw a flurry of news on cash transfers, from the Christian Science Monitor, Yahoo Finance, Quartz, NPR and more.GIVEDIRECTLY IN THE […]

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On GiveDirectly’s use of paid media

We’ve received a couple of questions about an online advertising campaign for GiveDirectly that’s been running on Facebook and general banner ads. The ad inventory for the campaign was donated by a corporate partner, and so comes at zero cost to GiveDirectly aside from staff time. We are not yet sure what role advertising has […]

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The needs of poor people – Cash in the News

With many people focused on charitable giving last Tuesday, this week saw several pieces on GiveDirectly, effective altruism, and cash transfers. Business Insider profiled GiveDirectly’s new product, GDLive, and 12 specific recipient stories. NPR Morning Edition featured GiveDirectly with an interview with our own Ian Bassin. Vox, Deadspin, The Life You Can Save, and GiveWell […]

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Charity as simple as possible – Cash in the News

With the release of GDLive and the holiday giving season approaching, several articles featured GiveDirectly this week. In the Observer, reporter Brady Dale profiled GDLive, including a specific recipient named Besides, from Uganda. On the BBC, co-founder Michael Faye joined a panel to discuss GiveDirectly’s basic income experiment, and Yahoo News profiled GiveDirectly as a […]

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On GiveWell’s recommendation

GiveWell has just recognized GiveDirectly as one of their top rated charities for the fifth year running. We’re proud to have been recognized as the “strongest” on every dimension of organizational performance, and are excited to see GiveWell adopting cash transfers as a benchmark for their evaluations. But perhaps most importantly, GiveWell has recognized our […]

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The basic question – Cash in the News

This week, the World Bank issued a feature on climate change, where they mention cash transfers as a policy that might help people recover from the shocks of climate-induced natural events, and the The New York Times mentioned cash transfers to help with labor-displacing shocks brought about by technology. In Canada, the debate over Ontario’s […]

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