Beginning November 1st, SNAP benefits were paused for over 41 million low-income Americans (nearly 1 in 8 people nationwide) during what became the longest US government shutdown in history. Survey data from our partner Propel revealed the immediate impact: SNAP families suddenly found themselves facing impossible choices – turning to already strained food banks, skipping […]
Blog -
Candid thoughts from staff, donors, and recipients on our work and the broader movement towards cash transfers.
Operations
How we got cash to Texas flood survivors in a week
On July 4, floodwaters tore through homes across central Texas. In counties like Kerr, Williamson, and Travis, people lost housing, belongings, and access to essentials overnight. By July 11 –– just one week later –– GiveDirectly was sending $2,400 payments to help low-income families begin their recovery. In total, GiveDirectly sent $1.4M from over 1,300 donors […]
Operations
Which U.S. cash programs work the best? We don’t know yet.
Giving cash directly to people in poverty is proven to help. Our research increasingly focuses on testing the impact of different cash designs by varying how much, how often, and when people receive cash. For example, a first-of-its-kind study found the impact of delivering the same amount of cash to Kenyans in poverty is significantly […]