1 in 8 Americans depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, to feed their families. Starting on November 1, millions of Americans missed their monthly SNAP food benefits due to the U.S. government shutdown. Thanks to the generosity of 4,700+ donors, GiveDirectly and Propel delivered $50 emergency cash payments […]
Blog
Candid thoughts from staff, donors, and recipients on our work and the broader movement towards cash transfers.
The Future of Cash
Can giving people direct cash reverse deforestation?
Tropical forests are the world’s greatest store of carbon, shelter abundant wildlife, and sustain the communities who call them home — protecting them protects us all. Yet deforestation is still happening at alarming rates. In 2024 alone, the world lost 6.7 million hectares of tropical forest — driving more emissions than the entire U.S. power […]
Opinions, Research
What giving people money doesn’t fix
GiveDirectly has written a lot about what giving people money is consistently very good at (e.g., recipients earn more, spend more, own more assets, and the local economy gets a boost), the myths that aren’t true (e.g, cash doesn’t make people work less or drink more), and the fact that it’s what most recipients prefer. […]
Research
Study: Giving people money returned 2.5x the value without causing inflation
One of the world’s largest cash studies found that GiveDirectly’s program, giving a one-time $1,000 cash transfer to 10,500 poor households in rural Kenya, led to 2.5x that amount in economic growth. Now, we’re building on these results to launch the world’s biggest randomized controlled trial on cash, and asking even bigger questions to understand […]
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
When staying quiet backfired: how we rebuilt trust in Mozambique
In the midst of post-election protests in November 2024, our cash program in Mogovolas, Mozambique was hit by a wave of false accusations. A social media post claimed that GiveDirectly was placing recipients under house arrest, acting as a political agent of the ruling party, and even recruiting for armed groups. The lies spread quickly, […]
Operations, Research
Can cash accelerate the end of extreme poverty? Taking the next big step in Malawi
In Malawi, we’re answering a new question: can cash not only transform individual lives but entire communities, accelerating the end of extreme poverty? The evidence is clear that large, unconditional cash transfers help people escape extreme poverty. Now we’re testing how it works at scale and learning how to make it even more effective along the […]
Operations
Oyin Solebo joins GiveDirectly Board of Directors
With nearly $1 billion delivered to people in poverty, GiveDirectly is entering a bold new phase: scaling our programs while innovating faster to meet our goal of delivering $5 billion by 2035. At this inflection point, we’re proud to welcome Oyin Solebo to GiveDirectly’s Board of Directors. Solebo brings unmatched experience at the intersection of […]
Research
New research: Cash for pregnant moms in Flint led to healthier births and millions in healthcare savings
A statewide study of GiveDirectly’s Rx Kids program in Flint, Michigan found that giving every pregnant woman in the city $1,500 during pregnancy and $500 monthly postpartum in cash led to healthier births and saved millions in healthcare costs. The findings highlight that poverty itself is a health risk factor for mothers and babies — […]
Operations
Five things we’ve learned using mobile data and AI/ML to identify people in need
Natural disasters, conflict, pandemics, and other crises are hitting more frequently and affecting more people. Unconditional cash transfers — delivered quickly before or after a shock — help families withstand these shocks. But to deliver cash quickly, governments and aid organizations need to solve a basic problem: How do you find the people most in need […]