Help 185,000 people in Malawi escape extreme poverty
In Malawi, three-quarters of families live on less than $3 a day. Help fund our most ambitious program to date: delivering $550 in cash to 185,000 people as part of the largest randomized controlled trial (RCT) ever to study the most impactful way to deliver unconditional cash.
An anchor gift from the Canva Foundation means families have already begun receiving life-changing cash to put meals on the table, pay school fees, or jumpstart their business — like Nepiyala in Khongoni:
“Before GiveDirectly, we had nothing–we couldn’t afford food or school fees for our children. When we got the cash, my wife and I agreed to invest it.
We started a moto-taxi business and business is booming! The children are back in school, we can all eat well, and we built a new house where we now sleep peacefully at night.”
Past recipients transformed their lives with cash
Last year, we paid 85,000 Malawians in another sub-district. Within months, these families ate better, built safer homes, and invested in their futures. This new program takes what worked there and scales it up.
This new program will study cash at a historic scale
Starting in Chiradzulu district, we are not only reaching 185,000 people with direct cash, we are also studying how to make cash even more impactful. Alongside researchers from Oxford University, we are launching the largest RCT on unconditional cash transfers ever conducted.
This research will track families across the district over several years, and will allow us to ask even bigger research questions, including:
- 💸 Transfer amounts: What are the impacts of giving $550 vs. $750 vs. $1,000? Are the returns worth giving more?
- 🌱 Complementary services: Does giving cash alongside existing education, agriculture, or water interventions have even more impact?
- 🧱 Community grants: What kind of results does giving village committees $14,000 to spend on local infrastructure projects yield?
This effort is one of the boldest in global development. Join us and help us design programs that can lift millions more people out of poverty.
Frequently Asked Questions
About the program
Why Malawi?
Malawi is the world’s poorest peaceful country, with over 75% of the population living in extreme poverty. GiveDirectly has operated there since 2019, with strong government relationships and operational infrastructure already in place. The program aligns with government priorities, the need is great, and the potential for scalable impact is high. And beyond this, if we can prove this model works here, it could serve as a blueprint for other countries.
Will GiveDirectly expand to new districts? Which ones?
GiveDirectly is currently rolling out operations across Chiradzulu District––with your support, we can expand to new districts more quickly.
How is the government of Malawi involved?
GiveDirectly works in close partnership with the Government of Malawi to coordinate across community engagement, national ID enrollment to ensure recipient eligibility, and other ongoing social protection programs.
How will the RCT work?
To rigorously understand the impact of large-scale cash, GiveDirectly is partnering with researchers from Oxford University, Harvard University, and IDinsight to run the largest-ever randomized controlled trial (RCT) of unconditional cash transfers in a low-income country. Read more about the core research questions in our blog.
What if we raise more or less than the fundraising goal?
We have the capacity to absorb hundreds of millions of dollars to deliver to Malawians in poverty. If for any reason we can’t deliver your funds in Malawi, any excess funds raised will help us deliver cash in our Africa large lump sum poverty programs.
If we raise less than the fundraising goal, GiveDirectly will allocate internal funds to make up the gap between our fundraising and the total needed to ensure every family receives funds. No matter what, your donations will end up in the hands of families in extreme poverty.
General questions
What is GiveDirectly?
We’re a nonprofit that lets you send money directly to the world’s poorest, no strings attached. In the last decade, we’ve delivered cash to over 1.6 million people across 15 countries and research the impacts it can have for families in need.
What if I’d like to make a major gift?
We’d love to hear from you! Reach out to us at info@givedirectly.org.
Is my donation tax-deductible?
Yes, donations are tax-deductible in the United States. We accept all major credit and debit cards, PayPal, checks, wires, stocks, cryptocurrencies, and more.
If you’re giving outside the U.S., you can still give to this campaign but your gift may not be tax-deductible.
Reach out to us at info@givedirectly.org with any questions or for more information on ways to give.