Rural Income for Self Empowerment Guaranteed Minimum Income (RISE GMI)

Cash for Low-Income Americans in Rural Communities

In Partnership with the Atwoods

The RISE Guaranteed Minimum Income program is an effort aimed at empowering residents in rural communities. Every person deserves a fair chance at opportunity, and no one should be left behind.

RISE GMI program provides no strings attached cash payments to eligible county residents who are randomly selected to participate. No strings attached payments means you choose how to spend your own money.

With support from a generous grant from the Atwoods, we’re aiming to send cash to ~1,600 people across Mercer County, West Virginia; Beaufort County, North Carolina; and Warren County, Mississippi through the Rural Income for Self Empowerment (RISE) program.

We are delivering up to $24,000 over the course of 16 months to families living in poverty. This means that every family will receive $1,500 per month for 16 months to spend on food, business, rent, or whatever they need most.

Eligibility Criteria

RISE GMI used the following eligibility criteria:

  1. Participants are residents of one of the participating counties: Mercer County, WV; Beaufort County, NC; or Warren County, MS
  2. Participants are 18 years or older
  3. Participants’ household income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level
# of Household MembersMaximum Household Income
1$31,300
4$64,300
6$86,300
Click here for more household income limits.

Application Dates

The RISE GMI application is currently closed.

Eligible applicants may or may not have been selected for payment.

Click here to view a list of documents accepted to verify eligibility.

📍 Mercer County, WV
  • Application Opened: Oct 14, 2025
  • Application Closed: Oct 31, 2025
📍 Beaufort County, NC
  • Application Opened: Nov 3, 2025
  • Application Closed: Nov 21, 2025
📍 Warren County, MS
  • Application Opened: Dec 1, 2025
  • Application Closed: Dec 19, 2025

Have questions about RISE GMI? Contact our Support Line at www.givedirectly.org/support or (855) 599-8574.

Click here to view a list of documents accepted to verify eligibility.

Eligible applicants were randomly selected. See FAQ for more information.

How do you make long-term structural change that creates opportunity for everyone? It is an incredibly complex problem. But if we focus our efforts in a particular area, I believe we can change a lot of things in this country. Maybe not everything, but something foundational to the next part of our history as a country: how to move beyond individual generosity and toward systems that create security, dignity, and possibility for all.
Jeff Atwood
Co-Founder of Stack Overflow and Discourse

Cash is proven to uplift families and communities

Hundreds of studies show that unconditional cash transfers can be life-changing across countries and contexts. 

  • Community-wide impacts: When delivered at the community level, we’ve seen cash benefit people who were not even direct recipients. 
  • Financial stability: After one year, women who received $850 per month were healthier, more financially secure, and more food secure.
  • Self-determination: Recipients of a $500 per month guaranteed minimum income reported higher levels of self-determination related to better job prospects and increased risk tolerance.

RISE GMI can help American families realize their dreams

The “American Dream” has become increasingly out of reach for much of the population, who haven’t realized the benefits of U.S. economic growth.

RISE GMI aims to remedy some of the financial stagnation felt by millions of American families in the rural U.S. We know that cash creates jobs, reduces debt, and promotes mobility; the challenge is getting it into the hands of those who need it most — and ensuring policymakers take notice.

Cash delivered through RISE GMI aims to revitalize communities left behind, we can drive local, state, and even national policy change — cementing cash as a critical tool in our social safety net.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which communities are participating in the RISE program?

These are the participating communities:

  1. Mercer County, West Virginia
  2. Beaufort County, North Carolina
  3. Warren County, Mississippi

We will update the list as we lock in additional community locations.

Am I eligible for the RISE GMI program?

The RISE GMI application is currently closed. Applicants were eligible for the RISE GMI program if they met all of these criteria:

  1. Resident of a participating county.
  2. 18 years or older.
  3. Have a household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty line FPL.
    • The income limit for a household of 1 is $31,300. The income limit for a household of 4 is $64,300. Click here to see the 200% FPL limit for other household sizes.
What do I need to apply?

The RISE GMI application is currently closed. Applicants needed to submit the application online at rise.aidkit.org/o/home. Applicants could submit the application from a computer or mobile device (such as a phone or tablet). 

Applicants must have provided documents that showed proof of their identity, residency, and income.

Click here to review the full list of accepted documents.

Note: Applications with fraudulent documents were automatically rejected.

How do I apply to receive funds?

The RISE GMI application is currently closed.

Applicants could apply at rise.aidkit.org/o/home.

In Mercer County, WV:

  • The application was available from October 14, 2025 to October 31, 2025.

In Beaufort County, NC:

  • The application was available from November 3, 2025 to November 21, 2025.

In Warren County, MS:

  • The application was available from December 1, 2025 to December 19, 2025.

Any applications submitted after the deadline were not considered.

What happens after the application closes?

The RISE GMI application is currently closed.

Upon completing an application, applicants received a link to the contact information entered on the application where they could check the status of their application. GiveDirectly reached out to applicants with more information about program selection about 6 weeks after the application deadline.

There were limited spots for this program. Once the application period closed, GiveDirectly reviewed applications and documents to verify eligibility. 

We may have requested additional information or documents from applicants to determine eligibility for the RISE GMI program.

How much money will each family receive?

$24,000. We will be delivering $1,500 per month for 16 months.

How are applicants selected to participate?

GiveDirectly verifies applications for eligibility. Eligible applications were randomly selected for the program. We notified applicants if they were selected within 6 weeks of submitting the application.

When will selected applicants receive the money, and for how long?

There were limited spots for this program, which means that even if you applied, you are not guaranteed to receive payments. To receive payments from the RISE Guaranteed Minimum Income program, applicants needed to:

  1. Be eligible
  2. Be randomly selected from the equal opportunity selection process, and 
  3. Once selected, successfully enroll in the program 

These randomly selected, eligible applicants who enrolled received their first payment 7-12 weeks after the application closed.

  • If you are a resident of Mercer County selected for RISE GMI, your first payment was issued on December 17, 2025.
  • If you are a resident of Beaufort County selected for RISE GMI, your first payment was issued on January 21, 2026.
  • If you are a resident of Warren County selected for RISE GMI, your first payment was issued on February 18, 2026.

The payment amount is expected to be $1,500, and payments will be distributed on a monthly basis for 16 months, which is up to $24,000 in total.

Can I still apply if I live with a friend or family member, am unhoused, or stay in a shelter within a participating community?

The RISE GMI application is currently closed. But residents of a participating county could still apply if they lived with a friend or family member, was unhoused, or stayed in a shelter at the time of applying.

Click here to review the full list of accepted documents, including documents accepted to verify residency for applicants who were unhoused or were doubled up with a friend or family member at the time of applying.

Please contact our Support Line at www.givedirectly.org/support or (855) 599-8574 if you have questions.

What if I need help with my application?

The RISE GMI application is currently closed.

Please contact our Support Line at www.givedirectly.org/support or (855) 599-8574 if you have questions.

Partner organizations provided in-person application support in each community.

If I’m selected, what impact will payments have on my benefits and taxes?

Submitting a RISE Guaranteed Minimum Income program application does not impact your existing public benefits. Submitting an application does not impact your eligibility for public benefits. 

If you were selected, GiveDirectly offered one-on-one benefits counseling and other information. Benefits counseling is a meeting with a member of the GiveDirectly team. The goal of this meeting was to help you understand how RISE Guaranteed Minimum Income payments might change your benefits. 

Benefits counseling is not legal or financial advice. It is a tool to help you make a decision about your program participation.

Contact the office that administers your benefits with other questions.

If I am selected, what can I use this money for?

You can use the money any way you see fit, except: 

  1. To buy or support anything that would harm the safety and security of your community
  2. For the promotion of and/or engagement in any criminal or illegal activities 
  3. To support any entities or individuals relating to terrorism

If you use the money in these ways, you will be removed from the program.

How will you study the RISE GMI program’s impact?

GiveDirectly is collaborating with OpenResearch, an independent research nonprofit, to partner with families and communities to better understand what helps build lasting stability and opportunity and how we can improve programs like this one. 

You’ll be invited to partner with us by sharing your experiences and insights through optional surveys, interviews, and conversations throughout the program. Local researchers will be working in your community to build relationships and ensure your perspectives are accurately reflected. 

Your participation will help answer important questions like:

  • What kinds of supports are most helpful (including cash), and what barriers get in the way?
  • What additional resources would make the biggest difference?
  • What unique strengths and challenges do rural communities face?

We’ll look at outcomes like health, financial stability, and overall well-being to understand what contributes to lasting security. Your privacy will be protected and no individual will be identified in any results. Findings will be shared to deepen public understanding and to inform future policies and investments so they better reflect the lived experiences, needs, and insights of residents.

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.