GiveDirectly in the U.S.
Send money directly to low-income Americans,
with no strings attached.
Giving cash is a direct, dignified, and proven way to reduce poverty
Our programs deliver donor and government dollars directly to Americans in need
Featured ACTIVE Programs
MICHIGAN
Cash for Parents and Babies
Rx Kids is a prenatal and infant cash allowance program in the U.S. that aims to reduce child poverty and improve maternal and infant health across Michigan. Built on the tremendous success of the expanded Child Tax Credit, which cut child poverty to its lowest level in recorded history, and in line with global evidence, Rx Kids boldly reimagines how we care for each other by walking alongside families during the challenging time of pregnancy and infancy.
Inspired by the resounding success of Rx Kids in Flint and with the support of local and national champions, we are expanding the program to help more families. The program’s expansion will continue its goal of improving outcomes, reducing racial and geographic inequities, and boosting local economies through blended public and private funding.
Transfer Sizes
$1,500 prenatal transfer to expectant parents + $500 per month for up to 12 months
Households Reached
~6,000 over 5+ years in Flint and ~20,500 over 2+ years for additional communities in Michigan
Research Goals
We’ll measure impacts at the individual and community level, including on maternal and infant health, local employment and investment, and more.
Illnois
Cash for Families Experiencing Homelessness
The Stability Investment for Family Housing (SIFH) Pilot is a state-funded program in Illinois that provided a large, one-time influx of cash to families experiencing homelessness. 315 families from the treatment group received a $9,500 payment, while 313 from the control group received a $500 payment. The lump sum payment is one of the largest transfer sizes tested to date and follows international evidence on the most effective delivery of cash.
GiveDirectly will implement another round of the SIFH program that focuses on families of students experiencing homelessness in 2024-2025.
Transfer Sizes
One-time payment of $9,500 (treatment) or $500 (control)
Households Reached
628
Research Goals
The University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab will study whether SIFH’s one-time large cash transfer can help families experiencing homelessness exit emergency shelter, as well as its other impacts on family wellbeing.
COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS
Guaranteed Income Pilot
In partnership with Cook County, we implemented the Cook County Promise Pilot, one of the largest municipal guaranteed income programs nationally. This effort aims to inform the design of a permanent, countywide guaranteed income program.
Transfer Size
$500 per month for 2 years
Households Reached
3,250
Outcomes
This program will build on the success of guaranteed income programs across the country in increasing residents’ financial stability. The Promise Pilot aims to improve participants’ financial and health outcomes, as well as understand the impacts of direct cash assistance on both individuals and their communities.
GEORGIA
Guaranteed Income Program (Phase 2)
We expanded the existing In Her Hands program in 2024 to reach additional low-income women in new communities across Georgia. Building on learnings from the first phase and looking to fill critical gaps in the U.S. cash evidence base, this expansion is focused on testing the impact of larger, longer transfers and a more participant choice-centered transfer design. The program continues to be led by a partnership with the Georgia Resilience and Opportunity (GRO) Fund.
Transfer Sizes
To empower recipients with choice and agency, the program offers two options:
- $1,000 per month for 36 months
- $800 per month for 35 months and a one-time $8,000 lump-sum payment, which recipients can choose when to receive
Households Reached
270
Research Goals
The evaluation of the expanded In Her Hands program uses a mixed-methods randomized controlled trial. Compared to the first phase, it will be conducted over a longer duration, focus more deeply on racial wealth and credit disparities, and study the impact of participant choice introduced into the treatment modality. This design builds on the first phase of the In Her Hands study, which primarily tracked the outcomes of payment recipients.
Featured PAST Programs
NATIONWIDE
Emergency Relief
We respond to large-scale natural disasters that threaten the livelihoods of low-income families in the U.S. Since 2017, we’ve distributed one-time emergency cash relief to over 10,000 families in the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey, Maria, Ian, and Fiona.
Transfer Sizes
Varies by response
Households Reached
11,100 to date
Outcomes
When natural disasters hit, the sooner affected families receive cash, the sooner they can begin to put their lives back together. Through A.I. damage predictions and remote targeting, enrollment, and payment in partnership with Google.org and Propel, we can deliver disaster relief that’s quicker, more targeted, and better for survivors than in-kind aid. Read more→
NATIONWIDE
COVID-19 Response
The largest privately-funded cash transfer program in U.S. history, which reached nearly 200,000 families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Transfer Size
$1,000
Households Reached
Nearly 200,000
Outcomes
Between March 2020 and October 2021, GiveDirectly digitally delivered one-time relief payments to nearly 200,000 low-income households. Recipients waited ~2 days between enrolling in the program and receiving payments. In recipients’ own words, these transfers helped provide fast, flexible relief, allowing them to keep their homes, reduce stress, and avoid debt. Read more→
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Guaranteed Income Pilot
In partnership with the City of Chicago, the Chicago Resilient Communities Pilot delivered monthly financial assistance to city residents and serves as a template for future anti-poverty programs.
Transfer Size
$500 per month for 1 year
Households Reached
5,000
Outcomes
Research on CRCP is forthcoming, but researchers note in a First Look Report that a future evaluation will document the impact of the program on participants’ financial stability, economic mobility, well-being, and sense of agency. Read more→
GEORGIA
Guaranteed Income Program (Phase 1)
In Her Hands is the largest guaranteed income program in the South, led in partnership with the Georgia Resilience and Opportunity (GRO) Fund.
Transfer Sizes
Average of $850 per month for 2 years
Households Reached
654 to date
Outcomes
The program’s evaluation, led by the research team at Appalachian State University, released 1-year findings in 2024 which demonstrate that the program is having significant positive impacts for participants across a range of well-being outcomes. To highlight a few:
- Material hardship: those who reported difficulty in paying bills was 29% lower respectively for participants than non-participants (19% vs. 48%)
- Food and nutrition security: those who reported that food did not last was 19.6% lower among participants (61% vs. 81%)
- Financial stability: those who reported having “rainy day” funds was nearly 2x higher among participants ($636 vs. $306)
- Improved health: those who reported having to skip medical card was 17% lower among participants (30% vs. 48%)
The final evaluation results are expected in late 2024.
In the News
Americans use cash to meet short-term needs and unlock future plans
Jeannette is repairing the house
“There was a lot of wind, we were 2-3 weeks without electricity, 1.5 weeks without water. I’m using the card for repairs to my mom’s room, as well as basic things like food, gas.”
Emergency Relief – Puerto Rico
Christopher is rebuilding his life
“I’ve been burned before. I use a screen reader to read on my phone, and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing on the website. But it was all for real. When I got my first check, I can’t tell you how elated I was. Overall, it’s just a relief to know that such a large part of my savings isn’t dropping right now. One step further away from bankrupt, one step closer to success.”
Chicago Resilient Communities Pilot – Chicago
Tiesha is saving for an apartment
“I’m working on grounding myself and my life. Set up a credit repayment plan, so they take the money out each month right when I get these $850 payments in. I want things to be good so my kids can come back and live with me. Gonna get a 3 bedroom apartment, a room for the two boys and a room for the two girls.”
In Her Hands (Phase 1) – Georgia
Aira is able to cover rising costs
“The food in the supermarket has all gone up. It is more now. Gasoline too. Electricity has gone up. With the money, now I may be able to spend more time with my kids. It gives me freedom and satisfaction.”
Cook County Promise Pilot – Cook County, IllinoisPoverty in the U.S.
The U.S. spends about what most wealthy countries spend on social protection, yet 37.9M Americans are still living in poverty. The U.S. currently has the second highest poverty rate relative to national income of any wealthy country in the world.
Much of this social spending is poured into poorly designed programs that carry excessive bureaucratic burden, leaving a quarter of eligible families unable to access the support they need to meet their basic needs and invest in their future. And when programs do reach people in need, they often come with invasive, time-consuming applications and paternalistic conditions.
We know unconditional cash works to dramatically reduce poverty, without imposing excessive and unhelpful barriers to entry. With your support, we can continue building the case for cash-based government interventions and shift more aid directly into the hands of families in need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I apply to receive money?
At this time, we are not accepting applications for cash transfers. Our U.S. programs are targeted to specific populations, who are then invited to participate in a program.
If you are currently enrolled in one of our programs, please submit your questions here and we’ll respond within three business days.
If you are currently enrolled and would like to share concerns about your interactions with our staff, please email us here and we will respond as soon as we are able.
Can I choose who receives my donation?
No. You can choose which GiveDirectly programs to donate to, but not individual recipients.
Practically speaking, if we let you direct funds to a specific person, we would risk being regulated as a money transfer service and losing our charitable status. Philosophically, we aim to target the poorest possible recipients, and not those with compelling profiles or narratives. Finally, it keeps costs down.
Don’t donations go further overseas?
Objectively, a dollar will have more impact on a Kenyan living on under $2.15/day than an American living on ~$50/day. However, we believe working in the U.S. is important for the following reasons.
First, working in the U.S. gives us an opportunity to create meaningful change in the lives of low-income Americans. The U.S. has the second highest poverty rate relative to national income of any wealthy country in the world. While results from the pandemic-era cash-based programs show large drops in poverty, only a fifth of U.S. social spending is given as cash.
Second, working in the U.S. can improve the effectiveness of existing spendings by the U.S. government on poverty interventions. Historically, the U.S. spends about what most wealthy countries spend on social protection, but much of that spending goes to poorly designed social programs that carry excessive bureaucratic burden. The research components of our U.S. programs will add to the relatively small pool of evidence on the impact of cash in high income countries, helping inform better policy design.
For more details, read our blog on why we work in the U.S.