Approximately 1,800 recipients will receive $1,500 per month for 16 months to spend on food, business, rent, or whatever they need most. A clear process with upfront information helps ensure that the programs emphasize community, transparency, and ease.
After the application process, eligibility will be verified based on age and poverty level. Because slots are limited by funding, recipients will be selected randomly from all applicants. Everyone will be invited to participate in feedback and research, including surveys and interviews, to understand what is working, what is not, and how to improve the program every step of the way.
GiveDirectly has visited Mercer County, WV and Beaufort County, NC to make connections with local organizations and learn more in-depth about the communities. GiveDirectly is working closely with community-based organizations and researchers to finalize program design through a series of design workshops with community groups, likely-eligible residents and local leaders. This planning process focuses on:
- Targeting & Outreach: How can we reach and inform eligible residents? How can trust be built thoughtfully within communities?
- Application & Verification: What application features and support will ensure accessibility? How can applicants’ eligibility be verified?
- Enrollment: How can the enrollment experience be empowering? What public benefits are most common, and what pathways are available to protect them?
- Payment & Follow-Up: When should monthly cash transfers be delivered? What additional resources can help support GMI recipients?
- Safeguarding: What are the risks of receiving a guaranteed income? How can risks be mitigated?
There is a simple online platform that residents will use to apply for, enroll in, and receive funds from this guaranteed income program. For those who cannot access the platform due to barriers, mail and phone support options will be available.
We also have an aspirational goal to reach a fourth county, but want to keep the yearly cohorts of studies to only three or four, so that we can iterate and improve based on those studies in the next year's batch of county studies.
see this GiveDirectly one page PDF overview.
