GiveDirectly

NPR: "It was 2 a.m. when floodwaters started pouring into Christopher Bingala's house. Cyclone Freddy, the?longest-lasting tropical cyclone?ever recorded, brought a deluge of rain to southern Malawi in 2023. He managed to get his six kids to higher ground but lost his house and livestock. As a subsistence farmer, Bingala didn't have the resources to start over. But then he got a payment of about $750 [from GiveDirectly], which he used to build his family a new house. The payment is one of the first examples of?'loss and damage,' a new kind of funding specifically for climate change-related disasters. Low-income countries are bearing the brunt of more intense storms and droughts but have done little to produce the pollution that's heating up the planet. So last year, wealthier countries agreed to create a fund specifically to pay for the damages from climate change. At the #COP29 climate summit underway in Baku, Azerbaijan, countries are negotiating how much is owed to developing nations, as part of a larger 'climate finance' package that includes loans and investments. The payment Bingala received came from the The Scottish Government, the first country to dedicate funding specifically for loss and damage. The funds have gone to several countries so far. In Malawi, they were given out by GiveDirectly, a non-profit that specializes in providing cash grants to those in need with no strings attached. About 2,700 families got payments of around $750, which can be equivalent to two years of income in Malawi. Many used the money to rebuild homes, while others invested in seeds, fertilizers and livestock, or putting their kids back in school. 'Low-income households in low-income countries have far less protections from extreme events,' says Yolande Wright, VP of partnerships at GiveDirectly... 'The very poor, low-income households in Malawi have contributed the least to the climate problem," Wright says. "Many of them are not connected to electricity. They don't own a car or even a motor bike.'" - Lauren Sommer for NPR Read the full article at https://lnkd.in/gEHfidhE and learn more about the program at https://lnkd.in/dGCtP9KX

Great to see GiveWell upgrade GiveDirectly's effectiveness by 3 to 4x. Congrats to Michael Faye, Nick Allardice and the GD team for driving so much positive impact for the worlds poorest people ??

Big news! GiveWell, a leading charity evaluator, has just increased their estimate of the cost-effectiveness of GiveDirectly's direct cash transfers by 3-4x in their first reassessment since 2019. Here’s why: ??? Positive Spillovers: Cash helps more than just recipients—it boosts the local economy. Studies show cash transfers benefit entire communities. A study in Kenya found each $1 in cash created $2.50 in the local economy without serious inflation. GiveWell’s considering this research drove a significant increase in their estimate. ??? Long-Lasting Impact: Cash transfers reduce poverty for years. Long-term studies reveal that families continue to see higher spending years after receiving cash. GiveWell adjusted their estimate to reflect these sustained benefits. ?? Lives Saved: Cash means fewer child deaths. Research shows cash transfers have life-saving effects: studies reveal significant reductions in child mortality. GiveWell found the results “surprisingly large,” and acknowledges the potential of these findings. While this won't effect GiveWell's top charity recommendations right now, they note this “3-4x update is far from the end of the story” with more cash research on the horizon. At GiveDirectly, we’re grateful for GiveWell’s thorough engagement with the data and are excited to keep building on this evidence. Get in touch if you want to help pilot promising new cash programs that may be even more cost-effective than our current work. ?? Read more at our blog https://lnkd.in/gupqETy9

GiveDirectly will be at the UN’S #COP29 climate summit next week advocating for funding to be given as direct unconditional cash transfers to those most impacted by the climate crisis. ?? We are pushing our Principles for Effective Loss and Damage (L&D) Cash with the Loss and Damage Collaboration –– read here: https://lnkd.in/eRNX_H4z –– calling on governments, donors, civil society, and the UN’s Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage to give large, direct, and unconditional cash transfers as a central, community-led solution. ??We will be launching these visionary Principles on stage: Nov. 13 at 1pm at the Multi-level Action Pavilion (ICLEI space)- during The Scottish Government's event on lessons from their L&D programmes Nov. 14 at 12pm at the SHARE Pavillion, during an International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)'s event on Empowering Communities for Climate Action Nov. 19 at 2pm at the SHARE Pavillion, during GiveDirectly’s event on direct grants for L&D in partnership with International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) and Trócaire ?? You can also find us on panels on direct cash’s role in anticipatory action, AI, and conservation: Nov. 14 at 3:45pm at Google.org's event on AI in action: climate solutions Nov. 19 at 11am Cool Earth's event on delivering unconditional funding to the frontline of the climate crisis, sign up: https://lnkd.in/eJZkAHJx ?? Interested in a 1:1 meeting? Reach out to Tom Mtenje (Nov. 11-16) or Isabelle Pelly (Nov. 15-20).

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Kids know best which candy they need most. GiveDirectly.org ??

"The nonprofit GiveDirectly plans to send payments of $1,000 on Friday to some households impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The organization harnesses a Google-developed artificial intelligence tool to pinpoint areas with high concentrations of poverty and storm damage. On Tuesday, it invited people in those areas to enroll in the program through a smartphone app used to manage SNAP and other government benefits. Donations will then be deposited through the app’s debit card." The approach is meant to deliver aid 'in as streamlined and dignified a way as possible,' said Laura Keen, a senior program manager at GiveDirectly. It removes much of the burden of applying, and is intended to empower people to decide for themselves what their most pressing needs are. The influx of clothing, blankets, and food that typically arrive after a disaster can fill real needs, but in-kind donations can’t cover getting a hotel room during an evacuation, or childcare while schools are closed. 'There is an elegance to cash that allows individuals in these types of circumstances to resolve their unique needs, which are sure to be very different from the needs of their neighbors,' said Keen. She added that getting money into people’s hands fast can protect them from predatory lending and curb credit card debt. The organization employs direct payments for poverty relief around the world, but it first experimented with cash disaster payments in the U.S. in 2017, when it gave money to households impacted by Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Back then, GiveDirectly enrolled people in person and handed out debit cards activated later. The process took a few weeks. Now that work is done in days — remotely. A Google team uses its SKAI machine-based learning tool to narrow down the worst-hit areas by comparing pre- and post-disaster aerial imagery. GiveDirectly uses another Google-developed tool to compare those findings with poverty data. It sends the target areas to Propel, Inc, an electronic benefits transfers app, which invites users in those places to enroll. 'They don’t have to find a bunch of documentation that proves their eligibility,' Keen said. 'We already know they’re eligible.' In North Carolina, where electricity in some communities has still not been restored after Hurricane Helene, having a smartphone makes no difference without a way to power it and a signal to connect to. Keen said GiveDirectly is aware of this model’s shortcomings. She said some can be alleviated with a hybrid model that uses both remote and in-person enrollment. But the limitations also come down to funding." Support at https://lnkd.in/eQdxqUnT Gabriela Aoun Angueira for The Associated Press: https://lnkd.in/eKUp_9cB

What if families got cash aid just BEFORE a flood, not after? That’s what happened in Bangladesh this summer. ?? ??Due to climate change, the Jamuna River basin in Bangladesh is suffering from severe annual flooding, damaging crops, homes, and lives. ???In partnership with a2i, Google’s flood hub, and JBA Consulting, GiveDirectly used satellite imagery of historical floods overlayed on agriculture data, population density, and relative poverty to determine the most at-risk areas. ??So when flooding season started this summer, families received $90 each. Studies show that receiving money before the flood lets families secure their homes, buy food and water, and quickly repair resulting damage without going into debt. ??These families are also receiving more payments after the floods and the response is completely remote. This means people can register on their phones and receive payments via mobile money, increasing the speed of aid and operational efficiency. ??This pilot program demonstrates that sending cash is a fast and cost-effective way to ensure the most vulnerable are receiving the support they need, when they need it most. Give cash to more families at GiveDirectly.org/relief Read more about the effectiveness of giving cash ahead of disasters from @Vox: https://lnkd.in/eyjfJ5fP

A friend sent me Rory Stewart's TED talk about extreme poverty and I'll be honest: I put off watching it. I figured it was going to be "good for me," like a plate of asparagus. Nope, nope -- totally fascinating. And wonderfully blunt too! Here's Stewart on his experience, as the head of a $20 billion development organization, in visiting projects in the field: "What I saw was deeply depressing. When you go out on the ground, these projects are far worse than you could possibly imagine." The solution? Cash transfers. Let's remember: What people suffering from extreme poverty lack is, um, money. So why do we insist on doling out advice and training and buildings and technology -- designed and distributed by developed-world employees who make 100 or 1000x the wages of the people they're serving?? (And before someone dusts off the old saw about 'teaching a man to fish,' make sure to stick around for Stewart's dismantling of that particular analogy...) Can't recommend the talk highly enough! The leader in effective cash transfers, GiveDirectly, is the most exciting nonprofit in the world. https://lnkd.in/g3v5HGGW

"We have a moral imperative to use every dollar entrusted to us as wisely and impactfully as possible," USAID's Deputy Administrator, Isobel Coleman while launching a position paper on the power of unconditional cash transfers to address poverty last week as part of the agency’s commitment to using cost-effectiveness analysis to drive funding decisions. This caps a long-building shift in how USAID leverages their $30B a year budget to help end extreme poverty. From first running a cash benchmarking study in 2015 to now — for the first time — formally endorsing direct monetary transfers as a core element of its development toolkit. This is a significant step forward in empowering individuals, households, and communities to make their own financial decisions, which promotes dignity and respect while driving local economic growth. What does the USAID paper on Direct Monetary Transfers argue? ?? Cash Has Evidence-Based Results: The paper highlights over 100 randomized evaluations — including multiple GiveDirectly studies — proving the long-term positive impacts of cash transfers on food security, health, well-being, and incomes years after transfers end. ?? Cash is Cost-Effective and Efficient: Direct cash helps stretch budgets further, delivering impactful, rapid, and transparent assistance. It has a multiplier effect, boosting local economies far beyond the direct recipients. ??Cash Helps Address Poverty, Not Just Disasters: USAID’s stance moves cash transfers into broader development work (helping communities out of poverty), an evolution from when cash was mostly used for emergency and humanitarian relief. GiveDirectly has long advocated for the power of direct cash to respect people's agency and achieve measurable results. We are ready to strengthen our partnership with USAID and other donors to maximize the impact of every dollar of aid and accelerate the use of cash to end extreme poverty. ?? Watch the full event: Improving the Impact per Dollar of USAID Programming: https://lnkd.in/eb2aHpUK? ??Read USAID’s Position Paper on Direct Monetary Transfers for Development Outcomes: https://lnkd.in/ggeAqYjd? ??Read USAID’s Position Paper on Cost-Effectiveness, which was released at the same time time and is a model for how governments can plan to spend existing money better: https://lnkd.in/grieqiFr