GiveDirectly: Donating Cash Directly to Those In Need

An estimated 36% of the global population lives in poverty, and nearly half the population in developing countries lives on less than $1.25 per day. Several efforts have been made to fight poverty, and various non-profit and charity organizations have taken the initiative to make the lives of the poor better. 

One such organization is GiveDirectly. What sets them apart is that they donate cash directly to people in need. Let’s discuss how GiveDirectly is changing the world. 

A Quick Overview of the Organization

Founded in 2008, GiveDirectly is a non-profit organization that helps families in the USA and Africa in extreme poverty by donating them money. Furthermore, it allows “people who can” to donate to “people who need.” To date, more than 750k people have donated over $300 million to households and families in Africa and the USA. 

And if you think most people just blow the money on booze, that’s not the case. GiveDirectly conducted research to find that most people spend money on medicine, water, school fees, irrigation, and food. 

GiveDirectly Values

GiveDirectly follows a set of values that guide their work. These values are:

• Recipients First: Prioritize recipient preferences over donors
• Team Next: Do what’s best for organizational success
• Proactively Candid: Share information honestly and maintain complete transparency
• Positive Energy: Become a source of positive energy
• Proactive: Think rigorously and act quickly
• Know and Grow: Embrace imperfections and grow with them
• Accept Reality: Work towards creating solutions to problems instead of dwelling on them
• Ambitious: Take risks to change the world

GiveDirectly Programs

Here’s a list of active programs managed by GiveDirectly.

COVID-19 Africa: GiveDirectly has delivered emergency cash relief worth $126.6 million to people in need in Africa. The operation is live in four countries – Kenya, Liberia, Rwanda, and Malawi.

Project 100+ USA: Project 100+ is a movement to provide cash relief to Americans in need. To date, the movement has helped over 180k families and donated $186.7 million. It has resulted in a significant positive impact on the lives of people in need, especially single mothers and widowed women. 

Basic Income: This initiative is aimed at providing a regular universal income of $1 to people living in extreme poverty. GiveDirectly has distributed millions of dollars to 20,000 individuals living across 197 African villages. Some individuals will receive regular payments for 12 years. 

Help Refugees: Since 2016, Uganda is in a refugee crisis, as the country took in more people than any other country in the world. In 2018, GiveDirectly launched a movement to help refugees, in which they provided large amounts of unconditional transfers to refugees. The initiative has had a major positive impact on the life of refugees. 

Final Thoughts

GiveDirectly is one of those few non-profit organizations that provide direct cash support to people in poverty. You can also be a part of the movement and help improve the lives of families and households. Check out GiveDirectly’s donation page to learn more about the donation options.