No, you cannot sign up to be a cash recipient. To ensure fairness, GiveDirectly distributes funds in pre-assessed areas and selects recipients based on systems and criteria that vary by country. 

As a rule, we do not accept inbound applications or referrals for our programs, other than in some of our U.S. programs (refer to the U.S. program page for additional info).

GiveDirectly is a non-profit that lets donors send money directly to the world’s poorest, no strings attached. Since 2009, we have delivered $800M+ in cash directly into the hands of over 1.6 million people living in poverty.

To read more about our work:

🎥 Watch this video clip from a podcast by The Economist that called us the pioneers of unconditional cash transfers.

🗞️ Read Washington Post’s profile of our work in Malawi to help people in poverty survive the climate crisis that they did not create.

🎙️ Listen to Planet Money discussing the surprising research results from our Kenya program comparing a large lump sum to monthly basic income transfers. Read our summary of the early findings here.

We enroll those most in need using criteria that are simple, fair, cost-effective, and difficult to scam. For most of our programs, we identify extremely poor villages from national poverty survey data and then enroll in-person all households or adults within those villages. 

For programs targeting specific populations, like refugees or disaster survivors, we may select and enroll recipients using other methods, including:

• Lists from other partners (e.g., governments, NGOs, or CBOs)
• Mobile phone metadata or other machine learning approaches

For our large transfer programs in Africa, each household typically receives a one-time transfer of $750–$1,000 USD. In some cases, individuals, rather than households, received ~$500 each. In either case, the amount equals about one year’s typical expenditure. Our research shows less than this does not have as much impact and much more has diminishing returns. 

For our basic income programs, we provide individuals with recurring payments large enough to lift them above the local extreme poverty line ($20-$50), ensuring that they can meet their most basic needs.

Amounts given for our emergency relief and our U.S. programs vary widely depending on the context and goal.

It varies based on the program, and we inform recipients exactly how much they will receive and when during the enrollment process. 

• Our main program gives a one-time large lump sum, though split over 2-3 transfers about a month apart. 
• In our basic income and some emergency relief programs, we deliver small amounts as recurring payments. 

We also study the impacts of different transfer designs. So far we’ve learned:

• Recipients are more likely to spend larger lump-sum transfers on physical assets/investments and smaller, recurring payments on nutrition (2016 & 2020)
• In stable contexts, large lump-sum are more impactful than the same amount delivered as small monthly payments  
• Recipients generally prefer a small number of large payments over other designs

We’re continuing to study the impact of giving recipients more control over exactly when they receive their payments in a given year.

We give cash unconditionally, with no strings attached. This grants recipients the freedom to spend on whatever is most important to them. 

Independent research on our Kenya program found recipients spent on food, medical and education expenses, durable assets, and home improvements. It also found significant increases in income and assets, particularly in livestock, furniture, and iron roofs. 

For a real-time picture of how recipients are using donations, visit GDLive.

There is no evidence people spend more on alcohol or tobacco after receiving GiveDirectly cash.

• Independent research on our Kenya program found no increase in expenditure on tobacco, alcohol, or gambling. 
• Another study found a decrease in community alcoholism. 

Our findings align with a review of 19 other studies, which found a net decrease in spending on alcohol and tobacco after receiving cash transfers.

Potentially. “Sustainable” interventions are ones that will continue to benefit the recipient in the long-term without needing ongoing support. 

Many GiveDirectly recipients use their transfers to invest in small enterprises, making these funds sustainable. For instance, a study on unconditional cash transfers in Mexico found that household incomes increased by 1.5 to 2.5 times the amount of the transfers due to returns from increased investment. 

This suggests that cash transfers can have lasting impacts. Investments in food, clothing, health, or education also have long-term benefits, as children who grow up with these advantages need less assistance in the future.

However, there is mixed evidence on just how long the measurable impact of a one-time cash transfer will last. Some GiveDirectly studies find benefits sustained 3+ years on, while others show impacts dissipating over that period of time. We also know the long-term impact of cash transfers is often greater where there is already existing access to markets, education, and medical care. 

We’re continuing to study this, looking for the best possible way to give cash that will enable families to escape extreme poverty for good.

In the last decade, GiveDirectly has delivered $800M+ to over 1.5 million people across fifteen countries.

We currently operating in 9 African countries: 

🇨🇩 DRC

🇰🇪 Kenya

🇱🇷 Liberia

🇲🇼 Malawi

🇲🇿 Mozambique

🇲🇦 Morocco

🇳🇬 Nigeria

🇷🇼 Rwanda

🇺🇬 Uganda

We’re also working in 🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 🇺🇸 the U.S. Previously, we’ve worked in 🇧🇸 the Bahamas, 🇹🇷 Turkey, 🇹🇬 Togo, and 🇾🇪 Yemen. 

By and large, we work in countries that have large populations living in extreme poverty and can be reached through electronic payment systems. For more on why we work in the United States, read here.

We consider expanding to additional countries only when there is a compelling case that our impact would be significant enough to justify the fixed setup costs and is dependent on funding availability.

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. 

Note: Donations to GiveDirectly only fund our non-U.S. work unless expressly given through our U.S. page. GiveDirectly’s work in the U.S. is run by dedicated U.S. staff and funded by U.S.-restricted and general unrestricted donations.

GiveDirectly’s mission is to accelerate the end of extreme poverty via the provision of direct cash transfers. To do this, we need to work across both the development and the humanitarian sectors to reach those most in need.

People living in or near poverty are disproportionately affected by crises. By 2030, two-thirds of the world’s poorest are expected to be in fragile and conflict-affected situations, while climate change will push 130 million people into poverty. Cash transfers play a critical role in helping people prepare for, adapt to, and recover from shocks, respecting their own assessments and decisions about their needs. 

Leveraging extensive evidence on the effectiveness of cash transfers and our specialized expertise, GiveDirectly has the ability to help vulnerable individuals meet their acute needs, increase self-reliance, and recover or transition out of humanitarian assistance.

Typically, very positively. 

We take our relationships with governments seriously, obtaining the necessary approvals at every level, from national offices to village leaders. Our work often advances the government’s mission to improve the welfare of its citizens.

Additionally, we find that GiveDirectly’s presence tends to be well-received by the community, as our programs often make a significant positive impact on residents’ lives.

No, we do not answer offers or solicitations to work in specific communities.

We recognize that the need is immense, and we believe cash relief can play an important role in helping the most vulnerable worldwide. Operationally, the complex challenges we face to do this well (e.g., connecting people to a payment grid, establishing local connections, understanding local payment systems) vary from place to place. 

GiveDirectly is always assessing new regions and communities that we can expand to, though we can’t guarantee when or whether we will be able to work in a given country.

We send recipients cash transfers through a technology called ‘mobile money’ that allows funds to be sent digitally to someone’s SIM card. 

Most recipients do not yet have a mobile money account, so we guide them through the process of opening one, which may include obtaining required government identification.

Recipients receive a text alert when we send their transfer. Most choose to then cash out with local mobile money agents but they can also make purchases directly from most merchants  completely digitally if they choose.

No, recipients in our Africa programs do not need to already have a mobile phone to participate in most of our programs.

Recipients need a SIM card to receive funds, and we offer them for free to those who don’t already have one. These SIM cards function like debit cards and do not require a phone for funds to be received or withdrawn.

We also offer recipients the option to purchase a phone from us at bulk rates ($5-$7) to make communication easier. If recipients choose this option, the cost of the phone is deducted from their first cash transfer. The large majority of African recipients have opted to buy a phone.

GiveDirectly manages the transfer of your donation to recipients from end-to-end ourselves in nearly all cases. The only exception is for some emergency response programs when we work with external partners to quickly identify and reach recipients in need.

The main corruption/fraud risks to our programs are: 

1. Manipulation of the list of eligible recipients 
2. Diversion of transfers sent to eligible recipients

To address the first risk, we implement a comprehensive audit process with multiple independent checks to ensure enrolled recipients are eligible. These checks include:

• In-person visits by fire-walled teams
• In-person audits by senior management
• Remote data audits
• Phone calls with each recipient

To address the second risk, we use identity-matching between our records and those of our payment providers, conduct comprehensive follow-up calls to ensure money reaches the intended recipients, and in some cases, directly monitor cash-out points with our staff. Learn more here.

Independent reviews find cash transfers are no more prone to diversion than other forms of aid. In many ways, cash can be more secure. 

• Consider a program giving food aid to people in poverty – the procurement process of finding a food producer is open to corruption, and the long journey the food takes from manufacturer to recipient is open to diversion at every step.
• In a GiveDirectly program, money is digitally transferred from our bank account directly to a SIM card given to the recipient. 

We still must carefully safeguard this process as risks remain. However, there are far fewer variables to monitor compared to other forms of aid.

We give money to both men and women.

Independent researchers found little difference between how men and women benefit from GiveDirectly cash, with both genders using the money impactfully. 

Based on these results, we let households decide for themselves who in their family should receive and manage the funds for our main program. Their decisions are usually driven by convenience – for example, one parent may already have the official IDs needed to open a mobile money account. For other programs, including our basic income work, we give every adult in a household individual cash transfers, rather than giving to the entire household

Across all programs, more than half of all GiveDirectly’s recipients to date are women.

We choose to provide unconditional, rather than conditional, cash transfers for two main reasons: 

1. Empowering the poor to make their own decisions aligns with our core belief of respect. 
2. Imposing conditions requires costly monitoring and enforcement structures. One detailed estimate put the administrative costs of a conditional cash transfer scheme as high as 63% of the transfers made over the first three years of the program. Our review of existing experimental evidence comparing the impact of conditional and unconditional transfers suggests that the added costs do not produce commensurate benefits.

For more, take a listen to John Cena.

The evidence on the impact of cash transfers is much stronger than that for micro-loans, whose impacts have generally been below expectations. While micro-loans can be beneficial for the poor, the evidence does not justify the added costs of administering them.

The disappointing track record of micro-loans may be due to their structure. 

• These loans often have high interest rates, reflecting the high costs of administration and monitoring, which limits their benefit to borrowers. 
• Micro-loans typically have short-term structures and require borrowers to start making repayments soon after borrowing. These features make micro-loans less useful for financing long-term investments, such as education or durable goods, which recipients often prioritize with grants.

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.

As a reminder, GiveDirectly does not accept inbound applications or referrals for our programs as a general rule.

If you’d like to get a better sense of how your donation is impacting recipients, check out GDLive! A lot of our donors have reported this page gives them a feeling of closer connection to the individuals they’re helping.

Go to the “Give Now” page and click on “edit program” to choose from the list.

“Poverty relief – Africa” is the default designation for online donations. If you don’t choose a program when you donate through our website, this is where your donation will go, used to deliver cash transfers for any of our programs in Africa.

If you give via check, wire transfer, stock, or DAF, you can allocate your donation to a specific program by adding it to the memo field or by emailing [email protected]. Donations that come through these channels without a program designation will be treated as unrestricted and used where needed the most across cash transfers, operations, or fundraising.

For our standard programs, we enroll the recipient who will receive your donation within a few months of the gift and deliver the money within another few months. 

For special projects or studies, the lag between donations and payment may be a bit longer depending on coordination with the research team, fundraising needs, or other constraints.

Donations are tax-deductible in the United States to the extent allowed by law. Our federal EIN is 27-1661997. 

Tax-advantaged methods of giving directly are also available in a number of other countries. See our giving internationally page for details.

🇦🇺 Australia: via The Life You Can Save Australia or Effective Altruism Australia

🇨🇦 Canada: via RC Forward

🇨🇿 Czech Republic: via Effektiv Spenden

🇩🇪 Germany: via Effektiv Spenden

🇳🇱 Netherlands: RSIN: 8257 94 948

🇳🇿 New Zealand: via Effective Altruism New Zealand

🇳🇴 Norway via Gi Effektivt

🇪🇸 Spain: via Ayuda Efectiva

🇨🇭 Switzerland: via Effektiv Spenden

🇬🇧 United Kingdom: via GiveDirectly UK

🇺🇸 United States: EIN is 27-1661997Z

DoubleTheDonation offers a helpful search to see if your employer will match donations to GiveDirectly. If you can’t find us there, consider making a suggestion at your company.

Visit your Impact Dashboard to manage your recurring donations. 

If you have a recurring donation through GiveDirectly UK, please fill out this form, and our team will assist with the change within 48 hours.

Find us on the Venmo app @GiveDirectly to make a donation.  

Allocate or dedicate your donation (e.g. to a fundraiser or specific program) by noting it in the memo or emailing [email protected]. Donations without a program designation will be treated as unrestricted and used where needed most across cash transfers, operations, or fundraising.

If you’d like to request for a tax receipt, please contact us at [email protected] with details of your donation. Please allow 48 hours for requests made outside of business hours.

You can make ACH transfers directly through our donation page.

Our bank account details for sending a wire are as follows:

From a U.S. bank account –

Account name: GiveDirectly, Inc.

Account type: Checking

Account number: 120191050

Routing number: 021000021

Bank name: Chase Manhattan Bank

Bank address: 919 3rd Ave., New York, NY, 10022, USA

Our address: 33 Irving Pl., New York, NY 10003, USA

From an international bank account –

Account number: 120191050

SWIFT number: CHASUS33

Account title: GiveDirectly, Inc.

We do not have an IBAN number, but our bank has assured us that you can send funds to our account using the above information.

Allocate or dedicate your donation (e.g. to a fundraiser or specific program) by noting it in the wire memo or emailing [email protected]. Donations without a program designation will be treated as unrestricted and used where needed most across cash transfers, operations, or fundraising.

Yes. You can donate to GiveDirectly in a wide variety of cryptocurrencies. You can see a list of our wallet addresses on this page.

If you’d like to request for a tax receipt, please contact us at [email protected] with details of your donation. Please allow 48 hours for requests made outside of business hours.

Donations via cryptocurrencies will be treated as unrestricted and used where needed most across cash transfers, operations, or fundraising.

Please make your check payable to:

GiveDirectly, Inc.

Send your check to:

GiveDirectly, Inc.

PO Box 3221

New York, NY 10008

Only checks sent through USPS will be delivered to our PO Box. Checks sent via FedEx or UPS will be returned to the sender.

If sending a check by certified mail or courier:

JPMorgan Chase Lockbox Processing

Att: GiveDirectly Inc., Box 3221

4 Chase Metrotech, 7th Fl East

Brooklyn, NY 11245

Allocate or dedicate your donation (e.g. to a fundraiser or specific program) by noting it in the check memo or emailing [email protected]. Donations without a program designation will be treated as unrestricted and used where needed most across cash transfers, operations, or fundraising.

To make a tax-deductible donation of publicly traded stocks to GiveDirectly, you can transfer the shares to our brokerage account.

Account name: GiveDirectly, Inc.

Account number: 220-66222

DTC#: 0352

Bank name: J.P. Morgan Clearing Corp

To make a tax-deductible donation of mutual fund shares, please email [email protected] with the following information, which you can find by contacting your brokerage:

Delivering Firm Name:

Delivering Acct #:

Delivering Acct Name:

Share Quantity:

Symbol:

Allocate or dedicate your donation (e.g., to a fundraiser or specific program) by noting it in the transfer memo or emailing [email protected]. Donations without a program designation will be treated as unrestricted and used where needed most across cash transfers, operations, or fundraising.

Visit your Impact Dashboard to manage your recurring donations. 

If you have a recurring donation through GiveDirectly UK, our official partner CAF unfortunately doesn’t allow changing the card on a recurring donation. Please fill out this form, and we will cancel your existing donation so you can start a new one with your new card here.

Potentially.

Please contact us at [email protected] with the payment information (e.g. Payment ID, amount, date of donation), and we’ll evaluate requests on a case-by-case basis against our policy.

If you wish to avoid credit card processing fees, we’d recommend one of the following two options:

1. PayPal Giving Fund: If you want to pay by debit or credit card, we’d recommend PayPal Giving Fund. Donations made through this charitable division of PayPal do not have any transaction fees, so 100% of your donation goes to GiveDirectly. Allocate or dedicate your donation (e.g. to a fundraiser or specific program) by emailing [email protected]. 
2. Check: If you prefer to mail a check, you can make it payable to GiveDirectly, Inc. and send it to:

GiveDirectly, Inc.

PO Box 3221

New York, NY 10008

Only checks sent through USPS will be delivered to our PO Box. Checks sent via FedEx or UPS will be returned to the sender.

We recommend consulting with your lawyer regarding the wording for this arrangement, but here is an example of phrasing including the information typically required for designation:

“I hereby give, devise and bequeath ________ to GiveDirectly, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, of PO Box 3221, New York, NY 10008, federal tax ID number 27-1661997 for GiveDirectly’s general use and purpose.”

Our physical address is as follows in case it is required:

GiveDirectly, Inc.

33 Irving Place

New York, NY 10003

Our tax ID is 27-1661997.

We have a few options available, but each has its own trade-offs:

1. The easiest and simplest for us is for you to set up donations directly to GiveDirectly. Payments are made in USD, but a few companies have opted for this solution because their donations are not eligible for UK Gift Aid regardless.
2. Giving What We Can accepts donations in GBP for donors from the UK and disburses them to GiveDirectly on a quarterly basis.
3. If you prefer to give directly to GiveDirectly UK, please contact us at [email protected] for our UK bank details. Depending on your bank, setting up a recurring donation with this solution might not be possible.

You can give in honor of someone by making a donation in honor of them via our donation page. Make sure to select “Dedicate this donation” and fill out their information when prompted.

If you make a donation online, you should receive a confirmation email from us shortly. If you do not see the email in your inbox, please double check your spam or junk mail folder.

If you make a donation via check, wire transfer, stock, or DAF and have provided us with your email, we will do our best to send you a confirmation email within 7 business days of receiving your donation.

If you’d like to request for a tax receipt, please contact us at [email protected] with details of your donation. Please allow 48 hours for requests made outside of business hours.

You can always give directly online from any country, but to receive tax benefits, you can give through one of our partners below:

🇦🇺 Australia: via The Life You Can Save Australia or Effective Altruism Australia

🇨🇦 Canada: via RC Forward

🇨🇿 Czech Republic: via Effektiv Spenden

🇩🇪 Germany: via Effektiv Spenden

🇳🇱 Netherlands: RSIN: 8257 94 948

🇳🇿 New Zealand: via Effective Altruism New Zealand

🇳🇴 Norway via Gi Effektivt

🇪🇸 Spain: via Ayuda Efectiva

🇨🇭 Switzerland: via Effektiv Spenden

🇬🇧 United Kingdom: via GiveDirectly UK

At the moment, you only have the option to direct your giving to one of our established programs in Africa, such as Poverty relief – Africa or Basic income – Africa, rather than to a specific country in Africa.

GiveDirectly selects the countries in which we operate with deliberate consideration, focusing on areas with substantial populations living in extreme poverty that are also accessible via electronic payment systems.

We ask for your trust in our expertise to allocate these funds to countries in Africa where they are needed most. We are committed to managing your donations responsibly and value the trust you place in us to effectively steward your gift.

Your donation supports two main categories of spending: cash transfers and delivery costs. On average, approximately 90% of your donation goes directly to recipients, while the remaining 10% is used to cover the costs of getting it there. 

Learn more about our efficiency and how our performance compares to other non-profits here.

We’d love your help! There are several ways you can do this. 

1. Talk to friends about whether they give money directly to those living in poverty. Starting that conversation is a huge step toward helping to accelerate the end of poverty.
2. Create a fundraiser for GiveDirectly recipients and share it with your network. You can also raise funds on Facebook or GoFundMe.

Check out our How to Help page for ideas on how to get involved.

1. The best way to have an impact is to donate funds. Consider giving directly to those in need. 
2. Help us spread the word about direct giving and the evidence of its impact. Have conversations with friends and family, rep GiveDirectly with our swag, host events in your community, or share our emails and social media posts.
3. Organize a fundraiser (or just an awareness event) via your workplace, school, religious community, etc. If you are interested in organizing a fundraising activity or campaign, we’d love to hear from you.
4. Stay updated on our work via email, our blog, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok.

You can help by referring great talent to work for us. We’re always looking to meet exceptional people who are excited about our vision.

Potentially. 

We partner with select organizations to promote cash transfers, deliver transfers to specific target populations, and generate new evidence on impacts.

Please contact us at [email protected] with a description of what you have in mind, and we’ll evaluate ideas on a case-by-case basis.

Please contact us at [email protected] explaining how you’d like to use it, and we’ll evaluate requests on a case-by-case basis.

For corporate partnership campaigns, please fill out this form.

We’d love to keep you updated on our work! 

You can sign up to get occasional updates by email and follow us on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok.

No. We generally do not host volunteers, but encourage you to check out our job and internship listing page to find our current openings.

We’re always looking to meet exceptional people who are excited about our vision. Check out our job and internship listing page to find our current openings.

If you’re unsure whether a message from or information about GiveDirectly is legitimate, you can verify it by emailing us at [email protected].

Please be aware that GiveDirectly staff will:

🚫 Never asks for airtime or money from any community members or potential recipients.

🚫 Never makes loans, or gives money on the condition that you will pay it back.

🚫 Never asks you to pay money to get funds or be registered with us. 

🚫 Never offers investment opportunities. If you receive one, it is fake.

🚫 Never registers people for our programs over social media posts or messages. If you see one, please report it. 

Visit our scam prevention page for more information on how to avoid scams targeting GiveDirectly’s donors and recipients.

If you believe you’ve observed GiveDirectly staff, volunteers, vendors, contractors, or partners engaging in misconduct (including fraud, harassment, discrimination, or any other form of unethical behavior), please file an ethics report with our third-party whistleblowing portal here.