With nearly $1 billion delivered to people in poverty, GiveDirectly is entering a bold new phase: scaling our programs while innovating faster to meet our goal of delivering $5 billion by 2035. At this inflection point, we’re proud to welcome Oyin Solebo to GiveDirectly’s Board of Directors. Solebo brings unmatched experience at the intersection of […]
Blog - Operations
Candid thoughts from staff, donors, and recipients on our work and the broader movement towards cash transfers.
Operations
Five things we’ve learned using mobile data and AI/ML to identify people in need
Natural disasters, conflict, pandemics, and other crises are hitting more frequently and affecting more people. Unconditional cash transfers — delivered quickly before or after a shock — help families withstand these shocks. But to deliver cash quickly, governments and aid organizations need to solve a basic problem: How do you find the people most in need […]
Operations
From proven to fit-for-purpose: what we’re doing next with cash
This year, GiveDirectly will hit a milestone few thought possible: $1 billion committed to people in poverty, alongside 25+ independent studies rigorously testing how that cash was spent, what changed, and why. Now we’re raising the bar. GiveDirectly has set an audacious new goal: deliver $5 billion by 2035 to accelerate the end of extreme […]
Operations
In Bangladesh, AI targeted aid faster, cheaper, and often more accurately than manual methods
Most aid programs still use outdated lists that miss people in crisis About one in five Bangaldeshis live below the national poverty line. The government runs over 100 social protection programs reaching nearly 30m people. But many rely on static registries that fail to capture real-time need, like when a cyclone hits, a breadwinner loses […]
Operations
How AI helped send cash just before floods hit in Nigeria
Getting cash to people before disaster strikes can save lives. That’s why we piloted an AI-powered flood response in Nigeria, predicting where floods would hit and delivering early cash to those most at risk. By combining cutting-edge forecasts with local insights, we reached flood-prone communities faster, more affordably, and with greater precision—delivering aid before the […]
Operations
Report: risks we faced delivering cash in 2024
GiveDirectly’s work is rooted in integrity and focused on safety. We deliver unconditional transfers to people in poverty while managing the risks this creates, including fraud, abuse, and safety threats. Our code of ethics and values, along with national laws, guide staff conduct and set clear standards. We continuously improve safeguards to strengthen protection for […]
Operations
Why we sent the largest-ever cash payment to homeless Americans
In 2024, the U.S. saw the highest number of people unhoused — 770,000 on a given night — despite $10B+ in federal spending on homelessness. There is growing evidence that a large lump sum of cash can help homeless families become stably housed, which is why GiveDirectly launched a program in Chicago doing just that. We […]
Operations, Recipients
How to explain AI/ML across the digital divide
When a crisis hits a low-income country, aid groups often struggle to quickly find and help those most in need because governments have incomplete or outdated information on their citizens (‘social registries’). This is why GiveDirectly has used mobile phone metadata and AI to predict people’s level of need and send them emergency cash quickly—often […]
Operations
Rethinking efficiency to better reflect our diverse cash programs
Minimizing costs maximizes our impact for the world’s poorest: in a million-dollar GiveDirectly program, increasing efficiency from 75% to 80% might allow us to give an additional 100 people cash.1 But efficiency is not the only important metric, as some higher-cost programs reach more vulnerable populations or unlock new funds to go directly to people in […]
Operations
How GiveDirectly prevents, addresses, and reports risks
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 a report to whistleblower@givedirectly.org or to our third-party whistleblowing portal here→ We’re improving how we report to you on risks Giving cash directly is a proven and dignified way to […]