I originally discovered GiveDirectly through GiveWell.org, which recommends a list of top charities each year. The shocking simplicity of GiveDirectly drew me to it. GiveDirectly lets donors send money directly to the world's poorest people ($0.96 per $1 raised goes to someone in poverty). 

While many charities help the poor in specific ways (give malaria nets, vaccines, vitamin A), I loved that GiveDirectly empowers the people in poverty to make their own choices about how to use their money. Giving to the poor has been around since before the bible, and research shows that it's still just as effective as any of the world's top charities at saving and improving lives.  

From a review of 165 studies in 30 countries on cash transfer programs: "The evidence consistently showed an increase in total expenditure and food expenditure and a reduction in poverty measures … There is robust evidence that cash transfers increase beneficiaries’ savings, investment in livestock and, to a lesser extent, agricultural assets."  

On January 1, 2024, I will set off on a human-powered adventure from my front door in Seattle, running and writing (https://splattern.substack.com) the west. My friends have joked that the only difference between a homeless person and me is that I'm pushing a baby jogger instead of a shopping cart. I will undoubtedly rely on direct help on the ground from countless friends and strangers along the way to complete my run. If you're too far to help me directly, you can help by giving directly to someone else.

Olly’s Run to Give Directly to People In Poverty

Delivering unconditional cash directly to the world's poorest households via secure mobile transfers. 

Since 2009, GiveDirectly has delivered more than $580 million in unconditional cash transfers to families in need. These one-time cash transfers allow recipients to invest in what they need most and have been shown to improve their earnings, children’s school attendance, health, nutrition, and mental well-being.
 
GiveDirectly uses government data to target villages where most or all residents are living in extreme poverty, defined by the World Bank as earning under $2.15/day. In-country GiveDirectly staff enroll one member of each household in the entire village to receive a one-time transfer of about $1,000 USD sent in two installments using mobile money. Recipients can then withdraw the mobile funds as cash with local agents and use the funds to invest in what they need – whether it’s on starting a business, education, making their home safer/sturdier, healthcare, or livestock.
 
GiveDirectly uses rigorous experimental research (randomized controlled trials) to measure the impact of their unconditional cash programs and answer public policy questions, generating evidence on key design and implementation questions across varied contexts. You can find over 300 studies on the positive impacts of cash transfers in GiveDirectly’s Cash Research Explorer.

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