GiveDirectly

GiveDirectly is a nonprofit founded in 2009 that delivers unconditional cash transfers to people living in extreme poverty, using mobile phone payment platforms to move money directly to recipients. Since inception it has delivered over $1 billion to more than 2 million people, operating in seven countries: Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Malawi, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the United States.

The organisation's model has no conditions on how funds are used, reflecting an emphasis on the dignity and autonomy of recipients. Research findings it cites indicate that recipients invest in medicine, education, housing and small businesses, while maintaining work habits and avoiding harmful spending. Its technical work spans mobile money and digital cash transfer delivery, data-driven targeting of households in extreme poverty, and rigorous impact evaluation through randomised controlled trials.

GiveDirectly is funded through donations and institutional partnerships, including with the World Bank, Google.org and the IKEA Foundation. Its stated approach is evidence-based and oriented towards efficiency and scalability in poverty alleviation, within the international development, humanitarian aid and financial inclusion sectors.