Family Health Project has undertaken a simple, replicable program to help new mothers and their babies facing life without enough money, providing new mothers with $400 per month for 36 months without condition.
Pilots and Programs
37208 DEMONSTRATION
Moving Nashville Forward (MNF) is a community-led effort to create a guaranteed basic income pilot program in Nashville’s 37208 zip code – known as North Nashville – which is both the most incarcerated zip code in America and the heart of Nashville’s Black community. MNF’s 37208 Demonstration will distribute $10,000 to 100 families over one year, measure the impact of this investment, and produce the 37208 Demonstration Report with independent researchers to publicize our findings, organize support, and create a roadmap toward a guaranteed basic income in Nashville and the South.
ARISE GUARANTEED BASIC INCOME PILOT PROGRAM
On July 6, 2021, the Alexandria City Council voted to use funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to support a guaranteed income pilot. Not only does it help individual families, the pilot creates an economic ripple effect as families spend and support businesses in our community. The proposal includes rigorous research efforts so that we can understand the impact of the program and inform future efforts.
ABUNDANT BIRTH PROJECT
In the United States, racial disparities in birth outcomes continue to persist with income inequality being one of the key contributors. Structural interventions that reduce the racial-wealth gap are urgently needed and have the promise to narrow longstanding inequities. In a community-academic partnership, Expecting Justice piloted the first pregnancy income supplement program in the US called the Abundant Birth Project (ABP). ABP provides unconditional cash supplements to Black and Pacific Islander mothers as a strategy to reduce preterm birth and improve economic outcomes for our communities.
ALAMEDA GUARANTEED BASIC INCOME PILOT
The City of Alameda is a community of approximately 80,884 residents in the San Francisco Bay Area. On May 17, 2022, the Alameda City Council directed staff to develop a GI Pilot Program focusing on low income residents. The Pilot Program will provide $1,000 per month to approximately 150 households over a two-year period and will be funded through the City’s allocation of funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). The City anticipates working with an implementing partner to launch the Pilot Program in the Spring/Summer 2023.
ARLINGTON’S GUARANTEE
Arlington’s Guarantee was launched in September 2021 in close partnership with the Arlington County Department of Human Services and local nonprofits. Participants in Arlington’s Guarantee receive $500 per month for 18 months, and the program is designed to build personal power for low-income households with children who are increasingly being priced out of our very expensive community. Of the 200 unconditional cash recipients in Arlington’s Guarantee, 35 are returning from the community from incarceration and 25 are undocumented. The program is privately funded and benefits are protected.
AUSTIN’S GUARANTEED INCOME PILOT
The City of Austin is set to begin a one-year trial run of a pilot that will provide 85 local families with $1,000 monthly checks following a recent 8-1 City Council vote. The $1.18 million guaranteed income pilot’s funding, including the monthly payments and administrative costs, comes from the City of Austin equity office’s budget.
BABY’S FIRST YEARS
Baby’s First Years is a pathbreaking study of the causal impact of monthly, unconditional cash gifts to low-income mothers and their children in the first four years of the child’s life. The gifts are funded through charitable foundations. The study will identify whether reducing poverty can affect early childhood development and the family processes that support children’s development.
BIG:LEAP (BASIC INCOME GUARANTEED INCOME:L.A. ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE PILOT)
Basic Income Guaranteed: Los Angeles Economic Assistance Pilot (BIG:LEAP) is providing approximately 3,200 individuals with $1,000 per month for 12 months. These are unconditional, regular, and direct cash payments to individual participants that supplement existing welfare programs.
BLACK RESILIENCE FUND
Black Resilience Fund is a program of nonprofit Brown Hope and is dedicated to fostering healing and resilience by providing direct financial assistance to Black Portlanders. Black Resilience Fund is dreaming for a lasting impact in the Portland region. In the face of persistent systemic inequities, we lift up community solutions for reparations-inspired action free from bureaucracy and honoring the vital contributions of our Black communities.
THE BRIDGE PROJECT
Launched in June 2021, the Bridge Project is designed to support low-income mothers in New York City during the first 1,000 days of their children’s lives by providing them with consistent, unconditional cash on a biweekly basis. The first phase of the Bridge Project provides either $500 or $1,000 a month to 100 low-income mothers living in Washington Heights, Inwood, and Central Harlem for three years, and is a randomized controlled trial in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Guaranteed Income Research. The second phase, which launched recruitment in April 2022, dramatically expanded to include a cohort of 500 additional low-income, pregnant mothers across the project’s existing neighborhoods in Northern Manhattan, along with the neighborhoods of East Harlem, the Central Bronx, and the South Bronx. Selected mothers are receiving $1,000 a month for the first 18 months of the program and $500 a month for the last 18 months, all on a biweekly basis.
CAMBRIDGE RISE (RECURRING INCOME FOR SUCCESS AND EMPOWERMENT)
The RISE Pilot began in September 2021. Mayor Siddiqui and City Manager DePasquale announced in April 2022 that the City of Cambridge will be allocating funds to build on the work of RISE to provide direct cash assistance to families in poverty in Cambridge. This program is in the early stages and there will be additional announcements in the near future. The program will target families under 200% of the Federal Poverty Level and applications will not open until early 2023.
CAMP HARBOR VIEW GUARANTEED INCOME PILOT
The Camp Harbor View Guaranteed Income Pilot will enroll 100 eligible families into a 2-year study, where 50 of those families will receive a guaranteed income. To be eligible, families must live in Boston, MA, have a child in one of Camp Harbor View’s youth-serving programs, and self-certify as having a low income but not receiving (most) public benefits. We are partnered with UpTogether to distribute to our participants $583 per month ($7000/year) for two years as a cash transfer or a debit card, depending on participant choice.
CENTRAL IOWA BASIC INCOME PILOR PROJECT
The Central Iowa Basic Income Pilot Project is a cross-sector collaboration focused on implementing a basic income program model in central Iowa. Following successful models across the nation, the pilot project will provide 110 low-income individuals with $500 each month for two years.
CENTRAL TEXAS 12-MONTH PILOT
In March 2021, UpTogether, in partnership with the City of Austin and local philanthropy, launched a study to understand how UpTogether members demonstrate the impact of our strength-based approach, particularly around housing stabilization. The purpose is to uplift learnings to inform how the City of Austin and local philanthropy design and invest in communities experiencing poverty and dealing with housing hardship. 173 members and their households (163 in Austin and 10 in Georgetown) received $1,000 per month for a year, from March 2021 to March 2022.
THE CHICAGO FUTURE FUND
The Chicago Future Fund (CFF) is Equity and Transformation (EAT)’s very own guaranteed income pilot program for formerly incarcerated individuals. EAT launched the CFF to explore what direct cash payments of $500/month can do for 30 system-impacted residents of West Garfield Park. There are no work requirements or restrictions on how the money can be spent.
THE COMMUNITY LOVE FUND
To alleviate the economic pressure price gouging exerts on incarcerated loved ones and their family members, The National Council will combat extortive penal practices with a guaranteed income. It will be the first organization to do so within prison walls. It will also combat economic precarity among formerly incarcerated women, who experience the detriment of a criminal record long after serving their sentences. Twenty one system-impacted women—four of them currently incarcerated in state and federal prisons in the United States—will be provided a guaranteed income of $500 a month for a year. As we fight to end incarceration in the long term, guaranteed income initiatives led and developed by system-impacted leadership are a pathway to transformative justice in the immediate term. The Community Love Fund will show us how an alternate, more expansive understanding of public safety can take root when we invest into caring for our communities, one woman at a time.
COMPTON PLEDGE
Over the course of two years, the Compton Pledge will provide 800 low-income residents with unconditional cash installments, delivering urgent relief to Compton families in the wake of COVID-19’s devastation. The Fund for Guaranteed Income has built a solution for governments to disburse cash to program participants of the Compton Pledge. One Fair Wage, Essie Justice Group, Black Lives Matter, Brotherhood Crusade, and A New Way of Life are among the advisers to the Compton Pledge, which was passed as a local resolution of the BREATHE Act.
COMPASS FAMILY SERVICE BASIC INCOME PILOT
Compass is to study the impact of universal basic income for 13 low-income families with children currently enrolled in Compass Children’s Center. The payments will be $350 per month for six months. Although this pilot program will be modest, resulting in a total of $2,100 per family, we know that any increase in income is likely to produce real benefits for the children and parents we serve. We hope that the results will show an overall improvement in family stability over the pilot period.
CONCORD GUARANTEED INCOME PILOT PROGRAM
In March 2023, Monument Impact, a community-based nonprofit, has launched a guaranteed income pilot program after being awarded $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds by the city of Concord. The project aims to give $500 a month over 12 months in cash assistance to at least 120 low-income Concord families. “Priority will be given to families with children age 12 or younger living in neighborhoods where many low-wage workers who were not able to work remotely, had children at home in distance learning, and lacked access to child care, health care, and/or federal/state COVID-19 recovery funds,” the press release said.
COOK COUNTY PROMISE GUARANTEED INCOME
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Cook County Government are proud to be leading the way in the American guaranteed income movement. The Cook County Promise Guaranteed Income Pilot will provide no-strings-attached $500 monthly cash payments to 3,250 Cook County residents for 24 months. The goal is to improve participants’ financial and health outcomes, as well as understand the impacts of direct cash assistance on both individuals and their communities.
CREATIVE COMMUNITIES COALITION FOR GUARANTEED INCOME
The Creative Communities Coalition for Guaranteed Income (CCCGI) is a new initiative convened by YBCA and led by six San Francisco arts and culture organizations dedicated to economic justice: Black Freighter Press, Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco (CCCSF), The Transgender District, Dance Mission Theater, Galeria de la Raza, and the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company (SFBATCO). The community-led initiative, funded by Jack Dorsey’s #StartSmall Foundation and Mackenzie Scott, implements a $1.3 million, 18-month guaranteed income program focused on San Francisco artists grappling with the harms of structural racism, displacement, and inequity exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
DENVER BASIC INCOME PROJECT
The Denver Basic Income Project is giving basic income to individuals experiencing homelessness with the goal of building a healthier society grounded in social justice and centered around improving human thriving. Our society can do better than our current social safety net. This project is possible through the generosity of private donors, corporate leaders and caring foundations.
EVANSTON EQUITABLE RECOVERY FUND
UpTogether launched the Evanston Equitable Recovery Fund, a privately funded initiative to provide 25 Evanston residents with a $300 per month payment for 10 months. The Evanston City Council and Economic Security for Illinois (ESIL) both issued support of the initiative. Key to the initiative is that there are no requirements for how recipients must spend their money – recipients can spend it as they choose.
EXCEL
The objective of StepUp Durham’s Excel Pilot Program is to evaluate guaranteed income’s effects on recidivism and re-incarceration, employment, economic security, and income volatility, as well as physical functioning, mental health, stress, and coping, parenting, housing, and interactions with other institutional systems. 109 formerly-incarcerated individuals have been randomly selected by the Center for Guaranteed Income Research in Pennsylvania to receive an unconditional, cash transfer of $600 per month. The pilot will last one year.
FAMILY GOAL FUND
LIFT is a national nonprofit providing coaching services to families in Chicago, DC, New York, and Los Angeles. Across our four sites, families receive $150 unrestricted cash transfers every three months they continue in our program, for up to two years. Our program and cash transfer supports aim to accelerate families’ progress towards their self-named career, education, and financial mobility goals. Key metrics of success include income gains, educational persistence and completion, and financial outcomes (savings behavior, debt reduction, credit building, etc.).
GUARANTEED INCOME VALIDATION EFFORT (GIVE GARY)
Aided by $500,000 of seed money from the Mayors for Guaranteed Income organization, Gary launched the G.I.V.E. program. 125 people were chosen to participate, receiving $500 a month for 12 months.
GUARANTEED INCOME FOR ARTISTS
Springboard for the Arts’ guaranteed minimum income pilot program for artists and culture workers in St. Paul is inspired by the City of St. Paul’s People’s Prosperity Pilot and the Mayors for a Guaranteed Income network. This pilot will be one of the first guaranteed income pilots in the nation to focus on the creative workforce. The pilot program will provide $500 of unrestricted monthly support to 25 artists in the Frogtown and Rondo neighborhoods of St. Paul for 18 months, beginning in April 2021. Designed as a “sidecar” to the City of St. Paul’s People’s Prosperity Pilot, the goal of Springboard’s pilot is to explore the impact of guaranteed income on artists, culture bearers and creative workers at a neighborhood level, and to provide a national model for the inclusion of artists in policies that address economic inequity.
GUARANTEED INCOME FOR ARTISTS – CREATIVES REBUILD NEW YORK
Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY)’s Guaranteed Income for Artists program will provide regular, no-strings-attached cash payments for 2,400 artists who have financial need. Each artist will receive $1,000 per month for 18 consecutive months. Our guaranteed income work joins with that of municipalities, policymakers, community leaders, and activists from across the US who are engaging in public conversations about guaranteed income and economic stability for community members who are living with financial uncertainty. CRNY’s Guaranteed Income for Artists program aims to help artists meet their basic needs outside of traditional or merit-based grant making.
JUST INCOME GNV
Just Income GNV is a guaranteed income project in Alachua County, Florida, providing temporary, unconditional monthly payments directly to people who have been impacted by the justice system – no strings attached. This pilot is designed and administered by formerly incarcerated people. We believe a guaranteed income can mitigate known barriers to successful reentry and unlock the inherent potential of our justice-impacted neighbors. 115 justice-impacted people were randomly selected from our applicant pool to receive $1,000 in the first month, followed by $600 a month for the next eleven months.
HUDSON UP
HudsonUP is a basic income pilot created by The Spark of Hudson and Humanity Forward and based in Hudson, NY. The initiative is being designed in collaboration with the community and is championed by Mayor Kamal Johnson. HudsonUP is providing $500 each month to selected Hudson residents over a period of 5 years. The program has been designed to benefit the Hudson community and demonstrate the power of basic income for all.
HUMMINGBIRD NEST
Perigee Fund is in the planning phase, working with partners in the lead, to launch a no-strings-attached Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) pilot in Seattle in 2022. It will be part of a growing number of local GBI pilots across the United States. Perigee’s pilot will be somewhat unique in its focus on the prenatal-to-3 period, starting during pregnancy and extending through the child’s third year. It will also be the first in the nation to center Native American/American Indian, Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian pregnant people. Hummingbird Indigenous Doula and Family Services is leading the planning effort with community engagement.
IMMIGRANT FAMILIES RECOVERY PROGRAM
Mission Asset Fund (MAF) has launched a UBI+ program to help 3,000 low-income immigrant families across the country rebuild their financial lives in the wake of the pandemic. IFRP is the largest guaranteed income program designed for immigrant families who have been excluded from federal COVID-19 relief. Participating families receive $400 in direct cash each month for up to two years. To build back faster, families also receive timely and relevant financial services from MAF to support their recovery, including one-on-one financial coaching and group-based financial education workshops, all with a self-advocacy lens to put learnings into action. In true partnership, MAF is engaging with families throughout the program, learning firsthand the financial tools and strategies families are using to weather this crisis. MAF is sharing these insights with the field in real time to advocate for policies that can better support immigrant families in their recovery.
IN HER HANDS
In Her Hands is a guaranteed income initiative focused on putting a solution to financial insecurity directly in the hands of women in Georgia. No strings attached. Formed through direct community input, In Her Hands will provide an average of $850 per month for 24 months to 650 women in three communities in Georgia. This $13 million initiative, powered by a partnership with the GRO Fund and GiveDirectly is already one of the largest guaranteed income programs in the South, a region where women of color face significant structural barriers to economic security and wealth-building.
LEFT BEHIND WORKERS FUND
The Left Behind Workers Fund aims to provide financial assistance to workers in Colorado who won’t receive stimulus checks or other federal financial aid. Dispersing payments of $1,000 to those impacted by the pandemic, the fund works with trusted non-profit partners that specifically serve lower-wage workers and undocumented immigrants. The fund distributes cash grants to individuals and families across the state, using flexible payment options for both banked and unbanked individuals.
LONG BEACH PLEDGE
The Long Beach Guaranteed Income Pilot Program initiative will help 500 single parents in our city who are living in poverty and struggling to meet basic needs. Direct payments will focus on the 90813 Zip Code which is the highest concentrated area of family poverty in Long Beach and has a median household income 25% lower than any other zip code in the city. The pilot program will provide up to 500 participants with $500 per month for 12 months.
LA COUNTY BREATHE
Breathe: LA County’s Guaranteed Income Program is part of LA County’s Poverty Alleviation Initiative. 1,000 participants were selected and will receive a $ 1,000 stipend every month for the next three years.
MADISON FORWARD FUND
The Madison Forward Fund is a year-long guaranteed income experimental program. A monthly payment of $500 will be given directly to 155 households for 12 months. It is unconditional, with no strings attached and no work requirements. The program is founded on the belief that Madison families deserve a basic level of income to support fundamental needs, and that people experiencing financial scarcity are best positioned to make decisions regarding their household needs.
MAGNOLIA MOTHER’S TRUST
In the fall of 2018, Springboard To Opportunities announced the Magnolia Mother’s Trust, a new initiative that provides low-income, Black mothers in Jackson, Mississippi $1,000 cash on a monthly basis, no strings attached, for 12 months straight. While there have been several initiatives for a guaranteed income worldwide, this is the first that specifically targets extremely low-income families headed by a Black women living in affordable housing in the United States.
MIRACLE MONEY
Miracle Money is a UBI program for people experiencing homelessness. Our initial pilot is distributing $500/month for six months to 15 unhoused neighbors in the SF Bay Area. Each Miracle Money recipient is paired with a volunteer friend for weekly phone calls and texts.
MOMENTUM
MOMentum is a countywide pilot that the Marin Community Foundation launched in May 2021, leveraging input from moms and combining it with deep expertise from local, state and national nonprofits and county partners. Participants (125 Low-income moms) will receive $1,000 per month for 24 months, plus access to the UpTogether platform for networking with other moms, mutual support, information and resources sharing. This pilot is designed to give moms an opportunity for greater independence over their lives, their finances and the future for them and their children. MOMentum is 100% funded by philanthropic donations.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAM
The Montgomery County Guaranteed Income Pilot (“MoCo Boost” which stands for “Building Our Opportunities and Strength Today”) is one of several dozen national pilots designed to change the narrative around poverty by providing a regular, unrestricted, guaranteed income supplement to participants, particularly in regions with high cost of living. Each national pilot is unique and tailored to its respective community. Our pilot will provide $800 per month, for 24 months, to 300 individuals and/or households. At least one-third of the participants will be people who are transitioning from homelessness.
MY SISTER’S PLACE CASH TRANSFER PROGRAM
In February 2023, My Sister’s Place (MSP) launched the first emergency cash transfer program specifically targeted toward domestic violence (DV) survivors. This pilot project will benefit families served through MSP’s Reaching Independence Through Survivor Empowerment (RISE) transitional housing program and is aimed at improving financial stability and economic opportunities for survivors by putting money directly in the hands of the recipients. The program will provide 45 families with $500 per month for two years, playing an integral role in setting survivors up to be experts in their own finances. The program is funded through generous financial support from The Greater Washington Community Foundation’s Health Equity Fund and The William S. Abell Foundation.
NCJWLA GUARANTEED INCOME PROJECT
The National Council of Jewish Women | Los Angeles Guaranteed Income Project is focused on supporting female-identifying healthcare workers/caregivers in Los Angeles City Council District 13. The cohort will be 12 participants who will receive $1000 a month for 12 months. We have targeted women who earn between 50-80% of area median income as we believe that the financial support of guaranteed income will allow this cohort/community to move past some of their financial/economic struggles towards stronger financial stability and confidence.
NEW ORLEANS GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAM
The Mayor’s Office of Youth and Families announced the launch of the New Orleans Guaranteed Income Program through a $500,000 grant from Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI). The City of New Orleans is the first recipient of the MGI funding to prioritize payments to young people. The program will serve 125 young people between the ages of 16-24 who are disconnected from work and school. They will receive a monthly cash payment of $350 for the next 10 months.
OAKLAND RESILIENT FAMILIES
Oakland Resilient Families provided 600 randomly selected Oakland families (with an intentional focus on groups with the greatest wealth disparities per the Oakland Equity Index) with low incomes and at least 1 child under 18 a guaranteed income of $500 per month for at least 18 months.
PATERSON GUARANTEED INCOME PROJECT
In 2021, the City of Paterson launched their guaranteed income program. 110 Paterson residents, selected through a lottery by the Center for Guaranteed Income Research at the University of Pennsylvania, received $400 a month for 12 months. The program is planning to launch a second cohort.
PATHWAY TO INCOME EQUITY, SONOMA COUNTY
Pathway To Income Equity is a two-year initiative that will deliver $500 a month to 500 low-income families in Sonoma County. The initiative aims to support families with young children or pregnant residents along with other Sonoma County residents.
PROJECT SOLID GROUND AT AVIVO
The Nancy Somers Family Foundation facilitated funding for a pilot providing $1000 monthly for 15 individuals through a local anti-poverty non-profit, Avivo. The pilot began amid the urgency of the pandemic in 2020 and included low income individuals who were unhoused, challenged by mental illness and/or enrolled in a career training program at Avivo; it will extend for 1 year. The group aims to expand the initiative as “Project Solid Ground” at Avivo, pending future funding.
PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESS PILOT
In partnership with the LANL Foundation (LANLF), Cuba Independent School District (CISD), and West Las Vegas School District (WLVSD), New Mexico Appleseed designed, implemented, and evaluated this intervention to provide educational and financial support to inadequately housed students.
THE RESTORATIVE REENTRY FUND
The Restorative Reentry Fund is one of the first guaranteed income programs for people returning home after incarceration. The population of focus is Black and Brown adults who are formerly incarcerated and reside in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, California. Recipients will receive $500 in unconditional cash per month for at least 12 months. Each recipient will have access to a peer advocate who was formerly incarcerated and has deep on-the-ground knowledge of the community and local resources. Our goal is to expand the program throughout the San Francisco Bay Area while exploring what level of cash assistance creates time, peace of mind, and freedom for people to pursue opportunities that lead to fulfillment and wealth building.The Restorative Reentry Fund is one of the first guaranteed income programs for people returning home after incarceration. The population of focus is Black and Brown adults who are formerly incarcerated and reside in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, California. Recipients will receive $500 in unconditional cash per month for at least 12 months. Each recipient will have access to a peer advocate who was formerly incarcerated and has deep on-the-ground knowledge of the community and local resources. Our goal is to expand the program throughout the San Francisco Bay Area while exploring what level of cash assistance creates time, peace of mind, and freedom for people to pursue opportunities that lead to fulfillment and wealth building.
RICHMOND RESILIENCE INITIATIVE
The Richmond Resilience Initiative (RRI) is the City of Richmond’s guaranteed income pilot program. It is facilitated by the Office of Community Wealth Building and made possible by strategic and financial support of key partners Robins Foundation and Mayors for a Guaranteed Income. Over the course of 24 months (December 2020 through December 2022), participants will receive $500 per month to spend on whatever they decide is necessary. There are no restrictions on the spending, as with most traditional social safety net programs. RRI emphasizes the dignity of the participating individuals, above all else.
SAN ANTONIO BASIC INCOME PILOT
UpTogether invests in low-income families who want to work with people in their communities and support one another in accomplishing their goals. Starting November 2020, Uptogether invested $5,100 in 180-200 groups whose members live in San Antonio. The funds were dispersed over 27 months. Each household represented in the group will receive the $5,100 investment. Funds are available to invest in 1,000 households total.
SAN DIEGO FOR EVERY CHILD
San Diego for Every Child is piloting a guaranteed income project as an economic justice tool to help address the racial and gender inequities that impact the lives of children experiencing poverty. With COVID-19, social unrest, and an emerging recession, guaranteed income is an ideal program to address the experience of child poverty both in the current moment and beyond. This project is meant to inform future governmental and non-profit policies.
SAN FRANCISCO GUARANTEED INCOME FOR ARTISTS
The SF Guaranteed Income Pilot for Artists (SF-GIPA), powered by YBCA, makes no-strings-attached monthly cash payments to 130 artists who have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. SF-GIPA was designed and launched in May 2021 in partnership with the City of San Francisco.
SOLIDARITY FUND
The Solidarity Fund is designed to provide financial assistance and mentorship to workers engaged in workplace organizing and activism, especially those facing retaliation from their employers. In the age of COVID-19, Coworker.org partnered with workers in the tech industry to launch a pilot fund for people in the tech industry and its supply chains (e.g. gig workers, warehouse workers, and others) who are organizing for safer, more just, and more equitable jobs and workplaces. As of October 2021, the Fund has distributed $125,000 in $2,500 stipends to 50 people engaged in workplace activism and organizing in the tech industry and its supply chain. Recipients include rideshare drivers, software engineers, and warehouse and delivery workers from over 16 states.
STOCKTON ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT DEMONSTRATION (SEED)
The Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED) was the nation’s first mayor led guaranteed income demonstration. Launched in February 2019 by former Mayor Michael D. Tubbs, SEED gave 125 randomly selected residents $500/month for 24 months. The cash was completely unconditional, with no strings attached and no work requirements.
STRONG FAMILIES, STRONG FUTURE DC
Martha’s Table, in partnership with the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, has committed to supporting over one hundred mothers living in Wards 5, 7, and 8 through our latest direct cash assistance program: Strong Families, Strong Futures DC. This initiative will help families build a strong financial foundation that paves the way for lasting child and family success.
THRIVE EAST OF THE RIVER
THRIVE East of the River was a guaranteed-income pilot that provided emergency cash relief of $5,500 to almost 600 Washington, DC, households during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. THRIVE was launched by four community-based organizations and provided cash as well as other services to participants who were mostly Black, had low incomes, and lived in neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River where residents experienced disproportionately negative economic impacts of the pandemic.
THRIVING PROVIDERS PROJECT
This program will be piloted in multiple locations. Selected family, friend and neighbor providers/caregivers will receive direct cash payments for one year or more. Providers and caregivers will also receive peer and professional support that reduces isolation, increases access to other resources and builds wealth. This initiative will test methods to determine the level of sufficiency of payment and consistency to create stability of care, and assess the impact of stable funding on the availability and quality of care offered to children and families.
YOLO COUNTY BASIC INCOME (YOBI)
Yolo County and its Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) will launch the Yolo County Basic Income (YOBI) Project, putting resources in the hands of families marginalized by circumstances and systems working for their long-term health and financial stability. YOBI provides a calculated basic income to a preselected population of approximately 55 families selected from current Yolo County residents enrolled in the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) or CalWORKs Housing Support Program (HSP) who are pregnant or have a child under the age of six.
ZERO BABIES HOMELESS
The Zero Babies Homeless demonstration project will focus on low-income pregnant women and mothers with infants in NYC who are experiencing or expect to experience housing instability. If a mother qualifies, they will be randomly assigned to the experimental program group or to control group. Both groups will receive usual HOMEBASE homeless prevention services. In addition, the experimental program participants will be offered the monthly $1,000 cash transfer from their second trimester until their baby is 2 years old. The primary outcome measures are the number of families entering shelter and the number of days in shelter.