Abundant Birth Project
The first pregnancy income supplement program piloted in the US to Black and Pacific Islander individuals throughout pregnancy and postpartum and tests direct cash as a reproductive health intervention. Created by Expecting Justice with UCSF's Preterm Birth Initiative under a "collaborative change model" that puts affected communities in the design process, it's since expanded from San Francisco into Alameda, Contra Costa, LA, and Riverside counties with public and philanthropic funding (including Jack Dorsey's #startsmall).
Black, Pacific Islander, Expecting Mothers, Mothers
Headquarters
- City
- San Francisco
- State / Province
- California
- Country
- United States
Contact
Status & Funding
- Application status
- Closed
- Number of recipients
- 850
- Funding type
- Government, Philanthropic
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 12,000 USD
- Total Amount Per Year
- 12,000 USD
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 12 months
- Ongoing / unconditional
- Yes
- Distribution Type
- Debit Card
Eligibility
Demographics
- Sex
- Female
- Gender
- Female
- Race / ethnicity targets
- Black, Pacific Islander
Family
- Parental status
- Expecting, Parent
- Number of dependents (minimum)
- 1
Financial
- Income limit (annual household)
- $128,017
Geography
- US states covered
- California
- Countries covered
- United States
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Research / participation requirements
Research participation was optional, not required. The Abundant Birth Project is explicitly "no strings attached," and eligibility for the cash stipend was fully separate from and unaffected by participation in the evaluation.
That said, research was offered/encouraged, run by two separate teams: CA ABP Evaluation — conducted by researchers from UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and Oregon Health & Science University, in partnership with community members across the five counties. State of California / Urban Institute evaluation — a second, separate evaluation some participants were also invited to join.
Participants who opted in were asked to complete 4 surveys across pregnancy and postpartum, with some also invited to do 2 interviews. They could stop participating at any time without affecting their monthly stipend, and were compensated for their time in the evaluation.
Application Process
- How to apply
The application process centered on a recurring lottery system called the "Abundance Drawing." Applicants confirmed they met eligibility (residency in one of the four counties, 8–27 weeks pregnant, under the county income cap, at least one preterm-birth risk factor, and not enrolled in another guaranteed income program), then were entered into a pool of confirmed-eligible applicants. From that pool, the Abundance Drawing randomly selected participants twice a month, and those selected were invited to enroll in the program.
There were no lengthy forms or hoops to jump through beyond the initial eligibility confirmation — once selected, participants received a reloadable debit card (no bank account needed) and started receiving funds automatically on the 30th of each month, with no further conditions attached.
