Bridge Project (Upstate New York)
The Bridge Project is a New York-founded nonprofit (spun out of The Monarch Foundation in 2022) that gives low-income pregnant women and new mothers unconditional, biweekly cash payments during pregnancy and their child's first 1,000+ days. In May 2023 it announced an expansion to Rochester, New York, offering new mothers $1,000/month for 18 months followed by $500/month for another 18 months (36 months total), with an initial cohort of about 100 mothers; it later also launched a separate, smaller Buffalo cohort. The organization is funded primarily through philanthropic sources, including The Monarch Foundation, and now operates in 14+ states. It pairs direct cash with research (in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Guaranteed Income Research) and policy advocacy, including support for New York's proposed MILC Allowance.
Guaranteed Income, Moms and Babies, Rochester, Buffalo, Upstate New York, Unconditional Cash, Biweekly Payments
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- The Bridge Project
- City
- New York
- State / Province
- New York
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Active
- Application status
- Timed
- Number of recipients
- 100
- Funding type
- Philanthropic
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 27,000 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 750 USD
- Payment frequency
- Biweekly
- How long the program lasts
- 36 months
- Distribution Type
- Debit Card, Direct Deposit
- Benefit details
Rochester mothers receive $1,000/month for the first 18 months, then $500/month for the following 18 months, delivered as biweekly deposits onto a debit card issued in the mother's name (or via direct deposit to a bank account the org helps her open, including for undocumented mothers). This is a distinct tapering structure from both the flagship NYC flat $1,000/month model and the newer standardized $1,125 lump sum + $750/month(15mo) + $375/month(21mo) model used at other Bridge Project sites. Total value over the 36-month program is approximately $27,000 per participant. A separate, smaller Bridge Project cohort in Buffalo (launched Feb. 2024, ~50 mothers) instead uses the newer standardized tapering structure.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Eligibility generally targets low-income pregnant women (typically enrolling in the last trimester) or mothers of very young children, with Bridge Project's general published threshold being household income under roughly 150% of the Federal Poverty Level (specific Rochester-cohort income cutoff not independently confirmed). Applicants must verify due date/child's age, income, and residence in the service area. Undocumented mothers are explicitly eligible; the program helps unbanked mothers open no-fee accounts.
Demographics
- Sex
- Female
- Gender
- Female
Family
- Family Status
- Parent, Expecting
Geography
- US states covered
- New York
- Countries covered
- United States
- Cities covered
- Rochester, Buffalo
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Research / data sharing
- Optional
- Research / participation requirements
The Bridge Project's in-house research team, along with the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Guaranteed Income Research, studies outcomes (savings, housing stability, childcare access, education) across its cohorts, including Upstate NY; participation in research/surveys is generally optional and separate from receiving cash benefits.
Application Process
- How to apply
Applicants apply online via bridgeproject.org/apply; selected applicants are asked to verify due date/child's age, income, and location.
- Selection process
Not fully documented for the Rochester cohort specifically; at the comparable Buffalo Bridge Project cohort, 50 slots were filled by random selection from roughly 300 applicants, suggesting a similar lottery-style selection process is likely used upstate, though this is not confirmed specifically for Rochester.
