Direct Investment Program in Sacramento - DIPS-III (Cohort 3)
The Direct Investment Program in Sacramento (DIPS), Cohort 3, was a 12-month guaranteed income pilot run by United Way California Capital Region (UWCCR) for 130 low-income households in Sacramento County Board of Supervisors Districts 1 and 2. Selected by lottery from over 8,400 applicants, eligible participants had to be at least 18, live in District 1 or 2, and fall under household income limits (as low as $28,205 for a single adult, up to $133,980 for a household of eight). Recipients received $500 (listed as $505 in the final evaluation report) in unconditional cash each month from January 2024 through December 2024, delivered via direct deposit or a debit Mastercard through a partnership with SAFE Credit Union. The program was funded with $1 million from Sacramento County ARPA allocations (via Supervisors Phil Serna and Patrick Kennedy) and $180,000 from Sierra Health Foundation, and was evaluated by Sacramento State University's School of Social Work. It is the third and final cohort of UWCCR's guaranteed income series, following earlier pilots with Sacramento County (2021) and the City of Sacramento (2023).
Guaranteed Income, Final Cohort of Multi-Cohort Series, County Supervisor-Funded, Sacramento State University Evaluation, SAFE Credit Union Banking Partnership
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- United Way California Capital Region
- City
- Sacramento
- State / Province
- California
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Phone
- +1 916 368 3013
- UWGI@uwccr.org
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Inactive
- Application status
- Timed
- Number of recipients
- 130
- Funding type
- Government, Philanthropic
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 6,000 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 500 USD
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 12 months
- Distribution Type
- Direct Deposit, Debit Card
- Benefit details
Payments of $500 per month (the final Sacramento State evaluation report lists $505) were disbursed unconditionally for 12 consecutive months beginning January 1, 2024, with no work requirements or spending restrictions. Funds were delivered via direct deposit or a debit Mastercard, and UWCCR partnered with SAFE Credit Union to open no-minimum-balance, no-overdraft-fee accounts for participants who needed them. UWCCR confirmed with the state that payments would not reduce CalWORKs, CalFresh, or Section 8/Housing Voucher benefits. Participants were offered (not required to attend) voluntary financial literacy webinars hosted with SAFE Credit Union. The evaluation found increased financial security, modest housing security improvements, reduced food insecurity, and improved self-reported health and wellbeing, though some gains softened by the 18-month follow-up.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Applicants had to be at least 18 years old, live within Sacramento County Board of Supervisors District 1 or District 2, and have household income under tiered limits ranging from $28,205 for a single adult to $133,980 for a household of eight (with $14,160 added per additional member). Applicants completed an online application and a baseline research survey; only those completing both were eligible for the random selection pool. From more than 8,400 applications, 130 recipients were chosen by random lottery, with replacement draws for those who did not respond or withdrew. UWCCR verified Sacramento residency and household income and provided benefits counseling to each selected household before enrollment. No citizenship, employment, disability, or family-composition requirements were specified beyond income and residency.
Demographics
- Minimum age
- 18
- Language
- English, outreach conducted in partnership with organizations serving Cantonese, Dari, Farsi, Hmong, Korean, Mandarin, Mien, Pashto, Russian, Samoan, Spanish, Tagalog, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese speakers
Family
- Household size (minimum)
- 1
Financial
- Income limit (annual household)
- $133,980
Geography
- US states covered
- California
- Countries covered
- United States
- Counties covered
- Sacramento
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Research / data sharing
- Required
- Research / participation requirements
Sacramento State University's School of Social Work (Drs. Ethan Evans, Kisun Nam, and Kyle Caler) conducted baseline (Oct/Nov 2023), 12-month endline (Jan 2025), and 18-month follow-up (June 2025) surveys of both participants and a non-selected control group. Completion of the baseline survey was required to be considered for selection. Key findings: the share of participants able to cover a $400 emergency expense in cash roughly doubled; participants were less likely (6.3%) than the control group (9.5%) to face homelessness or eviction; very low food security fell over 16 percentage points and the improvement held at 18 months; participants were less likely to work more than one job and reported improved self-rated health and wellbeing, though the report describes overall effects as 'temporary but transformative' with mixed sustainability at 18-month follow-up.
Application Process
- How to apply
Applicants completed an online application through United Way California Capital Region plus a required baseline research survey; only applicants who completed both were entered into the selection pool. The application window ran in Fall 2023 and drew over 8,400 applications.
- Selection process
Eligible applicants (Sacramento County District 1 or 2 residents, age 18+, under the income threshold for their household size) were chosen via random lottery. UWCCR staff attempted to contact each selectee to verify residency and income and to conduct benefits counseling; non-responsive or withdrawing selectees were replaced through additional random draws until 130 recipients were confirmed.
