Family Goal Fund
LIFT, Inc. (also known as LIFT Communities) is a national nonprofit, founded in 1998, that pairs economic mobility coaching with direct, unrestricted cash payments to parents of young children through its Family Goal Fund. Since 2018, the Fund has provided $150 in unrestricted cash every three months to enrolled parents across LIFT's four direct-service sites in Chicago, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and New York City (Bronx). As of LIFT's most recent public reporting, the Fund has issued more than $1 million to over 1,400 families. The program is funded through a mix of corporate, foundation, government, and individual donors as part of LIFT's broader two-generation coaching model.
Cash Plus Coaching, Parents, Two-Generation Model, Multi-City, National Nonprofit, Unrestricted Cash
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- LIFT, Inc.
- City
- Chicago, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, New York City
- State / Province
- Illinois, District of Columbia, California, New York
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Website
- https://www.whywelift.org/
- Phone
- +1 202 289 1151
- info@whywelift.org
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Active
- Application status
- Rolling
- Number of recipients
- 1,400
- Funding type
- Government, Philanthropic, Corporate
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 1,200 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 50 USD
- Payment frequency
- Variable
- How long the program lasts
- 24 months
- Benefit details
Parents enrolled in LIFT's coaching program receive $150 in unrestricted cash every three months (quarterly) for the duration of their up-to-two-year engagement; Dotare's enum maps this quarterly cadence to 'Variable' payment frequency. Payments are made regardless of a parent's immigration/documentation status. LIFT reports recipients plan to spend about 65% of funds on basic needs (food, utilities, rent) and about 27% on savings/goals, with actual spending closely matching those intentions (over 45% on food/groceries, ~25% on other basic needs, ~10% on goal-related expenses like tuition or licensing exams). Since the Fund launched in 2018, LIFT has distributed more than $1 million in Family Goal Fund cash to over 1,400 families as of its most recent public reporting.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Recipients must be parents/caregivers of young children who are enrolled in and actively participating in LIFT's economic mobility coaching program (a 'use of org services' requirement) at one of LIFT's four direct-service offices (Chicago, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, or New York/Bronx). No specific income threshold is published, though LIFT describes serving low-income families (e.g., Chicago members' average household income at intake was about $18,000). LIFT explicitly serves parents regardless of documentation/immigration status; about 25% of surveyed LIFT parents report not having the legal right to work. LIFT's overall membership is predominantly people of color (99%) and women (94%), though these are not stated as formal eligibility criteria.
Demographics
- Language
- English, Spanish
Family
- Family Status
- Parent
- Number of dependents (minimum)
- 1
Geography
- US states covered
- Illinois, California, New York
- Countries covered
- United States
- Cities covered
- Chicago, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, New York City (Bronx)
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Complementary program enrollment required
- LIFT economic mobility coaching (Family Goal Fund cash payments are contingent on active enrollment and persistence in LIFT's coaching program)
- Research / participation requirements
LIFT conducts internal monitoring and evaluation (member surveys, self-reported spending and goal-progress data) and cites an independent third-party evaluation of its direct-service program and a UCLA-led pilot study of its financial-coaching model in pediatric primary care settings. Participation in this data collection is not described on LIFT's site as a formal condition of receiving Family Goal Fund payments.
Application Process
- How to apply
Parents interested in receiving coaching, and subsequently the Family Goal Fund, apply through LIFT's online 'Get Coaching' interest form (https://salesforce.123formbuilder.com/form-4921523/lift-member-interest-form) or by contacting one of LIFT's four city offices directly. LIFT's public materials do not detail further screening steps.
