GiveDirectly Basic Income Program
GiveDirectly is a US-based nonprofit that sends unconditional cash directly to people living in extreme poverty. In Uganda it has partnered with the national government since 2013, reaching 116,000+ people across 13 districts with $93M+ delivered via mobile money. Current active Uganda programs are large one-time lump-sum transfers for poverty relief in the Karamoja sub-region, disaster relief in the Mount Elgon region, and a 'Cash+' livelihoods program for refugees and host communities in Kiryandongo. GiveDirectly's own website lists its recurring monthly 'Basic Income' guarantee (~$40/month) as running only in Kenya, Malawi, and Mozambique — Uganda is not included in that list. This record catalogues GiveDirectly's Uganda cash-transfer operations under the seed label 'Basic Income Program,' pending confirmation that label is the intended fit (see research_notes).
Unconditional Cash Transfer, Lump-Sum Payment, Refugee Support, Disaster Relief, Mobile Money, Africa, Poverty Relief
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- GiveDirectly, Inc.
- City
- New York
- State / Province
- New York
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Active
- Number of recipients
- 116,000
- Funding type
- Nonprofit, Philanthropic, Government
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 1,000 USD
- Payment frequency
- Lump Sum
- Distribution Type
- Mobile Money
- Benefit details
Eligible households receive a large, one-time, unconditional cash transfer delivered directly to a registered mobile money SIM, typically disbursed in 2-3 installments over a few months. GiveDirectly's flagship 'Cash for Poverty Relief' model sizes transfers around $1,000/household (about a year of household expenditure locally). The Kiryandongo refugee/host-community 'Cash+' program has used the same ~$1,000 one-off transfer size, sometimes paired with livelihoods support. This differs structurally from GiveDirectly's recurring monthly 'Basic Income' transfers (~$40/month for up to 12 years) used in Kenya, Malawi, and Mozambique.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Recipients are households living in extreme poverty in targeted rural districts (notably the Karamoja sub-region, e.g. Nakapiripirit), refugees and host-community households in settlements such as Kiryandongo, or households affected by disasters in the Mount Elgon/Bududa region. GiveDirectly identifies eligible villages/settlements using poverty mapping, government census data, and (for refugees) UNHCR registration lists; once a community is selected, GiveDirectly field staff enroll eligible households directly rather than requiring individuals to apply.
Demographics
- Minimum age
- 18
Citizenship
- Citizenship / immigration status
- Citizen, Refugee
Geography
- Countries covered
- Uganda
- Counties covered
- Karamoja sub-region (incl. Nakapiripirit District), Kiryandongo District, Mount Elgon region (incl. Bududa District) — part of 13 districts GiveDirectly has reached nationally
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Research / data sharing
- Optional
- Complementary program enrollment required
- Livelihoods training/support bundled with cash under the 'Cash+ Sustainable Livelihoods for Refugees' program only, not required for the general poverty-relief or disaster-relief transfers
- Research / participation requirements
GiveDirectly and independent research partners (e.g., IDinsight) have conducted impact evaluations in specific Uganda program sites, such as the Kiryandongo refugee/host-community cash transfer study. Participation in surveys/evaluations has applied to specific research cohorts, not universally to all recipients.
Application Process
- How to apply
No individual application process exists. GiveDirectly and partners (including the Government of Uganda and UNHCR) identify target villages or refugee settlements using poverty-mapping and registration data; GiveDirectly field staff then conduct door-to-door enrollment and community meetings to register eligible households directly.
- Selection process
Geographic/poverty-based targeting: GiveDirectly selects villages or settlements where most or all residents live in extreme poverty (using national poverty data, satellite/census methods, and, for refugees, UNHCR registration lists), then enrolls essentially all eligible households within the selected community — there is no competitive or individual merit-based selection.
