Magnolia Mother's Trust Cohort 1
Magnolia Mother's Trust Cohort 1 was the pilot round of a guaranteed income initiative run by Springboard To Opportunities, in partnership with the Economic Security Project (via the Guaranteed Income Community of Practice), providing 20 low-income Black mothers in Jackson, Mississippi with $1,000 per month, no strings attached, for 12 months (December 2018-November 2019). It was privately/philanthropically funded and was the first US guaranteed income pilot to specifically target extremely low-income, Black mother-headed families living in affordable/subsidized housing. Participants were drawn from residents of Springboard's partner affordable housing communities and could also access optional peer support, coaching, and leadership programming.
Black Mothers, Guaranteed Income, Pioneering First Cohort, Affordable/Subsidized Housing, Jackson Mississippi
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- Springboard To Opportunities
- City
- Jackson
- State / Province
- Mississippi
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Website
- https://springboardto.org/
- Phone
- +1 769-251-0924
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Inactive
- Application status
- Timed
- Number of recipients
- 20
- Funding type
- Philanthropic
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 12,000 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 1,000 USD
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 12 months
- Benefit details
Selected mothers received $1,000 in cash each month for 12 consecutive months (Dec 2018-Nov 2019), with no conditions or restrictions on use. For most participating families, who averaged about $11,030 in annual income, this more than doubled household income. In addition to cash, participants had the option (not a requirement) to take part in peer support, leadership development, and individual coaching/counseling programming offered by Springboard.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Eligible participants were extremely low-income Black mothers living in Springboard To Opportunities' partner affordable/federally subsidized housing communities in Jackson, Mississippi. The program specifically targeted families headed by a Black female, making it the first US guaranteed income pilot with this specific demographic focus. Detailed income thresholds and a formal application/selection methodology (e.g., lottery vs. targeted outreach) were not specified in publicly available sources.
Demographics
- Sex
- Female
- Gender
- Female
- Race / ethnicity targets
- Black/African American
Family
- Family Status
- Parent, Single Parent
Housing
- Housing status
- Public Housing
Financial
- Currently receiving government benefits
- Required
Geography
- US states covered
- Mississippi
- Countries covered
- United States
- Cities covered
- Jackson
- Counties covered
- Hinds
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Research / data sharing
- Required
- Research / participation requirements
The program and its evaluation were managed by Springboard To Opportunities, launched with support from the Economic Security Project and the Guaranteed Income Community of Practice (GICP). Cohort 1 findings were published in the 'Magnolia Mother's Trust Pilot Report Summary' (Dec 2019), documenting outcomes such as recipients paying off over $10,000 in predatory debt collectively and increases in home-cooked meals. These pilot findings directly informed the design and expansion of later, larger MMT cohorts.
Application Process
- How to apply
Not an open public application; participants were selected from among existing residents of Springboard To Opportunities' partner affordable/subsidized housing communities in Jackson, MS.
- Selection process
Participants were drawn from residents of Springboard's partner affordable housing communities who met the program's demographic and income criteria (extremely low-income Black mothers). The specific selection methodology (e.g., lottery vs. targeted invitation) was not detailed in publicly available sources.
