Moving Up Together Kent County Community Fund
Moving Up Together Kent County Community Fund is a guaranteed income initiative run by the national nonprofit UpTogether, providing unrestricted monthly cash investments to households in Kent County, Michigan. It launched in 2023 and used UpTogether's member-network model, in which existing members could select additional households in their community to also receive funds. Participants received $500 per month for 18 months (about $9,000 total) with no restrictions on use. The fund was supported by private/philanthropic contributions to UpTogether.
Guaranteed Income, Direct Cash, Community/Member Nomination Model, UpTogether Platform, Michigan
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- UpTogether
- City
- Oakland
- State / Province
- California
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Website
- https://www.uptogether.org/
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Inactive
- Application status
- Timed
- Number of recipients
- 41
- Funding type
- Philanthropic
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 9,000 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 500 USD
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 18 months
- Distribution Type
- Check, Digital/Virtual payment card, Direct deposit to bank account, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay
- Benefit details
Participants received $500 per month in unrestricted cash for 18 months, totaling approximately $9,000, with no requirements to repay or restrictions on how funds could be used. Existing UpTogether members in Kent County could nominate up to six additional people from their existing community (in different households) to also become monthly cash recipients. Members were also encouraged to participate in online social groups and in-person meetups.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Eligible participants were low-income individuals/households residing in Kent County, Michigan, who were either existing UpTogether members or nominated by an existing member as part of their community network. Specific income thresholds or other qualifying criteria beyond low income and Kent County residency could not be independently verified.
Geography
- US states covered
- Michigan
- Countries covered
- United States
- Counties covered
- Kent
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Application Process
- How to apply
Not an open general application; existing UpTogether members already engaged in Kent County were notified of the fund and could enroll, and each selected member could then nominate up to six additional people from their community (in different households) to also receive the monthly investment.
- Selection process
Existing UpTogether members were notified of the Kent County Community Fund opportunity; qualifying members then chose up to six other individuals from their own social/community network (different households) to also receive the monthly cash investment, per UpTogether's community-nomination model.
