The Bridge Project (New York City)
The Bridge Project is a direct-cash program for pregnant and new mothers that launched in June 2021 in New York City as an initiative of The Monarch Foundation, making it the founding/flagship chapter of the now-national Bridge Project network. In Spring 2022 the program spun off from the Monarch Foundation into its own independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit, now legally named "Bridge Project" (EIN 88-1293144), which continues to run the NYC program alongside chapters in over a dozen other states. The NYC program provides eligible low-income pregnant/new mothers across all five boroughs, plus Rochester and Buffalo, with unconditional biweekly cash for up to 36 months. Funding combines private philanthropy (including its founding funder, the Monarch Foundation), New York City Council public funds, and a research partnership with the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Guaranteed Income Research.
Guaranteed Income, Direct Cash Transfer, Mothers, Maternal & Infant Health, Founding/Flagship Chapter, Largest Cohort, First 1, 000 Days, New York City
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- Bridge Project
- City
- New York
- State / Province
- New York
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Active
- Application status
- Rolling
- Number of recipients
- 1,360
- Funding type
- Government, Philanthropic, Research Pilot
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 28,500 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 791.67 USD
- Payment frequency
- Biweekly
- How long the program lasts
- 36 months
- Distribution Type
- Prepaid Debit Card (Usio), enrollment/disbursement administration via Community Financial Resources
- Benefit details
Under the program's current structure, eligible mothers can receive up to a $1,500 prenatal stipend, followed by up to $1,000 per month (paid biweekly) for the first 18 months and up to $500 per month for the following 18 months, totaling roughly $28,500 over a 36-month benefit period. The original 2021 pilot cohort of 100 mothers instead received either $500 or $1,000 per month (disbursed as $250 or $500 biweekly) as part of a two-arm randomized controlled trial testing different transfer amounts. Funds are unconditional, loaded onto a Usio-issued prepaid debit card, with Community Financial Resources providing enrollment and disbursement administration. Since 2023 the New York City program has scaled to roughly 1,300-1,360 mothers across the five boroughs plus Rochester and Buffalo, with total NYC-specific investment reported between $30 million and $36.8 million.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Applicants must be pregnant or have a child under age one, live in a qualifying New York City zip code (program has expanded across all five boroughs, with additional cohorts in Rochester and Buffalo), and have an annual household income at or below approximately $44,000-$52,000 (reported income thresholds vary by cohort/year). No Social Security Number or ITIN is required, so undocumented individuals may apply, and applicants may be employed, unemployed, or receiving unemployment or other government benefits. A December 2024 NYC Council-funded cohort of 161 slots specifically targeted pregnant women experiencing housing insecurity. The original pilot cohort was also randomly assigned to treatment or control arms as part of the University of Pennsylvania CGIR study.
Demographics
- Sex
- Female
- Gender
- Female
Family
- Family Status
- Parent, Expecting
Financial
- Income limit (annual household)
- $52,000
Geography
- US states covered
- New York
- Countries covered
- United States
- Cities covered
- New York, Rochester, Buffalo
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Research / data sharing
- Optional
- Research / participation requirements
A subset of participants (the original Phase 1 cohort of roughly 100 mothers in Washington Heights, Inwood, and Central Harlem, plus a later Phase 2 expansion cohort) are enrolled in a randomized controlled trial conducted by the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Guaranteed Income Research (CGIR), studying impacts on maternal health, child development, and household stability. All additional program-wide research and evaluation is conducted in-house by Bridge Project. No evidence was found that Columbia University co-executes or manages the Bridge Project's own research/evaluation; Columbia University's Center on Poverty and Social Policy is cited in Bridge Project materials as underlying research/evidence (e.g., studies on cash transfers and child poverty reduction, the Child Tax Credit) that helped justify the program's model, not as a formal research partner running the Bridge Project study.
Application Process
- How to apply
Apply online via bridgeproject.org/apply (or a Qualtrics application form) on a rolling basis as cohorts open in specific zip codes/boroughs; applicants verify pregnancy/infant status, income, and residence as part of the process.
- Selection process
Applicants are evaluated against income, pregnancy/infant-age, and zip-code eligibility as new cohorts open; the original 2021-2022 pilot phase additionally randomly assigned eligible applicants to a treatment group (receiving $500 or $1,000/month) or a control group as part of the University of Pennsylvania CGIR randomized controlled trial.
