GiveDirectly sends unconditional cash transfers straight to people living in extreme poverty via mobile phone payments, letting recipients decide for themselves how to spend it. Since 2009 it has delivered more than $1 billion to over 2 million people in DRC, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda and the US. Independent research on its transfers has found lasting improvements in recipients' income, assets and wellbeing.
A fundamentally different approach from most gifts on this list: instead of a charity deciding what a family needs, GiveDirectly lets the recipient decide — worth considering if that philosophy appeals to you more than programme-based aid. It also happens to be one of the more heavily researched approaches in global development, with independent studies finding lasting gains in income and wellbeing well after the cash was spent.
Where the money goes
A one-time cash transfer of roughly $650–950 per adult (about what they live on in a year) via mobile payment, spent as the recipient chooses; about 88% of donations reach recipients directly.
