GiveDirectly

What GiveDirectly does

GiveDirectly, Inc. is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 and headquartered in New York that operates an end-to-end platform for delivering unconditional cash transfers directly to people living in extreme poverty, bypassing NGO intermediaries. The organization has delivered more than $1B in aid to over 2.1 million recipients across 14+ countries spanning Sub-Saharan Africa (Kenya, Uganda, DRC, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda), the United States, and additional crisis-response geographies, with program suites covering Poverty Relief (Africa and US), Emergency Cash, Moms & Babies, Basic Income, Climate Resilience, and Refugee Programs. Its delivery infrastructure is built around mobile-money rails (M-Pesa, Airtel, Vodacom, and other in-country telcos) supported by locally staffed field offices in Nairobi, Kampala, Goma, Lilongwe, Kigali, and Maputo, augmented by US program operations in Michigan, San Joaquin County CA, and Cleveland OH. The platform includes AI-driven eligibility decisioning, scenario-based explainability for automated decisions, and a pilot of NLP/voice AI chatbots in Rwanda for digital coaching delivery in Kinyarwanda; it also integrates Stripe for online donations, Endaoment for crypto gifts, and Ripple Payments / RLUSD stablecoin for cross-border transfers.

GiveDirectly is funded entirely through charitable donations and grants — no earned revenue — from individual donors (160,000+), major gifts, employer matching, foundations (Canva Foundation, IKEA Foundation, Google.org, Mastercard Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, UBS Optimus, Hilton), and sovereign/multilateral partners (Government of Rwanda, Government of Malawi, Government of Mozambique, Government of Uganda, World Bank, USAID, FCDO, GIZ, Irish Aid). Its GTM is direct-to-consumer digital: a donate.givedirectly.org portal with preset tiers ($25–$5,000 plus custom), one-time or monthly recurring cadence, program-level allocation (Poverty Relief Africa, US, Emergency Cash), and major-gifts outreach. Recent mega-commitments — $100M from Canva Foundation (Oct 2025), a $150M+ five-year Rwanda agreement (2026), and an $11M World Bank/Mozambique program (2026) — have materially scaled the operating base. Program economics are notably efficient for the sector, with 85% of funds delivered to recipients through the flagship program, validated by 300+ external studies on cash transfers and 24 internal academic studies, including a 12-year UBI study in Kenya. Differentiated outcomes cited by GiveDirectly include a 48% reduction in infant mortality in Kenya, a 2.5x local economic multiplier, and sustained recipient income gains 7+ years post-transfer.

Name

GiveDirectly

Legal name

GiveDirectly, Inc.

Website

https://givedirectly.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development & Humanitarian Cash Transfers

NAICS

Social Assistance (624), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Cash & Voucher Assistance (CVA) / Emergency Social Assistance (BPADADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cash & Voucher Assistance (CVA) and Emergency Livelihood Support (BPAGAAAJ), Cash Assistance & Social Safety Net Delivery for Displaced Populations (BPADAHAH), Income Support & Cash Assistance Programs (BPAIAKAE)

Keywords

• Unconditional cash transfers
• Mobile money payments
• Poverty relief programs
• Humanitarian aid delivery
• Maternal infant cash assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations and Grants: GiveDirectly operates exclusively as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, generating revenue entirely from donations and grants from individuals, foundations, governments, and institutional donors. No earned revenue streams are disclosed.
2. Crypto Donations via Endaoment: Cryptocurrency donations are accepted through Endaoment, a third-party platform that processes and transfers crypto funds to GiveDirectly, enabling tax-advantaged crypto giving for donors.
3. Employer Matching: Donors can maximize their impact by submitting matched contributions through employer giving programs, amplifying individual donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

GiveDirectly operates a direct-cash-transfer platform that lets individual donors, foundations, and governments send unconditional cash payments to people living in extreme poverty in Africa and the United States. Funds are delivered directly to recipients via mobile money (M-Pesa, Airtel, Vodacom), checks, or stablecoin rails, supported by in-country field teams rather than subcontractors, with program categories spanning poverty relief, emergency and climate response, maternal/infant support, basic income studies, and refugee livelihoods.

Product overview

GiveDirectly is a nonprofit operating a unified platform for unconditional cash transfers to people living in extreme poverty. The core offering consists of multiple program types—Poverty Relief (Africa and U.S.), Emergency Cash, Moms & Babies, Basic Income, Climate Resilience, and Refugee Programs—all delivered through a single technology platform that uses mobile money and digital payment systems (including M-Pesa, Stripe, Ripple Payments, and crypto via Endaoment) to transfer funds directly to recipients. The platform includes automated eligibility determination using AI-driven decision logic and is exploring AI chatbots for digital coaching accompaniment. Key differentiators include high program efficiency (85% of funds delivered to recipients), rigorous RCT-backed evidence base, and operations across 14+ countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Poverty Relief - Africa Unconditional cash transfer program delivering funds directly to individuals and families living in extreme poverty across DRC, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, and Uganda. Recipients choose how to use funds, delivered via mobile money networks (M-Pesa, Airtel, Vodacom) with support from in-country staff rather than subcontractors.
• Poverty Relief - U.S. Cash transfer program delivering funds to low-income Americans experiencing poverty, including the Rx Kids maternal and infant cash assistance program in Michigan, emergency SNAP bridging payments, and operations in San Joaquin County CA and Cleveland OH. Recipients exercise autonomy over how funds are used.
• Emergency Cash Rapid cash assistance to survivors of international crises and climate disasters, including cyclones, floods, droughts, and conflict-driven displacement. Includes anticipatory action programs that deliver cash before disasters strike and emergency SNAP bridging for U.S. households during benefit delays.
• Moms & Babies Maternal and infant cash assistance program providing financial support to expectant mothers and families during the prenatal and infant period. Includes the Rx Kids program in Michigan ($1,500 during pregnancy and $500/month for six months after birth) and African programs where $1,000 transfers cut infant deaths by 48%.
• Basic Income Programs Long-term and short-term universal basic income pilots including the world's largest and longest 12-year UBI study in Kenya, comparing impacts of different transfer structures (lump sum vs. monthly, large vs. small, long vs. short duration) on recipient outcomes.
• Climate Resilience Programs Cash transfers designed to help communities prepare for and recover from climate disasters, including anticipatory action programs that deliver funds before disasters strike and partnerships with INAS, INGD, and INCM in Mozambique for climate resilience.
• Refugee Programs Cash assistance programs specifically designed for refugee populations, supporting self-reliance and economic integration in Kenya, Uganda, and DRC, including refugees from Somalia, South Sudan, and DRC, in partnership with UNHCR.
• Crypto Donation Channel Cryptocurrency donation option allowing donors to contribute Bitcoin and other digital assets through the Endaoment platform, which securely processes and transfers crypto funds to GiveDirectly for tax-advantaged crypto giving.

Quantifiable outcome

• 48% reduction in infant deaths and 45% reduction in deaths of children under 5 with $1,000 unconditional cash transfers in Kenya
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Government of RwandaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive-year partnership worth over $150 million aimed at reducing poverty by 25% in five of Rwanda's most vulnerable districts, aligned with Rwanda's Second National Strategy for Transformation (NST2). Programs test pairing cash transfers with digital coaching.
• Government of MalawiflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGiveDirectly partnered with the Government of Malawi to run cash transfer programs targeted for poverty reduction and improved food security, education, and farming, integrated with the country's MW2063 Agenda.
• Government of UgandacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGiveDirectly has worked with multiple branches of the Ugandan government including the Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Emergency Relief, Disasters and Refugees, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Ministry of Education and Sports, and Ministry of Local Government.
• Government of MozambiquecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Government of Mozambique through INAS, INGD, INCM, and other agencies for social protection, climate resilience, and poverty reduction programs.
• AidKitcoreTechnology or IntegrationAidKit provides public sector SaaS infrastructure for aid delivery. GiveDirectly and other organizations used AidKit's platform to rapidly deploy emergency assistance, including $24M to wildfire survivors and $6M to Flint mothers through the Rx Kids program. AidKit has delivered over $420M in aid through 240+ government and nonprofit partners in 27 states.
• PropelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPropel seeded a $1 million emergency fund with GiveDirectly to distribute $50 emergency cash payments to families experiencing SNAP delays during the 2025 government shutdown, notifying eligible households through the Propel app and delivering funds via GiveCard.
• UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver cash transfers to refugee populations in Uganda and Kenya, supporting refugee self-reliance and livelihood programs.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for maternal and infant cash programs and broader child welfare and social protection initiatives across operating countries.
• UN WFP (World Food Programme)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for food security and climate resilience programming in Uganda.
• Save the ChildrencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in Malawi for child-focused cash programs and humanitarian response.
• Médecins Sans FrontièresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian medical organization partnership in Malawi for health and nutrition-focused cash programming.
• Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Kampala Capital City Authority for urban cash transfer programs in Uganda.
• VodacomcoreTechnology or IntegrationMobile network operator partner in Mozambique providing mobile money infrastructure for cash transfer delivery to recipients.
• Kenya Ministry of Labour and Social ProtectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry partnership for cash transfer programs in Kenya, including the world's largest and longest basic income study.
• IPA (Innovations for Poverty Action)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner for randomized controlled trials and impact evaluations of cash transfer programs in Kenya.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Mercy Corps: Large international humanitarian and development NGO operating cash, voucher, and in-kind aid programs across dozens of countries. Comparable in mission and scale to GiveDirectly, but uses a multi-modality aid model rather than exclusively unconditional cash transfers.
• Save the Children: Major global NGO delivering child-focused humanitarian and development programs including cash transfers, health, and education. Both organizations operate cash transfer programs in overlapping geographies (e.g., Malawi) and compete for institutional donor funding.
• Oxfam America: Large international development and humanitarian organization delivering poverty relief across Africa, the Americas, and Asia. Oxfam runs cash and voucher assistance programs comparable to GiveDirectly's, though within a broader portfolio of programmatic interventions.
• CARE: Major humanitarian organization operating cash transfer, food security, and women's economic empowerment programs globally. CARE's Village Savings and Loan Associations and cash programming overlap with GiveDirectly's poverty relief model in multiple African countries.
• Concern Worldwide: International humanitarian organization specializing in extreme poverty relief across Africa and Asia, including cash transfer programming. Operates with a similar evidence-driven, GiveWell-recommended profile and competes for the same institutional donor pool.
• American Red Cross: Large-scale US-headquartered humanitarian organization delivering disaster relief including cash assistance to disaster-affected households. Comparable scale and US-domestic cash assistance overlap, though it operates a much broader portfolio of services beyond cash.
• World Vision: One of the largest international humanitarian NGOs, operating child sponsorship and community development programs across Africa including cash transfer components. Comparable scale and geographic footprint but differentiated by a sponsorship-based, multi-sector model rather than direct cash.
• Catholic Relief Services: Major US-based international humanitarian agency operating cash transfer, food security, and resilience programs across Africa and Latin America. Comparable donor base and government-partnership profile, though with a broader faith-based programmatic portfolio.

Direct peers

• Direct Relief: Highly-rated humanitarian aid organization focused on health and emergency response with a similarly efficient, low-overhead operating model. Comparable in donor-trust profile (top Charity Navigator ratings) and direct-delivery philosophy, though Direct Relief focuses on medical supply distribution rather than cash.

Emerging players

• Action Against Hunger: International humanitarian organization focused on hunger and malnutrition that operates cash transfer and voucher programs across Sub-Saharan Africa. Comparable mission and delivery geography, with growing adoption of cash-based responses in line with the broader sector shift GiveDirectly is leading.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GiveDirectly
• Facebookfacebook.com/givedirectly
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/5023629
• Instagraminstagram.com/givedirectly
• TikToktiktok.com/@givedirectly

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GiveDirectly