Social Income

What Social Income does

Social Income is a Swiss-registered nonprofit organization founded in 2019 in Zürich that operates an open-source direct cash transfer platform connecting individual donors to recipients in extreme poverty via mobile money. Donors are prompted to contribute 1% of their monthly income on a recurring basis (with suggested tiers of USD 25, 50, 100, or custom amounts), and funds flow unconditionally to identified recipients in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Ghana. Recipients are nominated by local community organizations and selected via a randomization process, with no conditions attached to how the money is used. The organization runs 13 active programs across 3 West African countries, with current scale of 538+ recipients; per-program payouts disclosed include USD 31,308 to 100 cacao farmers, USD 29,359 to 63 Ebola survivors, and USD 3,105 to 43 gender-based violence survivors.

The technical stack centers on an open-source donation portal (hosted on GitHub at socialincome-san/public) connected to mobile money payment rails for last-mile disbursement, paired with an Impact Measurement System that conducts surveys with recipients to track spending categories, employment status, and food security in real time. The platform is supported by a backend operations infrastructure that has been deliberately designed to be replicable — the Founder has stated a goal of turning the infrastructure into "shared infrastructure for anyone who wants to use it." Implementation is asset-light: Social Income partners with approximately 15 local NGOs and community organizations (Rainbo Initiative, Sierra Leone Association of Ebola Survivors, Lizard Earth, Reachout Salone, We Yone Child Foundation, Help a Mother and Newborn Initiative, etc.) to identify recipients and operate programs.

The business model is donation-based, with cumulative inflows of USD 604,889 since March 2020 across monthly recurring and one-time contributions. The organization has no paid equity ownership structure, no external institutional investors, and a 1–10 employee headcount that is supplemented by a volunteer contributor base of at least 15 named individuals handling communications, engineering, finance, research, and country-launch operations. Go-to-market is community-led: content marketing through a research-backed journal and active social channels (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, GitHub), a monthly newsletter, and word-of-mouth referrals among existing donors. Somaha (Somaha-Stiftung) is the branded platform partner providing infrastructure support.

Name

Social Income

Legal name

Social Income

Website

https://socialincome.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Social Income is a Swiss nonprofit that runs an open-source direct cash transfer platform, channeling individual donor contributions via mobile money to people in extreme poverty across Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Ghana, with real-time recipient survey-based impact measurement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Cash Transfer Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Cash & Voucher Assistance (CVA) and Emergency Livelihood Support (BPAGAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rural Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment (BPAGABAA), Financial Inclusion & Consumer Empowerment (Banking Access, Credit Building) (BPAGALAJ), Cash Assistance & Social Safety Net Delivery for Displaced Populations (BPADAHAH)

Keywords

• Direct cash transfers
• Basic income programs
• Poverty alleviation
• Mobile money payments
• Donation platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Social Income generates revenue entirely through donations from individuals who contribute 1% of their monthly income or a fixed amount. The platform facilitates monthly recurring donations as well as one-time contributions, flowing directly to program recipients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Social Income facilitates direct, unconditional cash transfers from individual donors to people in extreme poverty in West Africa. Donors contribute a suggested 1% of their monthly income (with tiers of USD 25, USD 50, USD 100 or custom amounts) via the donation portal, and the funds are disbursed monthly to recipients in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Ghana through mobile money payments to their phones. The organization identifies recipients through local community partner organizations using a randomized selection process, and tracks outcomes through a real-time survey-based impact measurement system.

Product overview

Social Income is a nonprofit organization that operates a direct cash transfer platform enabling donors to contribute 1% of their income, with funds distributed unconditionally via mobile money to recipients in extreme poverty. The organization runs programs in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Ghana, supporting targeted groups including farmers, Ebola survivors, gender-based violence survivors, and others. The core platform is supported by an impact measurement system that collects real-time survey data from recipients, and a donation portal for monthly or one-time contributions. The organization publishes educational content through its journal, covering topics related to poverty, direct cash transfers, and basic income research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Direct Cash Transfer Platform A platform that enables donors to contribute 1% of their income, which is paid out directly via mobile money to people in extreme poverty in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Ghana.
• Impact Measurement System A real-time survey-based system that collects and displays data from program recipients, tracking spending categories, employment status, food security, and other well-being indicators.
• Donation Portal Web-based donation interface allowing donors to set up monthly contributions (1% of income) or one-time donations, with preset amounts ($25, $50, $100) and custom options.

Quantifiable outcome

• Donors have contributed USD 604,889 since March 2020
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Somaha (Somaha-Stiftung)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlatform partner that appears alongside Social Income branding. Somaha-Stiftung supports the organization's mission and platform infrastructure.
• Lizard EarthcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal program partner working with smallholder cacao farmers in Kenema, Sierra Leone. Lizard Earth improves cocoa farming productivity, bean quality, and fair incomes for farmers while promoting climate-resilient farming practices.
• Rainbo InitiativecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSierra Leonean NGO providing comprehensive support to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through support centres across the country. Also active in Liberia and Guinea.
• Sierra Leone Association of Ebola Survivors (SLAES)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOrganization supporting Ebola survivors with access to medical care, psychological support, and advocacy. Partners with Social Income for the Ebola Survivors program.
• Reachout Salone (ROSL)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerYouth-led organization in Sierra Leone focused on advocacy and charitable efforts in coastal communities. Promotes sustainable human development and climate change adaptation with emphasis on youth, especially women and girls.
• We Yone Child FoundationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNGO providing sustainable education and care to underprivileged children while addressing social and environmental challenges that perpetuate poverty in Sierra Leone. Founded in 2009.
• Help a Mother and Newborn Initiative (HMNI)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWomen- and youth-run non-profit in Liberia working to improve reproductive, maternal, and newborn health outcomes through sustainable, evidence-based interventions. Founded 2023, partnered since 2026.
• Spring ACTcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProgram owner for the Gender-Based Violence program in Sierra Leone, working with Rainbo Initiative as local program partner.
• Freetown City CouncilminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal government authority in Sierra Leone responsible for urban governance, public services, and community development across Freetown.
• United Polio Brothers and Sisters (UPBSA)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFounded in 1999 by 12 individuals affected by polio, advocates for housing and training opportunities for disabled and vulnerable people in Sierra Leone.
• Equal Rights AllianceminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNon-profit committed to protecting and promoting human rights, working toward a society free from violence and discrimination in Sierra Leone.
• Jamil and Nyanga Jaward Foundation (JNJF)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFounded in 2017, empowers underprivileged widows and children through education, personal growth, and community support in Sierra Leone.
• Aurora FoundationminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFounded in 2007 in Iceland, fosters impact through cultural and development projects in Sierra Leone, promoting local artistry and sustainable practices through initiatives like Lettie Stuart Pottery and Sweet Salone handcraft shop.
• Réunion FreetownminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPart of the global Réunion network, supports local artists in Freetown, hosts exhibitions, and runs community programs where art meets social change.
• One Village PartnersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWorks alongside rural communities in Sierra Leone to create sustainable, community-led solutions that improve wellbeing, resilience, and opportunity.
• Social Income LR (Liberia)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSocial Income's own country office entity in Liberia, operating the Liberia Unconditional core program.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kiva: A nonprofit crowdfunding platform channeling individual donor funds directly to underbanked recipients, often via mobile money. Comparable business model (small recurring contributions from individuals flowing to named recipients) and financial inclusion focus.
• GiveDirectly: The most direct comparable: a nonprofit operating unconditional direct cash transfers to people in extreme poverty in low-income countries, using mobile money rails. GiveDirectly is the dominant player in the exact category Social Income occupies and is the benchmark for evidence-based cash transfers.
• BRAC Ultra-Poor Initiative: BRAC's 'Graduation' program combines cash transfers with coaching and asset transfers for the extreme poor. Highly comparable as a multi-country, evidence-driven cash-plus program targeting the same end beneficiary as Social Income.

Others

• Tor Project / Open Source Infrastructure Nonprofits: Open-source infrastructure nonprofits are thematically adjacent: Social Income positions its platform as reusable infrastructure for direct cash transfers. Tor is a benchmark example of a nonprofit sustaining critical open-source public-interest infrastructure via donations and contributors.

Broad incumbents

• GiveWell: A major nonprofit evaluator that has historically recommended GiveDirectly as a top charity. Comparable as an influence on donor allocation decisions toward cash transfers, though its primary function is evaluation rather than program delivery.
• GlobalGiving: A large crowdfunding platform for nonprofits operating internationally, including many community-led poverty and development causes. Comparable as a donor-acquisition channel and as an alternative giving destination in the same overall donor market.
• Mercy Corps (Cash Programming): A large international NGO that runs Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) programs in fragile contexts, including in West Africa. Overlaps in delivery mechanism (mobile money cash transfers to extreme-poor recipients) and target geographies.
• Concern Worldwide: An international humanitarian organization running cash and livelihood programs in Sierra Leone and other fragile states. Comparable in geography (Sierra Leone), modality (cash transfers), and beneficiary profile.
• UNICEF Cash Transfers: A leading institutional provider of Cash and Voucher Assistance globally, including in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Comparable in target geography and recipient profile, though operating at vastly larger scale via government and institutional funding.

Emerging players

• myAgro: A nonprofit serving smallholder farmers in West Africa with mobile-money-based savings and input financing. Comparable as a mobile-money-enabled, community-partner-driven model reaching similar extreme-poor farming populations in Sierra Leone.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/socialincome-san/public
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@so_income
• Facebookfacebook.com/socialincome.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/socialincome
• Instagraminstagram.com/so_income
• Xx.com/so_income

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Social Income