GiveDirectly
Unconditional direct cash transfers to families living in extreme poverty
Our editorial assessment
GiveDirectly represents a radical idea in the charity world: that poor people know what they need better than donors do, and the most efficient thing you can do is simply give them money. The evidence overwhelmingly supports this. Multiple large-scale randomised controlled trials have shown that unconditional cash transfers increase consumption, reduce stress, improve nutrition, boost business investment, and have lasting positive effects — with no increase in spending on alcohol or tobacco. GiveDirectly's radical transparency (GPS coordinates, photos, real-time transfer data) sets a standard that traditional charities rarely match. They serve as both a highly effective charity and a useful benchmark: any programme that claims to help the poor should be able to demonstrate it does more good per dollar than simply giving people cash.
The problem they're solving
Cash transfers challenge the entire premise of traditional development aid. By demonstrating that giving money directly to poor people produces strong, measurable outcomes, GiveDirectly forces every other poverty-focused charity to justify their existence against a simple baseline: are we doing more good than just handing people cash?
About GiveDirectly
GiveDirectly gives unconditional cash directly to people living in extreme poverty. Every dollar is trackable.
Where your dollar goes
How this score was produced
The GiveWise score is our own editorial assessment, produced with a weighted rubric covering program spending, transparency and governance, evidence of impact, cost-effectiveness, and leadership. It draws on publicly available reports from independent evaluators such as GiveWell, Charity Navigator, and CharityWatch, but it is not a rating issued or endorsed by any of those organisations. Read the full methodology →