Immediate Relief, Lasting Impact

Willemijn de Gaay F.

How cash transfers can transform lives over decades.

Savings Groups and Financial Inclusion: What We’re Learning

Ariea Burke

What differences do these groups make, and how do they offer support alongside cash transfers? Our explainer:

What 25 Differing Countries Show Us About Ending Poverty

Sandino Scheidegger

25 countries have halved multidimensional poverty within 15 years. That kind of progress is rare, and it matters.

Why Global Cash Transfers Matter.

Willemijn de Gaay F.

The Swiss newspaper NZZ proposes a radical idea: a global basic income for the world's poorest people. The reasoning is pragmatic and highly compelling.

It’s not that hard. Here are the basics of basic income.

Aurélie Schmiedlin

Last month, Marc and I went on the biggest adventure of our lives – at least so far. We boarded a flight to Monrovia to help set up a new cash transfer program in Liberia, part of Social Income’s effort to reach more people in West Africa who are living in poverty.

UBI Without Borders. Social Income as a Model of Transnational Solidarity in a Fragmenting World

Kerrin Dieckmann

In 2016, Swiss voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to implement an unconditional basic income (UBI) for all. While the idea sparked global conversation, skepticism lingered — especially around one persistent concern: affordability.

Remembering the Ebola Crisis in Sierra Leone. A Story of Resilience

Riccardo Tamburini

When Ebola swept through Sierra Leone, it left behind more than just loss: it tested the strength of an entire nation. We look back at the crisis, the courage of survivors, and how a community rose from tragedy to rebuild, resist stigma, and reclaim hope.

Microcredits Sound Great. So Why Don’t We Offer Them?

Sandino Scheidegger

Microcredits are meant to fight poverty. For the poorest, however, they often create more pressure than opportunity.

1% — Because Doing Something Beats Doing Nothing

Sandino Scheidegger

We know we could do more. We read headlines about hunger, poverty, and deep inequality. We hear staggering numbers—millions living on less than two dollars a day. Even a small contribution from us can meaningfully improve someone’s life. Yet, we pause. Not from lack of caring, but from uncertainty: Where do we start? Will our contribution really matter? Too often, hesitation becomes our way of quieting the guilt of doing nothing.

How to Reduce Income Inequality?

Matthew Roberts

Direct cash transfers can be an effective tool for reducing income inequality because they provide financial support to those who are struggling to make ends meet.

What is Poverty?

Riccardo Tamburini

Poverty is a major global issue that affects billions of people around the world.

Fighting Global Poverty with the Help of Everyday People

Social Income

Social Income lets everyone participate in the fight against global poverty by contributing 1% of their income, which is paid out directly to the phones of people in need. Their approach builds on a reliable, preexisting direct cash donation system, which has proven to be both effective and scalable. The only requirement is a cell phone capable of mobile banking, which makes Sierra Leone—a fast-growing mobile money market—a perfect location.

A Will and a Way to End Poverty

Social Income

The Swiss nonprofit Social Income asks, “What would change if you gave away 1% of your income every month? Not much, right?”

One Percent is Actually Ridiculous

Social Income

The Zurich-based project Social Income provides people in Sierra Leone with an unconditional basic income. Could this be the future of poverty alleviation?