Journal
Stories, insights and updates on our journey to create impact.
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Wallets Without Walls
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Aurélie SchmiedlinThe world’s largest cash transfer system isn’t run by governments or NGOs — but by diaspora communities sending money home. And it already reaches hundreds of millions of people.
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The Case for a Universal Basic Income in the Era of A.I. When machines do more of the work, the question of who shares in the wealth becomes a moral one.
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Riccardo TamburiniWhen machines do more of the work, the question of who shares in the wealth becomes a moral one.
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How We Select Our Partner Organizations
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Social IncomeOur partner organizations are key to lifting people out of extreme poverty. The right partnerships ensure impact and integrity. Here’s how we make great partnerships happen.
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The Algebra of Happiness Why Contribution Makes Us Happier Than Consumption
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Kabelo RuffoResearch shows happiness depends less on what we receive and more on how we contribute. Is the real shortage in life not wealth but rather opportunities to give back to our community?
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What We Are Doing to Minimise Harm
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Marc WernerEvery organization should question their practices. So do we. The Do No Harm approach reminds us that it's not whether we create an impact, but rather of what kind.
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We Built a Tool. Now Anyone Can Use It
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Sandino ScheideggerWe started with spreadsheets and a belief that cash works. Five years later, we're turning what we built into shared infrastructure — for anyone who wants to use it.
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Recommended Reading
Social IncomeA suggested reading list to provide a foundational understanding on topics such as Social Income, Basic Income, financial aid, and poverty
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Beyond Happiness: UBI and the Question of Agency If happiness can be measured, can freedom?
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Population Decline: Is the Solution to Pay Parents More?
Sandino ScheideggerThe negatives of population decline are well documented. So is the proposed fix: Pay parents more to boost birth rates. Straightforward on paper, far less convincing in practice.
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"Dad, Why Are Some Countries Poor And Others Rich?"
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Sandro StübiA child’s simplistic question. A complicated father. And a lot of research. Thinking about history, institutions, geography, and ideas.
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Africa Through the Lens of Geography
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Jessica FreemanTim Marshall’s Prisoners of Geography portrays geography as profoundly dictating the range of options available to a nation.
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Immediate Relief, Lasting Impact
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Willemijn de Gaay F.How cash transfers can transform lives over decades.
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Savings Groups and Financial Inclusion: What We’re Learning
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Ariea BurkeWhat differences do these groups make, and how do they offer support alongside cash transfers? Our explainer:
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Living Without an ID: Why It Happens
Sandino ScheideggerWhy is something so basic as an ID still out of reach for so many? And how do we make sure identification rules don’t end up excluding the very people they’re supposed to support?
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What 25 Differing Countries Show Us About Ending Poverty
Sandino Scheidegger25 countries have halved multidimensional poverty within 15 years. That kind of progress is rare, and it matters.
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How Country Offices Work
Sandino ScheideggerWe keep the core structure of Social Income country offices the same everywhere we operate. This consistency ensures our work is transparent, reliable, and trustworthy.
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We Wouldn’t Exist Without Support From the Arts. It’s that Simple.
Sandino ScheideggerSocial Income did not begin as an art project, but it did begin within the arts. Our first recipients were young struggling artists in Sierra Leone who faced financial pressure.
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Why U.S. Aid Cuts May Mark a Turning Point for Global Development
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Matthew RobertsThe collapse of USAid has shaken the aid world. It also raises an uncomfortable question: Is it time to trust local people?
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Where Do We Expand Next?
Sandino ScheideggerWe’re often asked why we aren’t active in more countries yet. The answer is multilayered, and it begins with one person taking the first step.
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Why Localization Is the Future of Fighting Poverty
Riccardo TamburiniIn international development, one word is rapidly changing how NGOs work: Localization.
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Onboarding as an SI Volunteer
Social IncomeAll beginnings involve some admin. It’s not the most exciting part, but it lays the foundation for good practice, data protection, and smooth collaboration. Let’s get it done.
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Traveling to Guinea
Willemijn de Gaay F.Have you ever visited Guinea? If not, it definitely belongs on your list. Whether you fly in or take the overland route, you’re met with a journey full of contrast and character.
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Traveling to Sierra Leone
Social IncomeYes, you should visit Sierra Leone. That’s the simple answer if you’re asking yourself whether it's worth the trip. It’s the kind of experience that stays with you.
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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.
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It’s not that hard. Here are the basics of basic income.
Aurélie SchmiedlinCash doesn't transfer itself. Last month, Marc and I flew to Monrovia to find out what it actually takes to get money to people who need it.
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Tech for Good: Why Open Source Matters in the Fight for Equality
Riccardo TamburiniWhat happens when financial justice meets open source technology? Learn how Social Income is using transparent, collaborative tools to build a fairer world.
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Why People Leave . And How Cash Lets Them Stay
Sandino ScheideggerThe climate migration story we keep telling ourselves may be wrong. A researcher at ETH Zurich has the data to prove it
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UBI Without Borders. Social Income as a Model of Transnational Solidarity in a Fragmenting World
Kerrin DieckmannIn 2016, Swiss voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to implement an unconditional basic income (UBI) for all.
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Remembering the Ebola Crisis in Sierra Leone. A Story of Resilience
Riccardo TamburiniWhen Ebola swept through Sierra Leone, it left behind more than just loss: it tested the strength of an entire nation
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Microcredits Sound Great So Why Don’t We Offer Them?
Sandino ScheideggerMicrocredits are meant to fight poverty. For the poorest, however, they often create more pressure than opportunity.
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From Clicks to Change: The Real Power of Influencers in Ending Poverty
Riccardo TamburiniIn a world where one Instagram Story can reach thousands and a single TikTok can go viral overnight, influencers hold a kind of digital megaphone that brands use to pay millions for.
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Chocolate, Filmmaking & Basic Income My Journey with Social Income to Fight Inequality
Riccardo TamburiniIt started with a Wikipedia page that vanished as quickly as I found it. That moment led me to Social Income. Four years later, I share how it shaped my journey.
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1% — Because Doing Something Beats Doing Nothing
Sandino ScheideggerWe 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.
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How to Reduce Income Inequality?
Matthew RobertsDirect 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.
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What is Poverty?
Riccardo TamburiniPoverty is a major global issue that affects billions of people around the world.
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Fighting Global Poverty with the Help of Everyday People
Social IncomeSocial 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.
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World Poverty Statistics 2024
Social IncomeFacing the harsh reality of extreme poverty, over 700 million individuals globally survive on under $1.90 per day, a crisis that disproportionately affects children. The goal to eradicate this by 2030 underlines the vital global effort of Sustainable Development Goal 1.
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A Will and a Way to End Poverty
Social IncomeThe Swiss nonprofit Social Income asks, “What would change if you gave away 1% of your income every month? Not much, right?”
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One Percent is Actually Ridiculous
Social IncomeThe Zurich-based project Social Income provides people in Sierra Leone with an unconditional basic income. Could this be the future of poverty alleviation?
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