Delivering unconditional cash directly to the world's poorest households via secure mobile transfers. 

Since 2009, GiveDirectly has delivered more than $580 million in unconditional cash transfers to families in need. These one-time cash transfers allow recipients to invest in what they need most and have been shown to improve their earnings, children’s school attendance, health, nutrition, and mental well-being.
 
GiveDirectly uses government data to target villages where most or all residents are living in extreme poverty, defined by the World Bank as earning under $2.15/day. In-country GiveDirectly staff enroll one member of each household in the entire village to receive a one-time transfer of about $1,000 USD sent in two installments using mobile money. Recipients can then withdraw the mobile funds as cash with local agents and use the funds to invest in what they need – whether it’s on starting a business, education, making their home safer/sturdier, healthcare, or livestock.
 
GiveDirectly uses rigorous experimental research (randomized controlled trials) to measure the impact of their unconditional cash programs and answer public policy questions, generating evidence on key design and implementation questions across varied contexts. You can find over 300 studies on the positive impacts of cash transfers in GiveDirectly’s Cash Research Explorer.

GiveDirectly

Provides women living in extreme poverty with a comprehensive set of resources to help them generate sustainable livelihoods.

Bandhan works with some of India's poorest women to provide them with the skills and resources they need to provide for themselves and their families. Their Targetting the Hardcore Poor programme, which provides women with an asset as well as training and mentoring to help them create viable small businesses, has been rigorously evaluated and found to produce meaningful reductions in poverty. 



Bandhan Konnagar

Supports governments across Africa to adapt and scale up an evidence-based approach to improving students’ foundational skills.

TaRL Africa is a program of MIT's Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL).

To make a gift please go directly to: https://giving.mit.edu/form?fundId=3965156

Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) is an evidence-backed educational approach that helps children develop basic reading and mathematics skills, opening doors to a brighter future.  Pioneered by Indian NGO Pratham to target the root of the learning crisis by transforming the structures that lead to it, TaRL works by dividing children (generally in Grades 3 to 5) into groups based on learning needs rather than age or grade; dedicating time to basic skills rather than focusing solely on the curriculum; and regularly assessing student performance, rather than relying only on end-of-year examinations.
Since 2001, J-PAL-affiliated researchers have rigorously tested the theory of change underlying Pratham’s TaRL approach through 6 randomised evaluations in India, as well as a growing body of research in Africa, finding that when TaRL is successfully implemented, learning outcomes improve.

Since 2019 J-PAL, J-PAL Africa, and Pratham have partnered on a long-term effort to bring TaRL to scale in Africa through a new organization, TaRL Africa, working across the continent with particular focus on programs in Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Zambia.  

Donations support teacher training efforts, re-granting to partner organizations in Africa, and continuing assessment of adaptations of TaRL practices and materials to local contexts.

J-PAL is a research and policy center in the Economics department at MIT, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.  J-PAL currently hosts grants and gift funds for TaRL Africa, prior to a planned spin-off into an independent NGO slated for 2022/2023.  

Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL Africa)

Supports low and middle-income countries' governments to adapt, pilot, and scale evidence-informed innovations.

The Innovation in Government Initiative is a program of MIT's Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL).

J-PAL’s Innovation in Government Initiative (IGI) works with governments to adapt, pilot, and scale evidence-informed innovations with the potential to improve the lives of millions of people living in poverty in low- and middle-income countries.

Many governments around the world are eager to use evidence to improve the effectiveness of their social programs and policies, especially when it comes to essential services like education, health, and social assistance. Meanwhile, universities and research organizations are producing and synthesizing evidence from rigorous impact evaluations that can be used to design and improve these programs. However, demand from governments and good research are not enough to change lives. Using evidence to inform change at scale also requires a deep understanding of context and systems, coupled with political will, a policy window, and implementation capacity. Identifying these opportunities and building strong partnerships to apply evidence takes time and resources.

For more than a decade, the J-PAL network and our partners have built long-term partnerships with governments around the world to increase the use of evidence in policy, and adapt and scale programs informed by evidence. Together we work with government partners on their policy priorities, helping to determine whether and how evidence is relevant to their context, supporting them in piloting programs leveraging this evidence, and building systems for data-enabled program delivery and monitoring. We believe supporting governments during this middle phase is critical to bridge the gap between the generation of promising evidence and the effective delivery of evidence-informed programs at scale.

IGI builds on the success of its predecessor initiative, the Government Partnership Initiative (GPI).

Donations fund work with policy makers on the implementation and scale-up of proven interventions of interest to national, sub-national, and municipal governments.

J-PAL is a research and policy center in the Economics department at MIT, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.  J-PAL runs initiatives around the world in various sectors, funding robust research through RCTs and, based on the results over time, policy outreach and scale-up efforts around proven interventions.

Innovation in Government Initiative

Supports highly-impactful, evidence-based solutions to the challenges of global poverty and inequality.

The Global Health & Development Fund addresses the vast inequalities in health, wealth, and opportunity.

While many people alive today can expect to have greater wealth than generations before us, millions of people live in poverty, and billions more struggle to get by. They may lack access to basic healthcare and vaccinations, making them far more vulnerable to deadly diseases, or to quality education, which strengthens their economic future. These are complex, but not unsolvable, problems. Researchers, advocates, and organizations around the world are working to scale up solutions to these problems. By taking a thoughtful, evidence-based approach to philanthropy that accelerates the best of these solutions, we can do immense good.

The Founders Pledge Global Health and Development Fund identifies and supports highly-impactful and neglected development initiatives. By pooling donations and collaborating with other funding and research organizations, this Fund allows individuals to make contributions when and where they will have the largest impact. We aim to:

- Significantly improve the lives of the world's most vulnerable people;
- Eliminate deaths from easily preventable disease;
- Support sustainable, systemic change.

### Our Approach to Grantmaking

When evaluating potential grants, we consider several key points:

- **Counterfactual impact**. Our grants are designed to create a meaningful outcome that would not otherwise have happened. This means that you can rely on the Funds to create meaningful, real change, rather than just maintaining the status quo.
- **Impact-driven philanthropy**. This fund prioritizes the highest-impact solutions to challenges. We assess where the gaps are, which opportunities may be neglected by other funders, and where the biggest wins are in terms of making the biggest difference.
-  **The organization’s funding gap**. Not all organizations are set up to scale up their programming and some may not be able to productively absorb large amounts of unsolicited funding at any given point. We evaluate all potential grantees’ capacity for growth and consider how much money they could put to good use.
-  **Organizational strength**. Particularly with unrestricted funding, it’s important to have trust in the leadership and capacity of the organizations we support. We look at their track record of success and their transparency about failures as well as successes, and we only support those organizations which are exceptionally well run.
- **Time-critical opportunities and funding certainty**. While Founders Pledge members give to our top climate charities regularly, sometimes there are time-critical opportunities which require fast decisions. We will use the Fund to make grants that enable such short-term opportunities and stability for high-impact funding opportunities thereby increasing the impact compared to individual giving to specific organizations.

### Frequently-Asked Questions

**Can charities apply for money from the Fund?**

The Funds do not generally accept applications from charities, and we request that charities do not send unsolicited applications for funding. If the Fund Managers choose to open up an application round, this will be publicized. 

**How frequently will you make grants from the Fund?**

In general, Fund Managers will review grantmaking decisions on a quarterly basis. Decisions will be made based on the value of Funds and the available options for high-impact grantmaking. We may disburse funds outside of quarterly review dates if we become aware of a particularly promising and time-sensitive funding.

**How will my contribution be used?**

All funds are granted out. The Fund is not an investment vehicle. The Fund does not use any percentage of contributions to cover staff time or other overhead costs. Every dollar contributed to the Fund will be used to make grants directly to end-user organizations creating a real difference.

### More Questions?

To learn more about the Founders Pledge Global Health and Development Fund, please visit [founderspledge.com](https://founderspledge.com/funds/global-health-and-development-fund) or email the Fund Managers at [funds@founderspledge.com](mailto:funds@founderspledge.com).

Founders Pledge: Global Health & Development Fund

Founders Pledge is a global nonprofit empowering entrepreneurs to do the most good possible with their charitable giving. 

We equip members with everything needed to maximize their impact, from evidence-led research and advice on the world’s most pressing problems, to comprehensive infrastructure for global grant-making, alongside opportunities to learn and connect. We’re grateful to be funded by our members and other generous donors. 

Founders Pledge

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supporting evidence-based solutions to the challenges of global poverty

Co-founder & CTO @ Every.org. Especially excited by small nonprofits doing big things for underprivileged people and our planet.

We're proud to partner with Founders Pledge to make their amazing research on effective giving through their Global Health and Development and Climate Change Funds accessible to everyone!