Can giving cash, no strings attached, help end poverty? In Malawi, they're finding out.

A concept that was popularized by MLK Jr., guaranteed basic income, will be launching in his hometown of Atlanta. Monthly cash payments have proven to be beneficial to recipients in a number of pilot programs across the world. Qualifying recipients have seen increased employment opportunities, better health outcomes, and the ability to avoid predatory debt.

A guaranteed income program is giving people the financial security to invest in themselves, avoid predatory loans, pay off debt, and improve their general quality of life. The lack of conditions on how the monthly cash payments should be utilized gives recipients the freedom to do what they need with the money.

Beneficiaries of a guaranteed income program in Mississippi have received monthly cash payments that they are free to spend however they need to. Known as Magnolia Mothers, the program has allowed mothers to pay off debt, invest in business, avoid predatory loans, and consider educational opportunities that can help increase their income and quality of life.

A guaranteed income pilot program in Stockton increased full-time employment rates among recipients. Cash payments improved mental health and gave participants the stability, bandwidth, and time to apply and interview for jobs.

A pilot project provided residents who made less than the median income in Stockton, California, with monthly cash payments. The extra money helped recipients secure employment, avoid housing instability, handle unexpected expenses that would otherwise derail their budgets, reduce debt, improve mental health, and help friends and family when necessary. A nationwide initiative is expanding the program to other cities as well.

Guaranteed income pilot programs have created a crucial safety net, especially for women of color who have experienced poverty disproportionately after the onset of the pandemic. The once-fringe idea has gained popularity following the federal government’s multiple stimulus checks that the majority of Americans have qualified for.

Universal Basic Income programs around the country have demonstrated the effectiveness of distributing cash to people who are economically struggling. Philadelphia distributed $1.7 million through the Worker Relief Fund in the summer of 2020 when thousands of residents were excluded from federal and state pandemic financial aid and plans are also in motion to provide cash payments to 300 families in need of housing assistance.

Families experiencing poverty have been given $1,000 each month in an effort to address the racial wealth gap through the Magnolia Mother's Trust program. The cash payments yield an increase of recipients who were able to earn their GEDs, cook fresh meals for their families, and meet all their basic needs. The payments began prior to the onset of the pandemic but have proven to be a crucial safety net.

After two seasons, an unconditional cash-transfer pilot project for Indigenous peoples in Peru’s Amazon has resulted in a positive impact on families who, in the past, would turn to unsustainable or illegal forest activities as a response to economic stress and food insecurity. According to the pilot's latest internal assessment, three communities are no longer engaging in illegal forest activities to make ends meet.

Universal Basic Income is gaining popularity across the United States, where 11 cities in 2021 are either extending or piloting new programs that provide cash payments without any conditions on how to spend the money. The success of UBI has been detailed in several other cities, most notably in Stockton, California, under Mayor Michael Tubbs, who has been voted out but has since launched the Mayors for a Guaranteed Income. The coalition of 30 mayors will run experiments by choosing families and individuals facing economic hardship; the ultimate goal being a federal UBI program.