2025 at GiveDirectly: Aid cuts, new programs, and big moonshots

Two years of Rx Kids: What happens when moms get cash during pregnancy?

Two years into Rx Kids, this episode looks at what changes when families get cash before a child is born and through the first year of life. Host Tyler Hall speaks with Dr. Mona Hanna, pediatrician and founder of Rx Kids, and Emma Kelsey, Program Director leading delivery for Rx Kids at GiveDirectly. They explain how the program works, why it starts in pregnancy, and what early results show: nearly all eligible families enroll, prenatal care increases, and rates of prematurity, low birth weight, and NICU stays decline. They also discuss how families use the money and what this model could mean for other communities. Learn more at www.rxkids.org [https://www.rxkids.org]

Who gets the AI windfall? Discussing wealth sharing, UBI, and ownership

GiveDirectly CEO Nick Allardice and Head of Research Caitlin Tulloch join Anthropic researcher Saffron Huang and Vox's Kelsey Piper to discuss how we might share the vast wealth emerging from AI. They explore what we can do now to ensure AI benefits everyone, not just the wealthy, and dig into the latest evidence on UBI. Special thanks to Asterisk Magazine for hosting this conversation. Full transcript available on their Substack. [https://asteriskmag.substack.com/p/a-conversation-on-ai-and-wealth-distribution]

2025 at GiveDirectly: Aid cuts, new programs, and big moonshots

GiveDirectly CEO Nick Allardice and VP of Product Sarah Moran reflect on what it means to lead through a period of major disruption, from steep USAID cuts to rising global need. They share how GiveDirectly is evolving its cash transfer programs—investing in efficiency, technology, and rapid emergency response—while expanding work in areas like maternal health. The conversation also looks inward, exploring how the organization is navigating growth while staying true to the principles that define its work. To learn more about some of the 2025 highlights they shared, check out GiveDirectly’s 2025 Impact report at GiveDirectly.org/2025report [http://GiveDirectly.org/2025report].

Trump accounts, baby bonds, and more: Reflections on cash for U.S. families

In February, Susan and Michael Dell made headlines for donating $6.25 billion to a new federal initiative creating savings accounts for children, known as Trump Accounts [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/business/dell-children-trump-accounts.html]. It’s one of the largest charitable gifts in U.S. history and a rare example of private funding backing a public cash policy. But will they work? And how do they compare to baby bonuses—cash given directly to parents when a child is born? In this episode of No Strings Attached, GiveDirectly’s U.S. Country Director Dustin Palmer joins policy writer Leah Libresco Sargeant and moderator Jeremy Ney (American Inequality) to unpack what this moment means. They explore: * Why timing matters: cash for moms at birth vs. cash for young adults * What the evidence shows from programs like RxKids [https://www.givedirectly.org/flintstudy2025/] * How to weigh tradeoffs and design choices as cash policy evolves in the U.S. This is a recording of a live panel hosted by American Inequality. Learn more about GiveDirectly's programs giving cash to moms in Michigan: https://www.givedirectly.org/flintstudy2025/ [https://www.givedirectly.org/flintstudy2025/]

Early reflections on giving money to moms & babies

In August, The New York Times ran the headline: A New Way to Reduce Child Deaths: Cash. [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/health/cash-transfer-kenya-poverty.html] The story covered new research from a large randomized study of GiveDirectly’s cash transfer program in Kenya, finding that giving money to families, no strings attached, led to a 48% drop in child deaths. In this episode of No Strings Attached, host Tyler G. Hall speaks with Caitlin Tulloch (Head of Research) and Caroline Teti (Head of Human-Centered Design) about how those findings are reshaping our approach to maternal and infant health. They unpack what the study found and how we’re applying it to our new pilot for pregnant women in Kenya. They also address questions we’ve heard from supporters, like whether giving moms money could unintentionally encourage pregnancy, how the program stacks up on cost-effectiveness, and whether it still aligns with GiveDirectly’s model of unconditional support. Learn more at givedirectly.org/mortality2025 [https://www.givedirectly.org/mortality2025/]