GiveDirectly, a nonprofit organization that allows people to donate money to lower-income households, recently partnered with the Georgia Resilience and Opportunity (GRO) Fund to create a new initiative called “In Her Hands.”
It’s a guaranteed income project that provides Black women in Georgia with monthly payments, no strings attached.
“In Her Hands” will reportedly disburse an average of $850 monthly payments to 650 women in the Peach State for two years, gearing up to launch in Atlanta’s Old 4th Ward in the coming months and eventually expand to Southwest Georgia and other areas in Atlanta.
According to GiveDirectly, there continues to be a disparity between the pay that white men earn in Georgia and what Black women receive, with the latter only earning $0.63 for every dollar that a white man in the state pockets.
“Black women in Georgia also face uniquely high barriers to wealth creation. Many act as primary caretakers and must deprioritize health costs or take on debt to cover their family’s basic needs,” the nonprofit shared, adding, “A black woman often holds much of the financial responsibility of her household in her hands. This program puts funds directly in her hands. And these funds mean her future and her choices are finally in her hands.”
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On the inspiration behind the guaranteed income project, “In Her Hand’s” campaign adds that “principally, the task force and community members were inspired by the work of Magnolia Mother’s Trust run by Springboard to Opportunities, which is the longest-running guaranteed income program in the U.S. and also focuses on Black women.”
The program has received over $10 million in donated funds and officially plans to launch in early 2022. Once up and running, “In Her Hands” also aims to allow their recipients to “spend more on health costs for themselves and their families, pay down debt, and reduce caretaking burdens and trade-offs, which will, in turn, allow them to build income stability and economic security.”
