OverviewGiveDirectly provides a wealth transfer service to the extreme poor in Kenya. We operate an end-to-end model and do not outsource or subcontract work to other organizations.GiveDirectlyGDa 501(c)3 non-profitGiveDirectly TeamGiveDirectly began in Cambridge, MA in 2008 when its founders were completing advanced degrees in economic development at Harvard and MIT. Through their work the founders learned of the explosion of mobile banking in developing countries and realized that this would make it possible to send donations securely and very cheaply to the poor. Because existing non-profits were not taking advantage of the opportunity, they created GiveDirectly as a vehicle for transfering their own money. As a non-profit created by donors, GiveDirectly is focused exclusively on giving to the poorest possible households at the lowest possible cost. Its leaders have no personal financial stake in the success of the organization, as their time is all volunteered.GiveDirectly BoardMichael FayeDirector -- Michael completed a Ph.D. in Economics at Harvard University, specializing in Development and Finance. He has worked with one of India's largest banks in designing consumer finance products and has extensive experience conducting field research in India. Prior to returning to school, Michael worked as a Research Analyst for the United Nations Millennium Project (UNMP), a group headed by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, tasked with preparing a plan for low-income countries to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). He currently works as a management consultant.Raphael GitauDirector -- Raphael is an Agricultural Economist. He holds an M.Sc. in International Development from the National Graduate Institute of Policy Studies Tokyo, Japan and is widely experienced in socio-economic surveys and data analysis. He has over eight years experience working in the East Africa Region in agricultural policy research, analysis, and advocacy.Chris HughesDirector -- Chris is currently publisher and editor-in-chief of The New Republic. He previously co-founded and served as spokesperson for the social networking site Facebook, and served as Director of Online Organizing for the Obama 2008 campaign where he oversaw the development of My.BarackObama.com along with the campaign's overall online presence. He holds a B.A. magna cum laude in History and Literature from Harvard University.Paul NiehausDirector -- Paul is Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of California, San Diego; a Junior Affiliate at the Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development (BREAD); an Affiliate of the Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL); and an Affiliate at the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA). His research examines the design of welfare programs in developing countries, and in particular how to control corruption. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University.Rohit WanchooDirector -- Rohit is a Principal at a private equity firm in New York. He previously worked as a Research Analyst for the United Nations Millennium Project (UNMP), a group headed by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, tasked with preparing a plan for low-income countries to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Prior to his work at the UN, Rohit worked in finance as an investment banker for Lehman Brothers in New York. Rohit holds an MBA from MIT Sloan and an MPA in International Development from the Harvard Kennedy School.GiveDirectly StaffPiali MukhopadhyayChief Operating Officer -- Piali holds a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and a Bachelor's degree from MIT. She has extensive field experience working with non-governmental organizations in India, Nepal, Thailand, Zambia, and South Africa. Most recently, she worked for the Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) managing a large-scale randomized control trial on anti-corruption measures in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India.Erick Ndong'aSenior Field Officer -- Erick is a social worker with experience researching and implementing programs for youth groups, women's groups and children's homes. He holds a diploma in social work and community development from the Technical University of Kenya, as well as a certificate in counseling psychology. He is currently completing a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Nairobi.Michael OtienoSenior Field Officer -- Michael holds a diploma in community health and development from the Institute of Tropical Medicine. He has experience in community services and has done field work with several organizations related to children's issues, safe water and gender-based violence. He is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Public Health and Sanitation from Bondo University.Joy SunDirector of Strategic Initiatives -- Joy joined GiveDirectly from McKinsey & Company where she was an engagement manager in the Silicon Valley office. She previously served as Director of Operations at the Clinton Health Access Initiative (formerly Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative), where she launched several field operations across Africa and helped lead the organization's growth from a start-up into a global institution with 500 staff and volunteers. She holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a B.S. from Georgetown's School of Foreign Service.Lydia TalaSenior Field Officer -- Lydia holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Egerton University. Lydia is GiveDirectly's longest-standing staff member in Kenya and has made important contributions to the growth of its field operations since 2011. She previously worked with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission as Voter Registration Assistant and Support Elections Trainer. She has also done field work for ChildFund International and CARE Kenya.Carolina TothKenya Field Director -- Carolina holds an A.B. in Social Studies from Harvard University, with a focus on African Development. Her multiple award-winning thesis focused on children's homes in Nairobi and UNICEF's cash transfer program for orphans and vulnerable children. She previously worked as a Business Analyst for McKinsey & Company. As Kenya Field Director, Carolina manages teams of up to thirty field officers who help implement GiveDirectly's operational model.Our vision is a world in which direct giving to the poor is (a) a significant share of overall giving, and (b) the benchmark donors use to evaluate giving to organizations. To introduce a radical new way to give: directlyBenchmarksWe seek to set this benchmark on three dimensions.EfficiencyIndustry standard: Spend some money on fundraising and administration, and a high proportion on "program expenses." Program expenses is a vague category that includes the costs of staff salaries, field operations, subcontractors and local partners with their own administrative costs; it does not measure value created for the poor. Our standard: Put at least 90% of every donated dollar in the hands of the poor.TransparencyIndustry standard: Maintain large program portfolios spanning multiple sectors, but report how past donations were allocated across broad categories called "administration", "fundraising", and "program services", which nonprofits are allowed to define however they like. In many cases, subcontract field operations to other organizations. Donors cannot easily infer how exactly their donation will be used. Our standard: Do one, easy-to-understand thing with every donated dollar; do it ourselves without subcontractors; and clearly explain what it costs to do it.RespectIndustry standard: Empower experts to decide what is best for the poor based on an assessment of needs or on personal ideology. Our standard: Empower the poor to set their own priorities.DonationsDonate through a webpage.1DonorsYou donate through our webpage... Your donation moves through a payment-processing service or by check to our bank account. BeneficiariesLocate poor households.2Poor Households in KenyaWe locate poor households in Kenya... We do this in five steps. RegionsSelect regions of Kenya with high poverty rates.2.1Kenya(1) We use census data to select regions of Kenya with high poverty rates. VillagesSelect villages with low-quality housing and access to an M-Pesa agent. 2.2M-Pesa Agents(2) We select villages in these regions with low-quality housing and access to an M-Pesa agent. Poorest HouseholdsIdentify the poorest households.2.3(3) We identify the poorest households in these villages using simple, transparent criteria: households must live in homes made out of mud, wood, and grass. Phone Numbers/SIM CardRecord recipient households' phone numbers or, for those who do not have cell phones, provide them with a SIM card to register. 2.4(4) We record these households' phone numbers or, for those who do not have cell phones, provide them with a SIM card to register. AuditsUse a rigorous process of audits to prevent mistakes or fraud.2.5GiveDirectly Field StaffField staff independently audit 100% of recipients ...GiveDirectly Senior Staff... and senior staff conduct additional audits.(5) We use a rigorous process of audits to prevent mistakes or fraud... To date this process has located exceptionally poor households: our average recipient lives on $0.65 per day, and only 18% of eligible households report having enough food for tomorrow.TransfersTransfer donations electronically to recipients.3SafaricomWe transfer your donation electronically to a recipient's cell phone... We move the money from our US bank to our account with Safaricom's M-Pesa mobile payment system using a foreign exchange broker. We then transfer money from our M-Pesa account to the recipient's M-Pesa account. As a security measure we only transfer funds to a recipient if the name in our records matches the name on the national ID document he or she used to register for M-Pesa. The recipient gets an SMS text message reminding him or her of the transfer and then collects the transfer from a local M-Pesa agent, who is typically a shopkeeper in the recipient's village or in the nearest town. The recipient transfers his or her electronic balance to the agent's phone in return for cash.GoalsRecipients pursue their own goals.4Recipients of DonationsThe recipient uses the transfer to pursue his or her own goals... Recipients use transfers for whatever is most important to them; we never tell them what to do. To date recipients report using transfers for a wide variety of purposes including buying food, investing in their homes, paying school fees, buying livestock, buying land, and buying clothing. 2013-10-03http://www.givedirectly.org/index.phpOwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net