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'Give Directly' advocates for cash in the hands of the Poor

It's a time of year that puts many of us in a charitable frame of mind. Give Directly is a new style of charity that aims to give cash to those who need it, no strings attached. Today, we speak to some experts about whether it works ... especially in the long term....
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The Current16:41'Give Directly' advocates for cash in the hands of the Poor - Dec 22, 2014
It's a time of year that puts many of us in a charitable frame of mind. Give Directly is a new style of charity that aims to give cash to those who need it, no strings attached. Today, we speak to some experts about whether it works ... especially in the long term.

'Tis the season once again... for giving, and for receiving many, many appeals from charitable causes. From clean water, to improving the lives of girls, to adopting polar bears. The sheer number of different options for spending your charitable dollar can be overwhelming.

Which perhaps helps to explain the appeal of a new charitable choice that aims to do away with all that choice. The pitch from "Give Directly" is simple. Your charity donation will be given directly to the poor with no conditions attached. It's up to the recipients to figure how best to use the money. And that's it.

The idea has been gaining a lot of attention lately, and attracting donations from big time donors, such as Google.

Michael Faye is the Chairman and co-founder Give Directly. He joined us from New York City.

Chris Blattman has been studying cash transfers as a form of charitable giving. He's a professor at Columbia University's School of International Public Affairs and Political Science. Chris Blattman was also in New York.


What do you think of the idea of giving cash to the world's poorest people with no strings attached?

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This segment was produced by The Current's Sujata Berry.

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