UpTogether

“These other programs reinforce your situation, but UpTogether lets us keep our dignity and our pride,” Ingrid Sullivan said.

Ingrid participated in our San Antonio fund. Her story shows the power of trusting and investing in families. Thank you to H. E. Butt Foundation for partnering with us and sharing Ingrid's inspiring journey.

It Pays to Trust Families: Escaping the Cycle of Living Month-to-Month - San Antonio UpTogether’s unique cash and community approach aims to stabilize families for good.

“It was a big relief because I have received funds that I can only use for a certain thing. Which, I’m not complaining about, but there are other things that are necessary besides food,” Gretchen said.

The direct cash investment that she received went towards inspections, closing costs, insurance, turning on utilities, and initial payments.

Now, Gretchen’s home is always filled with family. She says you can find at least two grandchildren playing and enjoying the home no matter the day.

“They like it better here because they can go in the fenced in backyard,” said Gretchen, before proudly sharing how she really brings the family together.

From Apartment to House: Gretchen’s Journey to Homeownership & Family Joy The direct cash investment that she received through the UpTogether Austin Homeownership Fund went towards inspections, closing costs, insurance, turning on utilities, and initial payments.

"Some findings were strong enough to be considered statistically significant. That includes data showing those who received money were more likely to have had $500 or more saved at the end of the payment period, compared to the other group. They were also less likely to have been evicted during the last half of the payment period than the others."

Great to see these results from a guaranteed income pilot in Louisville!

Check out the full article:

Report finds guaranteed income helped Louisvillians save money and avoid evictions For a year, some young adults in three Louisville neighborhoods received $500 a month with no strings attached. A new report shows how it affected them.

The city of Salem is taking bold steps to address poverty with a new guaranteed income program! The city announced that it is launching a pilot program, which will give $500 a month over the next year to 100 residents.

"The big boost of federal money made a difference and allowed municipalities and often philanthropic partners to work together to try this," said Jessica Ridge, Partnership Director.

Click here to read the full article: https://hubs.la/Q02VqbPw0

What would you do with an extra $500 per month?

For Terran, the monthly cash investments allowed him to move out to better living arrangements, pay rent, and even navigate several challenges in employment.

Visit The Pulse to read Terran's story: https://hubs.la/Q02SP3Dt0

From the impact on individual lives to the systems change work for which it provides an important basis of evidence, UpTogether CEO Jesús Gerena shares the potential of direct cash transfers with Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP)'s Phil Buchanan and Grace Nicolette in the latest episode of the Giving Done Right podcast.

Tune in on your favorite podcast platform or click here to listen now: https://hubs.la/Q02TPwVd0

Honoring Indigenous Peoples' Day.

Terran’s journey through foster care began at the age of two when his mother was murdered.

He often characterizes his journey through the foster care system as repeated heartbreak. However, there was one particular family he fondly remembers as the fuel to his music career. After going through 4-5 homes he referred to as 'uncomfortable situations', he was placed with a family that greeted him with the love of music and encouraged him to sing.

While his goals for music and life are in a better place than his journey began, he’d be the first to tell you that life remains a challenge.

Visit The Pulse to read Terran's full story: https://hubs.la/Q02SP1dd0

Nearly a decade ago, Santos and her young son traveled 3,000 miles away from their homeland of Guatemala to make Oakland their hometown. At the time, she spoke few words in English, and her Spanish was limited, too.

Currently, Santos is engaged and a mother of two with a now 16-year-old son and a new one-year-old daughter. She makes sure the Guatemalan culture is alive in her children—sharing expertise with them like how to preserve herbs.

As a participant in the Oakland Resilient Families Guaranteed Income Pilot, Santos received a monthly cash investment for 18 months and was able to use it however she wished—no strings attached.

Visit The Pulse to read Santos' full story: https://hubs.la/Q02SCY2s0

Many UpTogether members use cash payments to upskill and get better jobs.

Read Taniquewa's story:

The basic income myth: cash discourages work Guaranteed basic income critics often argue cash discourages work. Experts and participants say that's a myth.

“I thank God for what I get from disability, but it’s not enough to survive off of or purchase a house,” Gretchen said.

She says being able to choose how she wanted to spend her cash investment made a real difference.

“It was a big relief because I have received funds that I can only use for a certain thing. Which, I’m not complaining about, but there are other things that are necessary besides food,” she said.

From Apartment to House: Gretchen’s Journey to Homeownership & Family Joy The direct cash investment that she received through the UpTogether Austin Homeownership Fund went towards inspections, closing costs, insurance, turning on utilities, and initial payments.

Read UpTogether CEO Jesús Gerena's full letter to the editor in the Washington Post: https://hubs.la/Q02Q3Zy40

"Take the case of a 38-year-old mom who recently completed Austin’s guaranteed income pilot—an experiment spearheaded by UpTogether and 10 community-based partners to examine how receiving $1,000 per month for one year would impact 135 households from Austin’s highest-poverty neighborhoods.

The money she received helped her train to be a leasing agent and public notary. Additionally, she was able to spend more time and money on her children, including facilitating a transfer to a better school for her daughter with special needs.

Today, this mom has increased her income by twice the amount she gained under the pilot."

Despite backlash, guaranteed income pilot programs are lifting up Texas families Research documents success but Texas seeks to cut off public funding for these programs

UpTogether CEO Jesús Gerena's letter to the editor was published in the Washington Post.

Read it here: https://hubs.la/Q02Q3XFh0

UpTogether CEO Jesús Gerena weighs in on the importance of an expanded Child Tax Credit.

"I have been heartened to see Child Tax Credit proposals take center stage in the presidential campaign," he said.

"This is about our values as a country, and we should move quickly to meaningfully impact the lives of children. There is great urgency to pass an expanded Child Tax Credit, providing immediate economic relief for millions of American families. It’s my hope that the next president pledges to take action on moving an expanded child tax credit proposal through Congress within the first 100 days of their new administration."

Visit The Blog to read the full statement:

Expanding Child Tax Credit a Must for Next President The expanded Child Tax Credit enacted during the pandemic proved that direct, recurring cash initiatives are meaningful financial lifelines for families facing financial hardship.

"I’ve seen what cash can do for people experiencing financial hardship—and I also know what it can’t do.

Yes, the data showed participants worked slightly fewer hours, spent more time on leisure, and earned less money. However, the conclusions reporters and researchers have drawn from these findings are rooted in painful stereotypes about people experiencing poverty, such as depicting them as lazy and blaming them for their own financial circumstances," UpTogether CEO Jesús Gerena.

Click here to read the full op-ed in Fortune: https://hubs.la/Q02PfV5L0

It’s nearly impossible not to not feel the squeeze the current economy has on our finances, and Tiffany's experience is no different. She’s dedicated to ensuring her children have the best opportunities. The memory of her late husband inspires her to create a life that he would be proud of for their family.

The Oakland, California educator works multiple jobs to maintain a sense of normalcy for her five children. But sometimes, she finds the financial gymnastics of sacrificing basic needs in order to pay for other basic needs, exhausting.

Watch Tiffany's story to see why the UpTogether Approach of investing directly into a person’s strength and trusting them to be the expert in their own life, works: https://hubs.la/Q02PfVW40

Check out UpTogether CEO Jesús Gerena's op-ed countering negative takes on a widely-covered guaranteed income study: https://hubs.la/Q02NRl6b0

UpTogether CEO Jesús Gerena counters negative takes on a widely-covered guaranteed income study. Direct cash is a powerful tool to address poverty, but it is not a silver bullet.

"If you believe people who have limited financial resources should pull themselves up by the bootstraps by working multiple, exploitative jobs, denying themselves leisure time, and spending less time with their families, the results would indeed be disappointing.

However, if you believe people experiencing financial hardship deserve dignity and autonomy, the results prove that guaranteed income is a powerful tool," Gerena said.

How a Sam Altman-backed study into guaranteed income was widely misinterpreted The takeaway for many reporters and pundits from OpenResearch’s Unconditional Cash Study was that guaranteed income makes people “less productive.”

Happy Labor Day!

“I just had a sigh of relief knowing that that was something that I could count on and be mindful of my spending it. But it let me have that freedom to spend it where I need to, as opposed to I can only spend it on this,” she said.

She feels connected to the UpTogether Approach of investing directly in an individual’s strengths and trusting them to be the expert in their own life.

Visit our YouTube channel to watch Susana's story: https://hubs.la/Q02Ngw0k0

We're pleased to see both presidential candidates discuss expanding the Child Tax Credit. We know this works to lift children out of poverty and will be watching the discussion closely.

Here’s why everyone’s talking about the child tax credit | CNN Politics With each party trying to one-up the other on its family friendliness, the popular child tax credit has become a major point of rivalry in this year’s presidential election.