To study how guaranteed income paired with culturally relevant social service networks impact socioeconomic mobility for caregivers and their families.

As a result, we aim to advance culturally relevant strategies that shift human services delivery models and demonstrate new ways to address poverty. Through this program, wehighlight the racial and ethnic experience of poverty as a social construct, rather than a character deficit, and will work with the community in real-time to develop solutions that eliminate it. By providing a base of income and a supportive network of community-based resources, we will create an environment for individual self-determination and communal participation, and study those impacts on participant’s socioeconomic health.

To develop this project design, Café X: By Any Beans Necessary hosted several focus groups with Black women residing in affordable housing and assembled an advisory board wholly comprised of Black women. These conversations highlighted the need for a more nuanced view of social service delivery and safety net programs available to the community in San Diego County. During these conversations we discovered evidence that cash alone may not provide long-term solutions to pervasive health problems in the Black community. We developed a hypothesis that social supports that nurture self-determination and self-actualization may play a role in ameliorating racially disparate health outcomes. In other words, cash paired with optional (instead of mandated) services that enhance human dignity and agency may be the most effective combination.

We will provide income of approximately $1,000, over three years, to low-income caregivers in San Diego County. As participants in the program, women will have the option to select from a cultivated network of services to help them advance in four core domains: personal, economic, mental/physical, and social. We deploy a participatory action research model to assess and iterate the supports offered to support the needs of the whole family. We aim to build a culturally competent ecosystem within the community that builds power and equips families to challenge institutional norms and build the local community they wish to see.

The investment is $3.03 M for the guaranteed income and targeted work over three years. This investment could increase to $3,844,800 depending on the number of women who choose to participate in the project.

Our motto is “Deep Work.” We anticipate beginning with 50 women phased into two cohorts who receive this cash sum plus the tailored supports. Supporting this small number of women, with intention, to achieve greater economic and social mobility is the reason we exist. We believe in optimal outcomes over quantity in outreach, demonstrating a more efficient approach to social service. In all, the cost effectiveness will be evident in the anticipated outcomes achieved, especially when compared to existing social safety net spending.

This investment total also includes this includes capacity support to fund staff positions (3), guaranteed income, and program evaluation as major expenses; consulting, sub-grants and workshops hosted by businesses like Cafe X and organizations for the women are additional.

An allocation of $230,000 - $250,000 would help kickstart the capacity-building work by hiring staff to solidify infrastructure. We would like the income payments to begin in Summer 2026, and end in Summer 2029. Motherful will serve as the program’s fiscal agent and provide fundraising support.