Warren County to benefit from GiveDirectly

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — GiveDirectly is working with the Vicksburg Warren Youth Development Center, Vicksburg Warren School District, the Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library, Drive to Thrive Mentoring and many other local partners to bring the Rural Income for Self Empowerment guaranteed minimum income (RISE GMI) program to Warren County, Miss., to support low income households. RISE GMI is a program run in partnership with philanthropists Jeff Atwood and Elizabeth Burton.

RISE GMI will support around 550 Warren County households with $1,500 no-strings-attached monthly guaranteed minimum income for 16 months. The program is also open to residents of Mercer County, West Virginia and Beaufort County, North Carolina.

The RISE GMI application for Warren County will be open December 1 through December 19 of 2025. Interested residents can review more information and apply at https://rise.aidkit.org/o/home. Eligible applicants will be selected using an equal opportunity random selection process.

You are eligible to apply for RISE GMI if you:

• Are 18 years or older
• Reside in Warren County, Mississippi
• Have a household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level (see Table 1below)Guaranteed minimum income (GMI) is a tool to reduce poverty, build economic resilience and support opportunities such as entrepreneurship.

Across the United States, rural communities face unique economic hardships due to declining populations, weakened industrial sectors, and reduced access to essential services, especially for older adults and other vulnerable populations. GiveDirectly is leveraging their expertise in cash transfers to test how a GMI program can transform individual households and improve local economies in rural areas of the United States.

“Today…more and more people find their path to the American Dream blocked,” said entrepreneur and philanthropist Jeff Atwood. “When Americans face unaffordable education, lack of accessible healthcare, or lack affordable housing, they aren’t just disadvantaged – they’re trapped…Our proposal to ensure access to the American Dream.”

“GiveDirectly is guaranteed minimum income. GMI is a simpler, more practical, more scalable plan to directly address the root of economic insecurity with minimum bureaucracy.” said Jeff Atwood.

“The Vicksburg Warren School District is proud to support the RISE Guaranteed Minimum Income initiative as it represents a meaningful investment in our families and our future. When households experience greater financial stability, our students come to school better prepared to learn, grow, and succeed. This partnership reflects our belief that strong schools create strong communities—‘One District. One Community. Growing Together.’” said Dr. Cedric D. Magee, Deputy Superintendent, Vicksburg Warren School District.

“The Youth Development Center (YDC) is honored to serve as a community partner for RISE GMI in Warren County,” said Dr. Susie Calbert, Vicksburg Warren County Youth Development Center Executive Director. “Our team will assist residents with completing applications and ensure that families who can benefit most are aware of this life-changing opportunity.”

GiveDirectly is collaborating with OpenResearch, an independent research nonprofit, to partner with RISE GMI recipients and communities in studying how the program is experienced. The goal is to better understand what helps build lasting economic stability and opportunity in rural communities. RISE GMI is a flexible program that leverages local partnerships and research conducted in collaboration with recipients and communities to learn together what supports stability and opportunity in rural areas. RISE GMI is starting in three sites, but designed for rural communities nationwide, with the goal to adapt and meet the needs of rural counties in all 50 states.