Pilots to Power

If 2022 was the year of 100 pilots, then 2023 is the year these pilots and partners came into their power. Coalitions built on the work of GICP pilots, and leaders have ascended in unprecedented ways, advancing guaranteed income policy for everyone ranging from former foster youth to immigrant workers excluded from unemployment insurance. This work is only beginning, and with the newly created Guaranteed Income Blueprint led by Economic Security Project, we have a guide for our 10-year trajectory to achieve a federal guaranteed income.

Building The Field

What started as 125 people has now morphed into a community of nearly 1,000 by the GICP’s second birthday. Members from 35 states have run 144 pilots, disbursing a monthly guaranteed income to nearly 45,000 families.

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Funders

Academic and Research Orgs

Community Orgs and Pilots

Direct Service and Policy Orgs

Government Officials and Elected Leaders

States + D.C.

State-based coalitions working on GI and Cash Tax Credits

Guaranteed Income Takes Center Stage

Investing in Narrative

Resourcing the Field

In 2023, we celebrated Art Guaranteed, a Chicago showcase of local artist fellows highlighting guaranteed income through mixed media platforms. We also resourced Black Panther comic writer Dr. Eve L. Ewing to launch the GUARANTEED podcast, which looks at how participants in guaranteed income programs use this money to achieve their dreams. Each episode tells the story of a guaranteed income recipient from across the Chicagoland area, exploring how what is made more feasible, accessible, and joyful with this guaranteed cash.

Strategic Messaging and Communications Support

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media muscle building workshops for members

“Sharing Your Story” workshops for GI pilot participants

direct comms support sessions to members

communications strategy worksheets produced

• We developed the Guaranteed Income Blueprint, a guide to achieving a guaranteed income in the next decade. Created with GICP member collaboration, this guide helps coalition members to see their individual organization’s work situated in a broader ecosystem and to facilitate greater coordination to achieve a guaranteed income.
• We launched The Power of Cash Narrative Grants and other narrative investments, supporting projects for guaranteed income pilots targeting formerly incarcerated, the American South, rural artists, young people, and undocumented immigrant populations with $350,000 in narrative grants.
• $475,000 was dedicated to ongoing narrative and messaging research.
• We launched a sample legislation page to help keep up with unprecedented policy progress.
• We published The Power of Cash: How Guaranteed Income Can Strengthen Worker Power.
• We supported the creation of the Benefits Protection Toolkit for Guaranteed Income Pilots: Thriving Providers Project.
• We partnered with immigrant justice organizations on a webinar supporting 150+ organizations on guaranteed income and the public charge rule.
• Our bi-monthly convenings supported 120 member organizations on topics ranging from post-pilot best practices, to community-driven GI legislation to the creation, advancements in the federal government’s support of direct cash.