finsmart-news_admin 
A new guaranteed income program will hand out millions of dollars in cash directly to Americans with no spending strings attached.
The program, which is launching in West Virginia’s Mercer County, will deliver $1,500 monthly to 560 selected households for 16 months – distributing a total of $13.44 million.
The Rural Income for Self Empowerment (RISE) initiative will be administered by the nonprofit GiveDirectly.
It’s funded by Silicon Valley tech founder Jeff Atwood, who is the co-creator of Stack Overflow.
The program is designed to honor family roots while testing the power that cash transfers have to unlock opportunity.
To be eligible, residents in Mercer County must age 18 or older, with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, which is about $31,200 for one person.
The application window will close on October 31st, and recipients will be randomly chosen.
Organizers hope to identify ripple effects from the program, including better child health, school attendance and community vitality.
