I work at GiveDirectly, a nonprofit delivering cash transfers to people in poverty. We need your creative ideas to solve a problem: how to convince the world of the wisdom of giving money directly. Will you submit to our proverb contest?

The most common critique of giving cash without conditions to people in poverty is a fear of dependency, which comes in the form of: “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.”

Our NGO, GiveDirectly, has tried to disabuse folks of this paternalistic idea by showing that often people in poverty know how to fish but cannot afford the boat. Or they don’t want to fish; they want to sell cassava. Also, we’re not giving fish; we’re giving money, and years after getting it, people were better able to feed themselves. Oh, and even if you do teach them skills, it can be less effective than giving cash.

Yet, despite our efforts, the myth remains. The one thing we haven’t tried: fighting proverb with (better) proverb. That’s where you come in. We’re crowdsourcing ideas that capture the dignity and logic of giving directly.

SUBMIT YOUR DIRECT GIVING PROVERB

The best suggestions are not a slogan, but a saying — simple, concrete, evocative (e.g.). Submit your ideas by this Friday, March 3, and then we'll post the top 3 ideas on Twitter for people to vote on the winner.

The author of the winning adage will win a video call with a GiveDirectly staff member to learn more about our work one-on-one. Not feeling creative? Share with your friends who are.

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