About the Madison Forward Fund
The Madison Forward Fund was a year-long guaranteed income experimental program for Madison residents that launched in 2022. The guaranteed income provided a monthly, cash payment of $500 given directly to 155 households for 12 months to spend however they need. The program was founded upon the beliefs that people experiencing financial scarcity are best positioned to make informed financial decisions that efficiently address their households’ needs, and that everyone in Madison deserves financial security so their families can truly thrive. The purpose of the program was to support financial stability for our most vulnerable residents, while also contributing data on the effectiveness of guaranteed income programs, helping to inform social policy in Madison and beyond. The program was evaluated by researchers at University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Guaranteed Income Research and UW-Madison’s Institute for Research on Poverty.
What is Guaranteed Income?
Guaranteed income is a monthly cash payment given directly to families. Emerging research suggests that when we give unrestricted cash aid directly to parents, we support their ability to take care of their families. Instead of worrying about how to budget limited resources, families can rely on a stable source of income and focus on meeting their goals to thrive. Guaranteed income offers autonomy and self-determination, and recognizes that a one-size-fits-all approach is antiquated and rooted in distrust. It also offers a model to reimagine economic and social systems that can create cycles of prosperity and lift all communities.
Why a Guaranteed Income Program in Madison?
Eighteen percent of people in the city of Madison—almost one in five residents—live in poverty. The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated economic hardship for many of us, especially Madisonians of color, immigrants, single parents, and service workers who are chronically underpaid despite their essential work during the pandemic.
Guaranteed income programs hold promise to supplement our community’s existing supports by improving the financial security of households who have been struggling. Emerging studies indicate that families use guaranteed income to meet their family’s basic needs—like food, transportation, utilities and rent. Guaranteed income is meant to supplement, rather than replace, the existing social safety net and can build on local supports that allow families to thrive for generations.
The Madison Forward Fund is part of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income: a national organization that advocates for a national guaranteed income program. One of our goals is to gather information about the impacts of monthly cash payments on families. The Madison Forward Fund is designed to track impacts on the selected families so we can draw more robust conclusions. In collaboration with studies from over 50 other guaranteed income pilots across the United States, the findings from this study will be used to inform current policies, guide future programs, provide a proof of concept for a national guaranteed income program, and aid in the modernization of our social safety net.
It’s more than a guaranteed income: It’s a Research Imperative
While guaranteed income pilot programs are popping up across the country, these programs are relatively new. Researchers are still trying to understand how effective guaranteed income programs are in lifting people out of poverty. The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Institute for Research on Poverty is partnering with the Center for Guaranteed Income Research at the University of Pennsylvania to gather valuable survey data throughout the program. The information collected will be used to reform current policies, guide future programs, advocate for a national guaranteed income program, and aid in the expansion of our social safety net.
While you are not required to participate in the research study to receive a monthly cash payment, your participation will support our goal of:
- Better understanding the benefits of guaranteed income
- Advocating for effective financial supports for low-income families
- Driving evidence-based social policy in Madison and beyond
- Building local supports that allow families to thrive for generations
Participating in the research study is easy – you will be asked to respond to survey questions three times (6 months apart) and will be compensated for your time.
For more information contact:
Blake Roberts Crall, MFF Program Manager
broberts23@wisc.edu or 608-515-8047