UpTogether Partner FAQs

In the U.S., there is a broadly held stereotype that people and families experience poverty and financial hardships due to their own failings. This misguided belief animates how the

general public typically perceives people with low incomes, and in turn, shapes the policies and practices of our major institutions which treat these individuals and families with distrust and disrespect. In fact, American society and its institutions are designed to maintain a status quo by providing advantages to higher-income, largely white, communities, typically at the expense of communities with lower incomes which are disproportionately communities of color. Consequently, individuals and families experiencing financial hardships must navigate systems and structures that disadvantage them.

At UpTogether, we seek to change policies, systems, and underlying beliefs so that all people in the United States are seen and invested in for their strengths and are able to build power, reinforce their autonomy, and drive their own economic and social mobility. 

It’s a bold goal that we cannot accomplish without the help of like-minded partners.

From our founding in 2001 as Family Independence Initiative, changing systems has always been a focus of ours. However, we prioritized investing cash in people and families and learning how they work together in community to support each other.

After speaking with our members, partners, staff and board members, we recognized that to have the largest impact, we need to prioritize our systems change work, and made the shift in January 2023. 

Our systems change strategy is threefold. In collaboration with our members, partners, community organizations and other supporters, we:

1. Invest in families and individuals with limited incomes by providing them with cash they can use however they wish, no strings attached
2. Amplify stories to change the narrative and tell the true lived experiences of people facing financial hardship and financially under-resourced communities
3. Rally for state and local policies and practices that support and accelerate socioeconomic mobility

To learn more about our impact, visit our Impact page. 

Access to unrestricted cash increases people’s financial stability and overall well-being. With extra cash, UpTogether members can pay for their basic needs,  save for life’s uncertainties or even provide fun experiences for their families. Administering unrestricted cash with an equity lens accelerates upward economic mobility for communities impacted by systemic barriers which are responsible for economic inequities witnessed today.

Data shows that access to unrestricted cash has a significant impact on people’s lives. For example, recent research reveals the expanded Child Tax Credit significantly reduced the percentage of families who said that their households sometimes or often didn’t have enough food to eat. In Stockton, California a guaranteed income pilot found that recipients of unrestricted cash were healthier and more likely to be employed full-time than nonrecipients.

Members use the money first and foremost on basic needs like groceries, housing and utility bills. Some members also use the money to build their businesses, pay for college courses, boost their savings, or pay for basic home repairs, school supplies, or books for their kids. Other members use the money to give back to their communities.

Because each person’s situation is different, providing cash investments without restrictions allows them to use the money in the manner that is best for them.

A false, deficit-based view of people with limited incomes focuses on what people lack. It blames them for their financial situation without acknowledging the systems and policies that make it difficult for them to get ahead despite their hard work.

Our strength-based approach of community, capital and choice recognizes and honors people’s initiatives, abilities and self-determination.