Give a monthly cash transfer

"Cash transfers" refers to cash and voucher assistance (CVA): providing cash transfers and/or vouchers to people in crisis. Cash transfers are different to other forms of assistance, such as providing services or giving people blankets, food or other items, because they enable people to buy what they need in the moment. They can also be sent quickly and with fewer overhead costs, making them an efficient form of aid.

Cash transfers can take many different forms, including electronic cash, e-vouchers, or mobile money transfers. When deciding which transfer mechanism to use, there are lots of different elements for programme teams to consider. For instance, in the design phase, programme teams need to consider the form of money transfers the affected population prefer to use, the availability of that transfer mechanism, and the contracts that need to be arranged with any businesses or providers. An example would be with electronic cash via mobile phone transfers or online banking means that spending can be tracked almost in real time, but in places where cash points are limited, they might not be the most appropriate way of supporting someone.

It all depends on the local context, what people need, and how safe it is to distribute cash in a particular situation – both for our Red Cross teams, as well as the people they're supporting.

For the time being, your gift will fund our programmes which provide cash assistance in Ukraine and neighbouring countries affected by the conflict. This means someone who has been affected by the crisis in Ukraine will receive your money on a cash card, which they can spend on the things they most need.

If this programme gets fully funded or is completed, or if another urgent crisis hits, your money may fund another of our cash transfer programmes supporting people in crisis. As a humanitarian organisation, we will always look at who needs this support the most, who are most vulnerable.

There are many different things people spend cash on. For example, people might buy food for their family, pay rent or even use cash to access healthcare or schools. Some of the Syrian refugees we work with in Lebanon, for example, tell us that they use some of their money to make sure their children are able to attend school. Others use it on medicines for their sick children. In other situations, people may choose to spend cash to rebuild their homes, for example, after Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement provided cash grants to more than 700 families on the British Virgin Islands. This allowed people to get on with rebuilding their lives, at their own pace and in a way that works for them. People might choose to buy tools, such as fishing nets or other materials, so that they can get back to work quickly.

Many of the concerns about cash transfers centre around the assumption that the cash can be used to buy anything, whereas items, like food or blankets, will not be sold. In reality, this is often incorrect, with items frequently sold so people can buy what they actually need.

Evidence also suggests that misuse of cash rarely happens. In fact, there is good evidence to support the argument that cash transfers do not lead to buying goods such as alcohol and tobacco. Almost without exception, studies found no significant impact of spending on so-called 'temptation goods' – with evidence suggesting that there is a decrease in spending on these items after a cash transfer.

You can read further FAQs here or explore more information about the Red Cross Movement’s cash transfer programmes, including which countries we work in, the different ways we use cash, and how many people we have reached.