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Social Income

Artists

The music, art, and stories you can't imagine life without? Many come from people with no safety net. That's how Social Income started — supporting artists who couldn't afford to keep creating. Not with grants. With income. Monthly, unconditional, for three years.

Relavant studies

Empowering Artistic Labor

Artists receiving unconditional cash showed higher intrinsic motivation, reduced debt, and greater artistic output — without reducing other income.

Washington University in St. Louis, 2022

Read Peer Reviewed Study

The Art of Economic Justice

A guaranteed income pilot for artists in Saint Paul found it reduced financial precarity and gave creative workers the stability to invest more in their craft and community.

Springboard for the Arts, 2023

Read Study

Guaranteed Income for Artists Impact Study

2,400 New York artists receiving $1,000/month for 18 months spent 19% more time on their art, reported significantly better mental health, and reduced food insecurity — without stopping other work.2,400 New York artists receiving $1,000/month for 18 months spent 19% more time on their art, reported significantly better mental health, and reduced food insecurity — without stopping other work.

Creatives Rebuild New York, 2024

Read Preliminary Findings

Survey results from artists

Question 1 (Multiple choice)

What are the key categories that you spend your Social Income payments on?

4 responses in 5 surveys

Follow-up question for 2 individuals who selected more than one category

Please rank the selected spending categories from the most important to the least.

2 responses in 5 surveys

Question 2 (Single choice)

Do you have any dependents?

39 responses in 40 surveys

Follow-up question for 34 individuals who said Yes

How many people depend on you financially?

34 responses in 40 surveys

Question 3 (Single choice)

What is your marital status?

38 responses in 40 surveys

Question 4 (Single choice)

Where do you live?

36 responses in 40 surveys

Question 5 (Single choice)

Are you currently attending school?

13 responses in 40 surveys

Question 6 (Single choice)

What is your current employment status?

39 responses in 40 surveys

Follow-up question for 4 individuals who said Not employed

Are you currently looking for work?

4 responses in 40 surveys

Question 7 (Single choice)

Do you have a disability or illness that affects your possibilities of getting work or keeping your job?

40 responses in 40 surveys

Question 8 (Single choice)

Do you or other family members in your household ever skip meals because there wasn't enough money for food?

13 responses in 40 surveys

Follow-up question for 2 individuals who said Yes

Did this happen last week?

2 responses in 40 surveys

Follow-up question for 2 individuals who said Yes

Did you skip more than 3 meals in the past week?

2 responses in 40 surveys

Question 9 (Single choice)

Do you have enough money to cover unexpected expenses like seeing a doctor?

39 responses in 40 surveys

Question 10 (Single choice)

Are you currently able to save money?

39 responses in 40 surveys

Question 11 (Single choice)

Are you in debt?

5 responses in 5 surveys

Follow-up question for 1 individuals who said Yes

Are you able to repay the debt?

1 responses in 5 surveys

Question 12 (Single choice)

Is anyone in your household in debt?

5 responses in 5 surveys

Follow-up question for 3 individuals who said Yes

Are you the main person repaying the debt?

3 responses in 5 surveys

Question 13 (Single choice)

Are you currently receiving any other form of financial support from anywhere else?

5 responses in 5 surveys

Question 14 (Free text)

What do you hope to achieve within the next 3 years with Social Income?

0 responses in 0 surveys

Question 15 (Free text)

What do you hope to achieve within the remaining time in the Social Income program?

4 responses in 5 surveys

Question 16 (Single choice)

Did Social Income make you feel financially more secure and independent?

30 responses in 35 surveys

Question 17 (Free text)

What impact did Social Income have on your life?

3 responses in 5 surveys

Question 18 (Single choice)

Have you achieved what you hoped to over the course of the last three years?

4 responses in 5 surveys

Follow-up question for 1 individuals who said No

What has kept you from achieving this goal? Is there something we could have done to further support you? (e.g. mentoring, connections)

1 responses in 5 surveys

Question 19 (Single choice)

Has Social Income made you feel happier?

4 responses in 5 surveys

Follow-up question for 4 individuals who said Yes

How so?

1 responses in 5 surveys

Follow-up question for 0 individuals who said No

Can you tell us why?

0 responses in 5 surveys

Question 20 (Single choice)

Was three years of Social Income payments long enough to become financially stable?

32 responses in 35 surveys

Question 1 (Multiple choice)

What are the key categories that you spend your Social Income payments on?

4 responses in 5 surveys

Follow-up question for 2 individuals who selected more than one category

Please rank the selected spending categories from the most important to the least.

2 responses in 5 surveys

Question 2 (Single choice)

Do you have any dependents?

39 responses in 40 surveys

Follow-up question for 34 individuals who said Yes

How many people depend on you financially?

34 responses in 40 surveys

Question 3 (Single choice)

What is your marital status?

38 responses in 40 surveys

Question 4 (Single choice)

Where do you live?

36 responses in 40 surveys

Question 5 (Single choice)

Are you currently attending school?

13 responses in 40 surveys

Question 6 (Single choice)

What is your current employment status?

39 responses in 40 surveys

Follow-up question for 4 individuals who said Not employed

Are you currently looking for work?

4 responses in 40 surveys

Question 7 (Single choice)

Do you have a disability or illness that affects your possibilities of getting work or keeping your job?

40 responses in 40 surveys

Question 8 (Single choice)

Do you or other family members in your household ever skip meals because there wasn't enough money for food?

13 responses in 40 surveys

Follow-up question for 2 individuals who said Yes

Did this happen last week?

2 responses in 40 surveys

Follow-up question for 2 individuals who said Yes

Did you skip more than 3 meals in the past week?

2 responses in 40 surveys

Question 9 (Single choice)

Do you have enough money to cover unexpected expenses like seeing a doctor?

39 responses in 40 surveys

Question 10 (Single choice)

Are you currently able to save money?

39 responses in 40 surveys

Question 11 (Single choice)

Are you in debt?

5 responses in 5 surveys

Follow-up question for 1 individuals who said Yes

Are you able to repay the debt?

1 responses in 5 surveys

Question 12 (Single choice)

Is anyone in your household in debt?

5 responses in 5 surveys

Follow-up question for 3 individuals who said Yes

Are you the main person repaying the debt?

3 responses in 5 surveys

Question 13 (Single choice)

Are you currently receiving any other form of financial support from anywhere else?

5 responses in 5 surveys

Question 14 (Free text)

What do you hope to achieve within the next 3 years with Social Income?

0 responses in 0 surveys

Question 15 (Free text)

What do you hope to achieve within the remaining time in the Social Income program?

4 responses in 5 surveys

Question 16 (Single choice)

Did Social Income make you feel financially more secure and independent?

30 responses in 35 surveys

Question 17 (Free text)

What impact did Social Income have on your life?

3 responses in 5 surveys

Question 18 (Single choice)

Have you achieved what you hoped to over the course of the last three years?

4 responses in 5 surveys

Follow-up question for 1 individuals who said No

What has kept you from achieving this goal? Is there something we could have done to further support you? (e.g. mentoring, connections)

1 responses in 5 surveys

Question 19 (Single choice)

Has Social Income made you feel happier?

4 responses in 5 surveys

Follow-up question for 4 individuals who said Yes

How so?

1 responses in 5 surveys

Follow-up question for 0 individuals who said No

Can you tell us why?

0 responses in 5 surveys

Question 20 (Single choice)

Was three years of Social Income payments long enough to become financially stable?

32 responses in 35 surveys

Connect

Resources

Our work

Recipient app

Artists

Relavant studies

Empowering Artistic Labor

The Art of Economic Justice

Guaranteed Income for Artists Impact Study

Survey results from artists

What are the key categories that you spend your Social Income payments on?

Please rank the selected spending categories from the most important to the least.

Do you have any dependents?

How many people depend on you financially?

What is your marital status?

Where do you live?

Are you currently attending school?

What is your current employment status?

Are you currently looking for work?

Do you have a disability or illness that affects your possibilities of getting work or keeping your job?

Do you or other family members in your household ever skip meals because there wasn't enough money for food?

Did this happen last week?

Did you skip more than 3 meals in the past week?

Do you have enough money to cover unexpected expenses like seeing a doctor?

Are you currently able to save money?

Are you in debt?

Are you able to repay the debt?

Is anyone in your household in debt?

Are you the main person repaying the debt?

Are you currently receiving any other form of financial support from anywhere else?

What do you hope to achieve within the next 3 years with Social Income?

What do you hope to achieve within the remaining time in the Social Income program?

Did Social Income make you feel financially more secure and independent?

What impact did Social Income have on your life?

Have you achieved what you hoped to over the course of the last three years?

What has kept you from achieving this goal? Is there something we could have done to further support you? (e.g. mentoring, connections)

Has Social Income made you feel happier?

How so?

Can you tell us why?

Was three years of Social Income payments long enough to become financially stable?

What are the key categories that you spend your Social Income payments on?

Please rank the selected spending categories from the most important to the least.

Do you have any dependents?

How many people depend on you financially?

What is your marital status?

Where do you live?

Are you currently attending school?

What is your current employment status?

Are you currently looking for work?

Do you have a disability or illness that affects your possibilities of getting work or keeping your job?

Do you or other family members in your household ever skip meals because there wasn't enough money for food?

Did this happen last week?

Did you skip more than 3 meals in the past week?

Do you have enough money to cover unexpected expenses like seeing a doctor?

Are you currently able to save money?

Are you in debt?

Are you able to repay the debt?

Is anyone in your household in debt?

Are you the main person repaying the debt?

Are you currently receiving any other form of financial support from anywhere else?

What do you hope to achieve within the next 3 years with Social Income?

What do you hope to achieve within the remaining time in the Social Income program?

Did Social Income make you feel financially more secure and independent?

What impact did Social Income have on your life?

Have you achieved what you hoped to over the course of the last three years?

What has kept you from achieving this goal? Is there something we could have done to further support you? (e.g. mentoring, connections)

Has Social Income made you feel happier?

How so?

Can you tell us why?

Was three years of Social Income payments long enough to become financially stable?

UBI for Artists