CS Direct: Frequently Asked Questions
What is CS Direct?
CS Direct is a disaster relief program that was started by Community Spring as part of our Grassroots COVID-19 Recovery campaign. CS Direct provides assistance to low-income households in Alachua County who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Selected households receive a non-recurring lump-sum payment of $300. This payment is essentially a one-time gift to help recipients meet their basic needs during these difficult times.
Who is Community Spring?
Community Spring is a Gainesville-based nonprofit organization focused on dismantling structural poverty and spurring economic mobility at a grassroots level. The twin pillars of our work are providing income and building power. We do this by hiring fellows who have been impacted by poverty to help solve the systemic problems they identify as driving poverty in their communities. For example, our fellows’ most recent campaign was to ensure that people coming home from incarceration were given support to thrive in their new lives. In the time of COVID-19, our team has pivoted to building a grassroots recovery that directly addresses our neighbors’ most pressing needs and makes systemic changes to support their resilience in the future.
How can I learn more about Community Spring’s work?
More information is available on our website. You can also join the Community Spring email list (see bottom of website homepage) or follow us on Facebook to stay up to date on our work and opportunities to get involved.
Why do we need direct cash assistance in Alachua County?
Preliminary results from Community Spring’s recent survey on community needs during COVID-19 show that the pandemic has been especially devastating for our low-income neighbors. More than one-third of low-income respondents had lost at least half of their already limited income due to COVID-19. Many are now facing severe economic insecurity, with about half of low-income respondents not confident that they could come up with $400 if an unexpected expense arose. Applications for public assistance have surged. As of May 2020 there were 39,249 people receiving SNAP (food stamps) in Alachua County, a 28% increase from May 2019.
Who is eligible for assistance from CS Direct?
To receive assistance you must be an Alachua County resident and receive SNAP (food stamps). CS Direct is meant to be a fast, simple way to get disaster relief directly to low-income households in our community. These basic, clear criteria help to limit the administrative burden on both applicants and Community Spring staff managing the program.
How do you decide who receives assistance?
We will randomly select from among applicants who submit a simple online application form, available here. We plan to select applicants toward the end of the month for the next several months. The number of applicants selected each month will be determined by how much money we have raised at that time. For example, if we have $3000 at the end of the month we will provide assistance to 10 households. Once applicants have been selected, we will collect additional documentation to confirm that they are eligible and then arrange to deliver a check.
Why select applicants at random?
We believe that everyone in our community has an equal right to the resources they need to get by, and therefore that random selection is the most fair method of distributing these funds.
Do you impose restrictions on the payments?
No, in line with our twin pillars of income and power, we will provide these disaster relief payments without conditions. By not putting conditions on how the money is spent we avoid expensive monitoring processes and minimize administrative costs. As a result, 100% any donations will go directly as cash to low-income households. Furthermore, the unrestricted nature of these transfers ensures that recipients keep their sense of agency and the power to improve their lives in the way they see fit.
In addition, preliminary results from Community Spring’s recent survey showed that people’s needs are diverse. Some are behind on rent while others missed a car payment. Some had to leave their utilities unpaid and others missed a phone bill. The people facing these trade-off decisions are in the best position to determine what would be most helpful to them. Unconditional cash assistance is flexible enough to let them decide which of their needs is the most pressing.
How do you know people will spend the money responsibly?
There is significant data showing that low-income individuals, just like more economically secure households, overwhelmingly spend their money in the ways that best help themselves and their families. See here and here for examples of the research on the benefits of direct transfers.
How do you prevent fraud?
Among other things, we gather documentation from selected households to confirm their identity and that they are eligible for assistance. Checks are hand-delivered to recipients and staff follow up separately to confirm that everything went smoothly.
Is anyone else providing this kind of assistance?
Yes, a number of leading foundations and nonprofits around the country are doing this work, as described here. CS Direct was modeled off GiveDirectly, which has raised over $100 million that will be distributed to SNAP (food stamps) recipients as $1000 cash grants. GiveTogetherNow is another large-scale example of these ideas in action, and has raised over $60 million to distribute to low-income households as $500 cash grants.
How can I donate?
Online or by check. Details are available here.
How much of my donation goes to recipients?
100% of all donations will go directly to low-income households for disaster relief. Community Spring is covering all administrative costs of the program with other funds.
Are donations tax-deductible?
Community Spring is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Your donation to Community Spring is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please consult your tax advisor, and be sure to ask them about some of the changes in charitable giving rules made in the CARES Act. For example, according to Foundation Group: “For the over 9 out of 10 people who no longer itemize their charitable giving, the CARES Act will allow these individual taxpayers to deduct donations to charity of up to $300 on their 2020 federal tax return, even though they take the standard deduction. Married-filing-jointly taxpayers will get an above-the-line deduction of up to $600.”
Can I choose who my donation goes to?
No, this would jeopardize our charitable status and compromise the privacy of applicants.
Can I receive assistance multiple times?
No, CS Direct payments are one-time only.
Can I submit the application multiple times?
No, you can only apply once but your application will be included each time we make selections.
Can more than one person from my household apply?
No, only one person per household can apply. By household we mean the people that you share income with.
If I am selected, what happens next?
We will contact you via email or phone to gather supporting documents and then set up a time to deliver a check to you.
What documents do I need to provide to receive assistance?
You do not need to submit any documentation at the time you apply. If you are selected, we’ll reach out to get documentation showing that you live in Alachua County and that you received SNAP (food stamps) in the month you were selected. We’ll also need a copy of a photo ID. (Note that if you receive SNAP you can get a Florida ID for $6.25 by bringing SNAP documentation to the DMV.)
I think I’m eligible for SNAP but haven’t been able to get through the application process. Can I still apply for CS Direct?
No, but you may be able to get help navigating the application process to make sure that you get the benefits you’re entitled to. We recommend contacting Mark Watson at Three Rivers Legal Services for assistance. His email address is mark.watson@trls.org and the phone number for Three Rivers is 352-372-0519. Once you’re approved for SNAP then you can apply for CS Direct.
Where can I find information on what other assistance is available in the community?
The Alachua County Labor Coalition maintains a list of resources here. You can also call United Way’s 211 helpline.
Who should I contact with questions?
You can email questions to info@csgnv.org. We will do our best, but we do not expect to be able to respond to questions from individual applicants about the details of their application, whether they were selected, etc.