How it works

​​​

Hive Infrared is an experiment in poverty relief.  Is direct cash assistance to those in need an effective way of alleviating poverty?   

 

Poverty is a complex and wide-ranging systemic phenomenon.  Since COVID-19, poverty and homelessness have risen exponentially, and current government and related charitable services are under tremendous strain.

 

For our operations, we use a small percentage of donated money and resources (<10%) to fund our overhead, then we pass the remaining funds directly to various clients and recipients, usually in the form of cash or debit cards.  Recipients of our help are free to do what they feel is best with the money.  We intend for this to be as dignifying an experience as possible.

 

We find our donation recipients through partnerships with the leading poverty and homeless services in our community, and through our own street and related outreach.  Our criteria for finding donation recipients is diverse.  People experience poverty in many different ways, and there is no one size fits all approach.  Ultimately, we use our intuition.  With our best insight, if we feel like a person or family could use our help, we give them resources.  Our goal is to limit the qualifications, requirements or caveats.  

 

If a donation recipient is open to a dialogue and interaction, we conduct limited "low touch" research.  Low touch research is less intrusive than conventional methods.  It typically entails preserving the anonymity and dignity of research subjects.  Common approaches to studying and alleviating poverty in the US often include extensive demographic and other data collection, which can dehumanize involved persons.  Agreeing to a dialogue and research is however not a requirement to receive aid. 

​

-> Low touch research is less intrusive than conventional methods. <-

 

We will use our research to understand if our experiment with direct cash assistance is a valid and helpful method to alleviate poverty.  Our goal is to publish this research openly and widely, both at the peer-reviewed academic level, and in social media and other appropriate outlets.  Ultimately, we hope to help diversify Utah's (and beyond) approach to alleviating poverty.

​

Please consider helping our project!  Our greatest need is funding.  If you would like to donate, we will be able to take cash donations starting in Q1 2023.  Please consider emailing Brian, our founder, at brian@hiveinfrared.org if interested.  

​

THANK YOU!