Founded in 2008, GiveDirectly was a nonprofit organization that used direct cash transfers-giving people cash via mobile money-to combat poverty worldwide. By August 2024, the organization had transferred over $800 million to poor people in targeted communities and generated evidence illustrating the impact of its giving. As the cofounders considered the organization's future, they wondered whether direct cash transfers could eradicate extreme poverty altogether. The ambitious proposal raised several questions, including how to target and optimize transfers, how to minimize negative effects on local communities, and how best to coordinate with national governments and other nonprofits. Was this goal possible?