“We have everything we need.” That’s how Betsy answered when Denver Frederick asked her how our children sparked her passion for GMI pilots in rural counties across the country.
Raising kids obviously has many challenges, and one is: How do you raise your kids to… obviously we’re very comfortable and have been since they were born, and they would have questions like: “Are we rich?”
Thinking about how to answer those questions, it’s like, “Well, we have everything we need!” And that’s how I’ve always phrased it to them. And that, I think, kind of extends out into the GMI stuff. It’s like... we have everything we need; how do we make sure everybody has what they need?
That’s how she answered. Not a number, not a comparison, just a simple statement. We have everything we need.
Once you say that out loud, the next question follows so naturally. If we have everything we need… if we have enough... well, why doesn’t everyone?
That question lies at the heart of Guaranteed Minimum Income. The minimum is very practical: do you have a place to live, food on the table, access to healthcare? If you have the basics, you have a foundation to build your life on. But without that foundation, everything else — work, family, opportunity — gets a lot harder. When you give people direct cash, they use it to stabilize their lives, meet basic needs, and move forward. It’s so simple, and the data shows us it works.
Beyond the data, there’s also something deeply human here. Easter is a story of renewal — of something that looked lost coming back to life. $1500 per month isn’t dramatic, but it can mean the rent is paid, the car gets fixed, the kids have what they need. GMI creates enough breathing room for people to go beyond merely surviving to really living.
We tend to think big problems require big solutions. Sometimes they do. But sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is smaller: trust people, give them a bit of stability, and let them rebuild. Every Easter, every spring, reminds us that renewal is always possible. And that is exactly what GMI does. A little money won’t change everything, but for someone stuck in survival mode, it might be the first step back to life.
Our goal is to reach all 50 states with rural county GMI studies. If that inspires you as much as it inspires us, well, welcome to the team!
