SOME Americans are getting checks worth hundreds on a monthly basis as part of a new program.
To avoid missing the money in their mailbox, there’s an exact date recipients should keep in mind.
The money comes as part of a new guaranteed income program (stock image)[/caption]
First distributions will start going out on September 1, 2025, to those who are part of the Creative Growth Fellowship Program from the Office of Arts and Culture (OAC) in Sacramento County, California.
The program was created to help 200 artists across multiple disciplines living within Sacramento move forward in their careers.
That includes craft, design, film, literacy, music, performing arts, and visual arts.
Those who applied for the financial assistance from the guaranteed income program must have met at least two crucial requirements.
First, they must’ve been a resident of the City of Sacramento at the time of their application submission.
There’s a search tool that can confirm whether or not an address is within the city limits.
Proof of residency showing this information within the last 60 days was required, and applications without it were automatically disqualified.
Additionally, applicants must’ve been working within one of the aforementioned disciplines.
On the FAQ page for the Creative Growth Fellowship Program, it notes that disciplines not listed are “likely not eligible.”
Artists looking to get the financial assistance were also required to answer some written prompts in the application and upload examples of their work.
WAITING GAME
The deadline to apply has already passed, with a review period ongoing from June 21 through August 31, 2025.
Staff from the OAC will send out notifications to all applicants when reviews are complete, with the 200 told they’re selected.
Payments worth $850 over 12 months will be sent from the September 1 start date through August 31, 2026.
That’s a collective total of $2.04 million.
How does Guaranteed Income work?
Guaranteed Income and Universal Basic Income programs have taken off in popularity recently.
After the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan of 2021 sent stimulus money to local governments, dozens began testing guaranteed income (GI) systems.
The specifics vary, but GI typically involves payouts to people with low incomes. Unlike traditional welfare, there are no job requirements, drug tests, or other strings attached.
Some have pushed for a Universal Basic Income (UBI), which would go to everyone regardless of how much money they make at work. Alaska has used a similar system since the 1970s.
Proponents say this alleviates poverty while incentivizing work, unlike classic welfare, which cuts benefits from people who begin earning “too much” money to qualify.
Opponents argue such a system is too expensive to function on a large scale and suggest Americans should avoid becoming reliant on government money.
With some cities heralding the success of GI programs, some Republican-led states have moved to ban them. States like Texas and Iowa, for example, have undermined major spending plans by pushing against GI.
As of now, the Creative Growth Fellowship website also noted that there are “no plans for a future second round.”
CONTINUED HELP
Minnesota is also running a similar program.
It was designed by non-profit Springboard for the Arts, and is known as the Guaranteed Income for Artists pilot.
First introduced in 2020, the pilot had a successful run helping 75 artists for 18 months who lived in the Frogtown and Rondo neighborhoods just outside of Saint Paul.
After the positive results, it was extended to reach 100 artists, who will continue to get $500 checks for an 18-month period.
Springboard for the Arts found that most participants were spending the money on “critical needs,” per a press release.
That meant 36% on essential services, 30% on food, and about 10% on housing, at least.
“When artists can focus more on their work, families, art, and their community instead of worrying about basic needs, everyone benefits,” Laura Zabel, executive director at Springboard for the Arts, said in a statement.
Another guaranteed income program is helping select families with distributions of around $2,000 a month, so long as they meet some requirements.
There’s even a “jumpstart” initiative offering $500 monthly payments in another state.
