Baltimore club redistributes income to help neighbors

Alex Zhu started the Baltimore Community Guaranteed Income Club in April 2025 after months of layoffs left friends and neighbors facing uncertainty. When DOGE quietly disbanded in late November and attention shifted elsewhere, Zhu saw people he knew—many from public and global health—lose federal jobs and struggle with rising grocery, healthcare, and childcare costs.

Members pledge 7% of their monthly post-tax income. Zhu calculates the group’s average income and, using a few dozen lines of code, identifies who is above and below that average. There is no pooling: those above the average send money directly to those below it via Venmo or Zelle, and members learn who to pay and how much through Airtable.

In its first year the club redistributed about $20,000. The effort functions, in Zhu’s words, like a form of unemployment insurance. The first year began with 20 people earning an average monthly income of about $3,400; as of May the club has 50 members.

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