Castanea Collective

The Castanea Collective is a cooperative care group in Providence, RI that uses crowdfunding to provide "The People's UBI" to people in need. Starting by helping one person deeply, we are building infrastructure to help many more.

Our theory of change is that, by setting this precedent, we can support a cultural shift, moving from a society based on domination to one based on care. This makes us all safer. “When resources begin to run short, as they always will, cooperation and strategies that promote stability…will be favored by evolution” (Robin Wall Kimmerer).

We work through personal relationships rather than social media, because whenever we talk with another person, we are creating and strengthening connections, like roots or neurons. 

Endless growth is not our goal. But we hope that our example emboldens others to start their own support networks. The limiting factor isn’t money, it’s organizing.