Why you should consider giving more of your money away effectively and why you should talk about it
In an age where individual actions can catalyze global change, the power of giving has never been more evident. Donating to effective charities isn't just an act of generosity; it's a strategic move towards creating substantial, measurable impact in the world. This is my attempt to delve a bit deeper into the rationale behind donating to organizations that maximize the effect of every cent, underscored by my long-standing personal commitment to contribute thousands of pounds of my hard-earned cash every year to hand-selected causes.
The Importance of Effective Charities
Defining Effectiveness in Charity
An effective charity is not just about the goodwill behind it but its ability to produce significant, measurable impacts with the resources it has. Such organizations are characterized by their cost-effectiveness, transparency, and evidence-based approaches to solving problems. They go beyond good intentions, rigorously evaluating their interventions to ensure that donations translate into real-world benefits. The aim is to maximise the impact on the cause the given organisation is focusing on.
The Selection Process
Choosing where to donate involves more than picking a cause close to one's heart. It requires diligent research to identify organizations that not only address pressing needs but also demonstrate a track record of success and efficient use of funds. Organisations like GiveWell and The Life You Can Save offer comprehensive analyses, publish their data, continuously refine their criteria and aim to course correct as best as they can. All this makes it possible for all of us to make much more informed choices about which charities to support.
Emotional vs. Impact-Driven Giving
While emotional responses often drive spontaneous donations (e.g. responding to an appeal by a donkey hospice operating in a nearby city), effective giving advocates for a more analytical and more impact-focused approach. By focusing on outcomes, donors can ensure their contributions are not just felt but are also effective in making a substantial difference. And this difference can be measured and evaluated. The best charities are often orders of magnitude more effective (in terms of impact achieved per dollar invested) than those that don't rigorously focus on effectiveness (which, sadly, are most charities out there).
Personal Journey: A Commitment to Effective Giving
My journey into philanthropy and effective altruism began with a simple realization: I had the means to make a difference and I wanted to make as much of a difference as I could. Over the years, I've spent a lot of time reading and learning about philosophy and ethics and came across Peter Singer's groundbreaking book Famine, Affluence and Morality. From there, one can easily leap into the Effective Altruism movement which considers Singer as one of its philosophical forefathers.
My decision to donate considerable amounts of money every year to hand-picked charities was motivated by a desire to see real change in areas of profound need. I selected each charity I donate to after careful research (which I update every year) with a focus on commitment to transparency and impact, aligning with my belief that giving should be intentional, effective and transformative. At the same time, I tried to concentrate my giving on causes which deeply resonate with me — global health, long-term future, humanism and rationality.
Maximizing Impact
Realising that a dollar of donated funds can have a vastly different impact based on how and where it is spent I felt that if I deeply cared about the impact I was making, donating to effective charities is the only way. Supporting such organisations ensures that each contribution goes towards making the most significant possible difference. Some of the organisations I support include Sightsavers, Against Malaria Foundation, Malaria Consortium and Effective Altruism Funds. These charities use evidence and analysis to deploy resources in ways that can dramatically alter outcomes for the better, whether by saving lives, improving education, or protecting the environment.
Now, is all my giving as effective as it can be? The vast majority of it, I hope, is. But a small part of my donations also goes to charities and organisations that I simply want to support because I really want them to succeed in their mission (e.g. Cancer Research, Humanists, and UNICEF) even though their effectiveness is perhaps not as high as I would like it to be.
Personal Fulfillment & Encouraging Accountability
Beyond the tangible impacts, giving effectively brings profound personal satisfaction. Knowing that your donations are working hard to address critical issues provides a sense of fulfilment unmatched by more passive forms of support. It is a way to connect donors directly to the causes they care about, creating a feedback loop of positivity and purpose.
Supporting effective charities also promotes a culture of accountability within the nonprofit sector. It signals to all organizations the importance of transparency, efficiency, and measurable outcomes, raising the bar for what donors expect and what charities strive to achieve.
Why Being Public About Altruism Is Beneficial
There are many strong reasons to abandon once and for all the idea that charity should be private and that one should not talk about it publicly. If one cares about maximising impact, if one really wants to do as much good as possible, then being open and outspoken about one's giving is imperative.
Inspiring Others
When people share their stories of giving, they do more than just highlight their own contributions; they inspire others to take action and this little article is my way of doing just that. Publicising altruistic efforts can help demystify the process of donating, making it more accessible and appealing to a broader audience. It helps explain why charity matters and may help inform about some of the key considerations involved in choosing where to donate creating a narrative that encourages others to consider how they, too, can make a difference.
Addressing Criticism
While some may view publicising one's charity work as self-serving, my view is that the broader impact of such openness far outweighs potential critiques. The goal is not self-promotion but the promotion of a cause, leveraging personal influence to spur collective action. And the more effective that action can be, the better.
How Everyone Can Contribute
Donating money is a great way to help and drive progress in the cause area you are focused on. But contributing to effective charities doesn't always mean writing a check. Whilst EA popularised the concept of earning to give, there are many other options to make a difference instead of, or in addition to, giving your money away — volunteering time, lending expertise, or even spreading the word about an organization's work can be equally valuable. What matters is the intention and the effort to make a positive impact, regardless of the form it takes. Just remember that choosing the cause and the organisation you are supporting will be the crucial determinant with regards to the impact you can make.
The journey to impactful giving begins with a single step. Even small donations to effective charities can have outsized impacts when used wisely. This can be monthly, yearly or, of course, one-off. The key is to start, to take that initial action towards contributing to the greater good, and to build from there.
Conclusion
In a world rife with challenges, donating to effective charities offers a beacon of hope and an opportunity to make a difference. Do you care about animal welfare (as there is still an unfathomable amount of animal suffering in the world) - there are many great effective charities for you to choose from. Would you rather help with mitigating the risk of AI (perhaps because you share my view that in the long run AI may pose an existential risk to humanity)? Well, there are charities for that too. There are several major causes worthy of your attention and the choice is only yours.
Effective giving represents a commitment not just to giving but to giving wisely, ensuring that each dollar/pound/euro contributes to building a better future. And by sharing our journeys of altruism, we can all inspire others to join in this movement of meaningful change achieved in the most effective way possible. Today, we have the opportunity to turn our compassion into making a real impact. Let's embrace it with open hearts and minds.