Comments for The GiveWell Blog http://blog.givewell.org Exploring how to get real change for your dollar. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:27:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.7 Comment on Evaluating local charities in India by Suleman http://blog.givewell.org/2011/05/04/evaluating-local-charities-in-india/#comment-267489 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:24:19 +0000 http://blog.givewell.org/2011/05/04/evaluating-local-charities-in-india/#comment-267489 I am very happy about the criteria you use to evaluate charities. They are down-to-earth, practical and pertinent - not airy-fairy and romanticised. I am very happy about the criteria you use to evaluate charities. They are down-to-earth, practical and pertinent - not airy-fairy and romanticised.

]]> Comment on GiveWell’s progress in 2011 by Brigid http://blog.givewell.org/2012/02/07/givewells-progress-in-2011/#comment-267438 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:22:01 +0000 http://blog.givewell.org/2012/02/07/givewells-progress-in-2011/#comment-267438 I love the superpower feel of "megadonors," but, just in case anyone cares, in fundraising terminology often $1M+ donors are "leadership" and $5M+ "principal". Though I am enjoying this mental image of spandex-clad be-caped donors. I love the superpower feel of “megadonors,” but, just in case anyone cares, in fundraising terminology often $1M+ donors are “leadership” and $5M+ “principal”. Though I am enjoying this mental image of spandex-clad be-caped donors.

]]> Comment on GiveWell annual review: details on GiveWell’s money moved and web traffic by Brigid http://blog.givewell.org/2012/02/09/givewell-annual-review-details-on-givewells-money-moved-and-web-traffic/#comment-267435 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:18:48 +0000 http://blog.givewell.org/2012/02/09/givewell-annual-review-details-on-givewells-money-moved-and-web-traffic/#comment-267435 Applause applause! Congratulations on wonderful growth, not because growth for growth's sake is always good, but because you are obviously providing a service more and more givers want. Applause applause! Congratulations on wonderful growth, not because growth for growth’s sake is always good, but because you are obviously providing a service more and more givers want.

]]> Comment on GiveWell’s progress in 2011 by Alexander http://blog.givewell.org/2012/02/07/givewells-progress-in-2011/#comment-267057 Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:06:39 +0000 http://blog.givewell.org/2012/02/07/givewells-progress-in-2011/#comment-267057 Thanks for the catch, Jonah. Fixed. Thanks for the catch, Jonah. Fixed.

]]> Comment on GiveWell’s progress in 2011 by Jonah S http://blog.givewell.org/2012/02/07/givewells-progress-in-2011/#comment-267054 Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:00:17 +0000 http://blog.givewell.org/2012/02/07/givewells-progress-in-2011/#comment-267054 The link to the "For Charities" page is broken; the correct URL is http://givewell.org/for-charities rather than http://blog.givewell.org/for-charities The link to the “For Charities” page is broken; the correct URL is http://givewell.org/for-charities rather than http://blog.givewell.org/for-charities

]]> Comment on Animal welfare charities by W Taylor http://blog.givewell.org/2010/12/27/animal-welfare-charities/#comment-266866 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:38:21 +0000 http://blog.givewell.org/2010/12/27/animal-welfare-charities/#comment-266866 The HSUS pretends to be a shelter group...when gives less than half a percent of its budget to direct animal care. It is an animal rights group with a misleading name. They are all about wanting to end domestic animals, be they pets or live stock. They would even like to see domestic species and breeds extinct. If they told the truth when advertising people would not give...so they mislead. Dont give one red cent to the HSUS, give to your local shelter! The HSUS pretends to be a shelter group…when gives less than half a percent of its budget to direct animal care. It is an animal rights group with a misleading name. They are all about wanting to end domestic animals, be they pets or live stock. They would even like to see domestic species and breeds extinct. If they told the truth when advertising people would not give…so they mislead. Dont give one red cent to the HSUS, give to your local shelter!

]]> Comment on Accountability in philanthropy by Elliot http://blog.givewell.org/2012/02/03/accountability-in-philanthropy/#comment-266776 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:22:16 +0000 http://blog.givewell.org/2012/02/03/accountability-in-philanthropy/#comment-266776 I quite agree. What increasingly strikes me as amazing is that in 2012 these thoughts are still rather novel in the philanthropy sector. It might be interesting for GiveWell to have a page where you collect various reasons stated by charities or funders for their lack of transparency or accountability and to unpick the shaky logic those reasons are based on. Or perhaps this could be a regular column for a newspaper or magazine, a bit like the UK's Guardian newspaper has a 'Bad Science' weekly column which highlights egregious science reporting. Does GiveWell share a hypothesis that increasing transparency and accountability will in the long term tend to increase the size of the pie of total individual giving, plus direct a higher proportion of individual giving to causes with a high ROI in terms of quality-adjusted life-years (compared, say, to giving to one's former educational institution)? I think these are reasonable hypotheses. Is it part of GiveWell's plan to assess these potential effects? I quite agree. What increasingly strikes me as amazing is that in 2012 these thoughts are still rather novel in the philanthropy sector.

It might be interesting for GiveWell to have a page where you collect various reasons stated by charities or funders for their lack of transparency or accountability and to unpick the shaky logic those reasons are based on.

Or perhaps this could be a regular column for a newspaper or magazine, a bit like the UK’s Guardian newspaper has a ‘Bad Science’ weekly column which highlights egregious science reporting.

Does GiveWell share a hypothesis that increasing transparency and accountability will in the long term tend to increase the size of the pie of total individual giving, plus direct a higher proportion of individual giving to causes with a high ROI in terms of quality-adjusted life-years (compared, say, to giving to one’s former educational institution)? I think these are reasonable hypotheses. Is it part of GiveWell’s plan to assess these potential effects?

]]> Comment on Accountability in philanthropy by Holden http://blog.givewell.org/2012/02/03/accountability-in-philanthropy/#comment-266445 Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:10:28 +0000 http://blog.givewell.org/2012/02/03/accountability-in-philanthropy/#comment-266445 Fixed. Thanks to both of you. Fixed. Thanks to both of you.

]]> Comment on Evaluation of American Red Cross Haiti response by Toronto Lofts http://blog.givewell.org/2012/01/27/evaluation-of-american-red-cross-haiti-response/#comment-266396 Sat, 04 Feb 2012 08:03:01 +0000 http://blog.givewell.org/2012/01/27/evaluation-of-american-red-cross-haiti-response/#comment-266396 <b>(nice one)</b> (nice one)

]]> Comment on Accountability in philanthropy by David Barry http://blog.givewell.org/2012/02/03/accountability-in-philanthropy/#comment-266365 Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:06:19 +0000 http://blog.givewell.org/2012/02/03/accountability-in-philanthropy/#comment-266365 I think the correct link is: http://www.povertyactionlab.org/sites/default/files/publications/17_Kremer_Sustainability_Illusion.pdf Michael Kremer and Edward Miguel, "The Illusion of Sustainability". I think the correct link is: http://www.povertyactionlab.org/sites/default/files/publications/17_Kremer_Sustainability_Illusion.pdf

Michael Kremer and Edward Miguel, “The Illusion of Sustainability”.

]]>