Over 150 projects have been submitted for the NetSquared conference at the end of May, and only 20 will get to go. The winners will be determined by an online vote, open until this Saturday afternoon … and you know what that means: 1. This is a popularity contest, and given how likable I am…
The GiveWell Blog
Month: April 2007
Announcing the Clear Fund
The goal of GiveWell is to make thorough analysis of charities (the kind currently exclusive to large grantmakers) available, useful, usable, and criticizable for any donor, large or small, who cares. This has been our goal since last August, but we have come a long way in terms of strategy. Originally, our strategy was to…
Every analogy has its limits …
As illustrated by this raging debate between me and two guys at GiftHub. (If you want to get straight to the metaphor-gone-awry goodness, Ctrl-F “life partner.”) Meanwhile, talking to people about my video game analogy, I’ve realized the biggest problem with it relates to the role of enjoyment. Enjoyment is the ultimate goal of playing…
Charity: The video game that’s real
“How does helping people make you feel?” That’s what I’ve been asked, and my answer isn’t familiar from any publications on marketing or fundraising that I know of. When I was younger, I loved playing video games. Single-player video games, without anyone watching. I didn’t get anything for my virtual accomplishments – not appreciation, or…
Selflessness in action
I find most of the motivations that marketers attribute to donors irrelevant. Gaining appreciation, recognition, a legacy, a warm and fuzzy feeling, an ego boost, a thank-you note, a friend – I don’t give a crap about any of it. A great illustration of what does drive me to give was written today, by an…