Every month we send an email newsletter to our supporters sharing recent updates from our work. We publish selected portions of the newsletter on our blog to make this news more accessible to people who visit our website. For key updates from the latest installment, please see below!

If you’d like to receive the complete newsletter in your inbox each month, you can subscribe here.

GiveWell in the Media

We’re excited to share two recent media features that offer an in-depth look at GiveWell’s work. GiveWell CEO and co-founder Elie Hassenfeld joined The Ezra Klein Show to discuss our distinct approach to helping donors do the most good they can, and NPR’s Planet Money did a deep dive with our team as we researched a potential grant responding to foreign aid cuts.

The Ezra Klein Show: “The Simplest Way to Save Lives With Your Money”

Elie joined Ezra Klein, a longtime GiveWell supporter, for a conversation exploring the rigor and methodology behind the grants we make with our donors’ funds. They discuss how we weigh different program outcomes (such as lives saved versus income increased), our approach to transparency, and the value of supporting GiveWell’s evidence-based opportunities. The conversation also covers how this year’s foreign aid cuts have intensified grantmaking and includes stories from Elie’s recent visit to Malawi. The full episode is available on the New York Times website and wherever you get your podcasts.

NPR’s Planet Money: “Saving Lives with Fewer Dollars”

Planet Money followed along with our research team over several weeks as we evaluated whether to fund the Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA) to maintain primary healthcare and malnutrition treatment in North Cameroon following unexpected aid cuts earlier this year. The episode follows researchers Rosie Bettle, Alice Redfern, and Teryn Mattox as they work through the grant investigation and ultimately decide to approve a $1.9 million grant, filling the funding gap left by USAID for that program for one year. Listen to the full episode here.

GiveWell Conversations: “Behind the Planet Money ALIMA Grant Story”

We published an episode following up on Planet Money—diving deeper into the ALIMA grant investigation with Program Officers Rosie Bettle and Alice Redfern and discussing the grant’s timeline, our modeling approach, and what ultimately led us to make the grant.

Elie, Rosie, and Alice discuss:

• The grant investigation timeline: Due to the urgent need created by unexpected aid cuts, GiveWell completed the investigation in about six weeks from start to finish, despite this program’s wide scope.
• How we adapted our modeling: As part of evaluating this grant on a shortened timeline, GiveWell used a series of simple models—rather than one comprehensive model—to estimate cost-effectiveness.
• An update on grant progress: With GiveWell’s funding, ALIMA’s program is up and running again and is on track to treat the number of children GiveWell expected.

Growing Needs, Shrinking Aid Webinar and Follow-up

On December 4, GiveWell hosted a live webinar titled “Growing Needs, Shrinking Aid: Cost-Effective Action in a Year of Funding Cuts.” Elie moderated a panel of GiveWell researchers to discuss the effects of this year’s foreign aid funding cuts, how GiveWell is responding, and what we’re learning along the way—including our predictions and uncertainties about the future. The panelists answered questions selected live by attendees and shared their latest insights. Watch the video or listen to the audio on our podcast.

We published a follow-up blog post addressing some questions we didn’t have time to cover during the webinar, along with additional audience-submitted questions, focusing on four themes: the challenges of an uncertain future, taking action in the face of uncertainty, the role of cost-effectiveness, and future GiveWell grantmaking.

Coefficient Giving Funding Announcement

We are excited to share that Coefficient Giving, formerly Open Philanthropy, has decided to renew and increase their funding for GiveWell, committing to set aside $175 million in 2026 for opportunities we recommend.

This is great news for the people our grants help, and it comes at a critical moment. Following 2025’s aid cuts, we think needs are greater than they were a year ago, and we expect they will continue to grow in the coming years as the impacts of current and future cuts mount. We’re grateful to see donors—including Coefficient Giving—stepping up and signaling that they trust us to help in the years ahead.

End-of-Year Giving to Help People in Need

We just published our annual staff giving blog post, where GiveWell staff members share the thinking behind their personal donations for the year. Staff approaches vary widely—some give entirely to GiveWell’s funds, while others focus on causes like animal welfare, climate change, or local community needs. We hope this glimpse into our team’s personal giving is helpful as you think through your own giving decisions.

This has been a tumultuous year for global health. Early in 2025, the US government froze billions of dollars in foreign aid, affecting millions of people around the world. As part of our grantmaking this year, we expect to commit over $40 million to grants that directly address urgent needs created by the cuts—funding time-sensitive malaria campaigns, procuring essential health supplies, and supporting governments as they navigate the uncertainty. With fewer resources going to global health and development programs, we believe giving now has greater potential impact than before the cuts. You can help us respond to an uncertain future for global health by supporting the giving fund that best matches your giving preferences.

If you’re planning to give this holiday season, a few reminders:

• We recommend using our online donation form to donate via ACH, credit card, PayPal, Google Pay, or Apple Pay whenever possible.
• If you’re concerned with 2025 tax deductibility, check the charitable tax donation deadlines, and be sure to consider holidays and weekends to ensure adequate processing time.
• If we can help with your end-of-year giving in any way, please reach out to info@givewell.org.

Other helpful resources for your giving season:

• Information About Donating
• Charitable Tax Donation Deadlines for 2025 (US donors)
• Global Tax Deductibility Guidelines
• Making a Donation of Cryptocurrency to GiveWell

We’re deeply grateful for your support and wish you a wonderful holiday season!

Grant Spotlight

Our grantmaking supports programs and research that aim to save and improve lives the most per dollar. Here’s a look at one recent example:

Where: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Nigeria
What: A three-month qualitative assessment of how US government funding cuts are impacting key parts of the vaccine delivery system
Who: Results for Development (R4D)
Amount: $271,445
How it works: This research addresses a critical lack of on-the-ground information about the real-world consequences of this year’s US government funding cuts on vaccine delivery, including the effects on vaccinators and healthcare workers, outreach sessions, supply chains, and data systems.
Why this grant: The findings will inform GiveWell’s vaccines strategy by providing qualitative updates to help us manage existing grants and prioritize future funding. R4D’s facility-level data collection offers critical insights that would be difficult for GiveWell to access otherwise.
Funded by: Donations to GiveWell’s All Grants Fund

To learn more, check out the grant page.

Partner Roundup

• Read why all four of GiveWell’s Top Charities are promoted in Vox’s Giving Tuesday Guide.
• Celebrate Malaria Consortium’s 2025 impact, including over 100 million courses of SMC medicines distributed and over 22.5 million children reached!
• See how one vaccination clinic staff member ensures his remote clinic stays stocked with life-saving vaccines as part of New Incentives’ program.

Comments or Questions?

We’re always looking for fresh perspectives on our research. If you have comments or questions on our work, we want to hear from you! Reach out to us at info@givewell.org.