Before we start giving our answers to the questions of this post, I wanted to share some raw data that we look at to gauge how things are going. The charts/tables below cover the following: “Money moved,” i.e., donations made to GiveWell-recommended charities due to GiveWell’s research Website traffic. This is just a subset of…
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LAPO (Kiva partner) and financial vs. social success
We recently looked at Kiva’s largest partner MFI, LAPO (Lift Above Poverty Organization), as part of our evaluation process for an economic empowerment grant in sub-Saharan Africa. In brief, we found two surprising pieces of information: LAPO is very profitable. There’s good reason to be concerned about LAPO’s social impact. As Natalie recently described on…
Why are we always criticizing charities?
Recently, we’ve criticized (in one way or another) many well-known, presumably well-intentioned charities (Smile Train, Acumen Fund, UNICEF, Kiva), which might lead some to ask: should GiveWell focus on the bad (which may discourage donors from giving) as opposed to the good (which would encourage them to give more)? Why so much negativity and not…
Is fundraising stuck in the world of Mad Men?
Advertising is based on one thing: Happiness. And you know what happiness is? Happiness is the smell of a new car… It’s freedom from fear. It’s a billboard on the side of the road that screams with reassurance that whatever you’re doing is okay. You are okay. — Don Draper on AMC’s Mad Men. (Video…
Kiva repayment data
GiveWell Board member Tim Ogden asks, is Kiva reporting phantom payments? It’s hard to say for sure, but it seems that the answers is either (a) yes, they are or (b) no, but borrowers listed on Kiva’s website are not representative of the average borrowers visiting that MFI. The table below shows default rates for…
Cleft lip/palate charities: What does one surgery really accomplish?
It’s clear why donating to charities that fix cleft palates and other deformities – such as SmileTrain or Interplast – is popular among donors: the donation’s impact seems extremely tangible. A donor can see “before” and “after” pictures of children, and feel that the donation helps a child with serious problems become a “normal” child….