Elie and I get all the headlines, and the ladies, but GiveWell is a lot more than the two of us. This seems like a good time to thank: Our donors, mostly former coworkers who believed in us and stepped up to make GiveWell possible, even when it was nothing but an idea. Now, of…
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Must-read if you’re interested in NYC education
Eduwonkette gives a clear examination of data that is generally anything but. This post is more about public policy than charity, but it shows – at a glance – a lot of the problems with the traditional approach to charity (giving as an act of the heart without the brain; trusting charities that mean well,…
Here’s to fear of failure
A favorite saying of foundation people is, “You can’t be afraid to fail. You have to be ready to take bold risks.” I’ve thought about it, and I think they’re going too easy on themselves. I put it to you: we need both funders of innovative projects and funders who focus on what already works….
Our harshest critic so far: Uncle Bob
There’s a saying that I think about a lot: “If you can’t explain it to your Uncle Bob, you don’t understand it.” (Note: may be a rewording of a real saying, or not a real saying at all; I’m not sure. If it’s unclaimed, mark it down as mine, thanks.) How many times have you…
Why are you reading this?
For nearly a year now, we’ve been talking about creating the world’s first truly useful donor resource: one that goes beyond naive and meaningless metrics like “how much of my money goes to program”? and instead looks at what charities do and whether it works. It’s not an idea anymore, it’s a product. It exists…
Where should you give?
When you’re donating, do you want a “safe and reputable” charity – or the best? From fighting disease in Africa to improving inner-city education, helping people isn’t simple – for charities OR for donors. That’s why it isn’t enough to know that “99% of your money goes to programs.” (In fact, we think it’s often…