There’s been a lot of excitement about microlending, especially since the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize created a wave of stories about it. The basic idea is to make loans to the destitute, helping them pull themselves out of poverty. The stories and the numbers floating around from fundraisers paint a picture that’s simply too good…
The GiveWell Blog
All posts by Holden
We’d like your thoughts
On two things: 1. The raging debate between me and Elie on how you should evaluate a large charity. Here’s the intro; here’s my take; here’s Elie’s response. What do you think? If you’re not sure, which of us do you like better? 2. Our new website designed specifically for fundraising/networking. The goal is a…
Face/Off! Evaluating a mammoth – Holden’s take
See this post for the ground rules of this Face/Off. When a charity does a million things in a million places, it’s futile to try to understand all of it, or even 80%. Speaking very practically, we’ll be taxing the heck out of their development officers, asking for so much information – to say nothing…
Face/Off! Evaluating a mammoth – introduction
Elie and I have been arguing pretty heatedly, and we decided to put our argument online so you all can weigh in if you’d like. The topic is a bit dry, but absolutely essential, and a question that anyone interested in donating can answer. Here’s the question: What should our Round Two application cover, or,…
Carnival roundup
Thanks to all who participated in the Giving Carnival. The question was, “What charitable cause are you personally most passionate about?”, and different people read it in different ways. Some people read it as: what’s your favorite organization? Network For Good’s Katya names five organizations whose activities vary wildly, explaining that the common thread is…
Afraid of the light?
I’ve begged and begged foundations for their outcome reports on the charities they fund, and the most common response I’ve gotten is that they must keep this information confidential. Our application materials clearly state that everything sent is public record unless specified otherwise, and each Round One app concludes with a request that the charity…