A donor wrote to us recently with a question (paraphrased): Is it better to help people who cannot currently live a decent life or to help those who might be better off to start with but have more potential to live enjoyable and meaningful lives? Ideally the answer to this question would be “let’s help…
The GiveWell Blog
All posts by Natalie Crispin
New evidence that cleaner water -> less diarrhea
Providing clean water to people living in developing countries is a cause that many donors are interested in. Among other hardships, unclean water can lead to diseases such as diarrhea, which is responsible for millions of child deaths annually. Unfortunately, we have found little evidence that charities’ efforts to improve water infrastructure in the developing…
Microfinance interest rates
One of the more difficult things to understand about the microfinance institutions we’ve investigated is the “true” interest rate they’re charging their borrowers. In July 2009, David Roodman of the Center for Global Development wrote: It appears that many MFIs impose subtle fees that effectively raise interest rates. Some charge one-time loan origination fees. Some…
Quality of life in the developing world
When we argue that donors should give internationally, one of the most common questions we get is, “Sure, you may be able to save a life in Africa, but what type of life are you saving? If you save a child from malaria will s/he likely die from something else soon after? Will s/he suffer…