The GiveWell Blog

My vision

This seems like a good time to spell out my vision for how the nonprofit sector would ideally work (i.e., where we’re trying to help it get). This is important because a lot of people seem to think that we have a “hyperintellectual” idea of charity, and are hoping that all donors will eventually become…

Read More

Where should we donate?

We need your help. We’re about to contact all the charities we’ve identified as being potential Clear Fund grant recipients. We’ve mostly found these organizations through a systematic search through a gigantic stack of Form 990s (let me know if you want more details – they’re fantastically boring), and have found a few others in…

Read More

BRB

This is my first chance in a while, and my last chance for a while, to take a vacation. Technically, I’m still unemployed, so any Straw Ratio-minded donors should take comfort in the fact that they aren’t paying for this. I will return to the GiveWell Blog on Saturday, May 19. In the meantime, here’s…

Read More

What’s in it for me

Today is my first day of working full-time for the Clear Fund. (Technically, since payroll doesn’t start until June, it’s my first day of unemployment.) It’s easy to talk about ditching money for meaning, not so easy to do it. And there’s a lot more I’ve walked away from than money. The job situation I’ve…

Read More

Spending the better half

Our fundraising efforts have started, and dang, do I hate asking for money. For three years, I’ve had way more income than I can spend, and I’ve rarely had to ask anyone for anything. That’s a nice position to be in. This – especially for an abrasive guy like me – is tough. A common…

Read More