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     Jump to Navigation             GiveWell        Giving EffectivelyGiving 101 Your Donation Can Change Someone's Life The Wrong Donation Can Accomplish Nothing Your Dollar Goes Further Overseas Your Dollar Goes Further When You Fund the Right Program Quick Start Guide  How We WorkWho We Are Process Criteria Transparency Evaluations of GiveWell Research FAQ Core Competencies  Top CharitiesMalaria Consortium Against Malaria Foundation Helen Keller International Deworm the World Initiative Sightsavers The END Fund GiveDirectly SCI Foundation Standout Charities  ResearchCharity Site Visits Notes from Research Conversations Intervention Reports Cost-Effectiveness Analyses Other Charity Reviews GiveWell Incubation Grants  Our Mistakes AboutAbout GiveWell Progress to Date Our Story Our People Official Records Reputation Impact Frequently Asked Questions Donate Contact Us Jobs  UpdatesBlog RSS Feeds Stay Updated           Enter search terms here.   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            You are hereHome » Giving Effectively » Giving 101 Giving 101: The Basics     FacebookTwitter>Print>Email                     The key principles we recommend you keep in mind when deciding where to give:Your donation can change someone's life. For a few thousand dollars you can save or improve someone's life in the developing world. This claim isn't a normal "marketing pitch" you read in direct mail solicitations—it's the result that outstanding charities achieve. For more, see:

 Your Donation Can Change Someone's Life Our full list of Top Charities The wrong donation can accomplish nothing. Charities that demonstrably change lives are the exception, not the rule. Why? Fundraisers often rely on social connections or emotional pleas, and almost never make fact-based demonstrations of programs' effectiveness. This means that lots of charities raise money and run programs without ever demonstrating that their programs actually work. Why should charities have to demonstrate that their programs work?

 Experts, governments and foundations have tried (and often failed) for decades to solve many of the same problems charities are working on today. This means that many charities may not be accomplishing anything at all. For more, see:

 The Wrong Donation Can Accomplish Nothing Most Charities' Evidence  Your dollar goes further overseas. Ultimately, there's no "right" answer to the question of which cause you should support. As you consider that decision, it's worth recognizing that the impact you can have with your donation varies greatly between causes. If you focus on education in New York City, it costs over $100,000 to educate a student throughout 12 years of school. When supporting international aid, you can save a person's life for approximately $2,300.1 That doesn't mean you should necessarily support international aid, but, just like any time you spend your money, it's important to know what you're getting. For more, see:

 Your Dollar Goes Further Overseas  Next

 1. See the "SMC" sheet in 2019 GiveWell Cost-Effectiveness Analysis — Version 6 $100,000 (Arbitrary Donation Size, cell B11) divided by 43.5 (Malaria-attributable deaths averted with hypothetical donation, cell B87) equals ~$2,300.                           Home Contact Stay updated FAQ For Charities Site map Privacy Policy       Follow Us: Facebook Twitter RSS   Subscribe to email updates:  GiveWell, aka The Clear Fund (a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charity), was founded in 2007. We serve donors across the Globe; GiveWell's donors are based primarily in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, and Canada. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share alike 3.0 United States License              try { clicky.init(78566); }catch(e){} 

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