GiveWell's Cost-Effectiveness Analyses | GiveWell
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/modules/system/system.base.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/modules/system/system.menus.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/modules/system/system.messages.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/modules/system/system.theme.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/sites/all/modules/contrib/jquery_update/replace/ui/themes/base/minified/jquery.ui.core.min.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/sites/all/modules/contrib/jquery_update/replace/ui/themes/base/minified/jquery.ui.theme.min.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/sites/all/modules/contrib/jquery_update/replace/ui/themes/base/minified/jquery.ui.accordion.min.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/modules/aggregator/aggregator.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/modules/comment/comment.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/sites/all/modules/contrib/date/date_api/date.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/modules/field/theme/field.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/sites/all/modules/contrib/footnotes/footnotes.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/modules/node/node.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/modules/search/search.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/modules/user/user.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/sites/all/modules/contrib/views/css/views.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/sites/all/modules/contrib/ckeditor/css/ckeditor.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/sites/all/modules/contrib/ctools/css/ctools.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/sites/all/modules/contrib/taxonomy_access/taxonomy_access.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/sites/all/modules/contrib/content_type_extras/css/content_type_extras.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/sites/all/modules/contrib/print/print_ui/css/print_ui.theme.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/sites/all/themes/gw_basic/styles/css/global/normalize.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/sites/all/themes/gw_basic/styles/css/global/gw-fonts.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/sites/all/themes/gw_basic/styles/css/global/html.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/sites/all/themes/gw_basic/styles/css/global/global.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/sites/all/themes/gw_basic/styles/css/global/meanmenu.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/sites/all/themes/gw_basic/styles/css/global/page-layout.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/sites/all/themes/gw_basic/styles/css/global/html-colors.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/sites/all/themes/gw_basic/styles/css/pages/pages.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/sites/all/themes/gw_basic/styles/css/pages/new-home.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/sites/all/themes/gw_basic/styles/sitesearch.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/sites/all/themes/gw_basic/styles/formstack.css?qab1w1");
@import url("https://web.archive.org./web/20200514055045cs_/https://www.givewell.org/sites/all/themes/gw_basic/styles/css/global/admin.css?qab1w1");
jQuery.extend(Drupal.settings, {"basePath":"\/","pathPrefix":"","ajaxPageState":{"theme":"gw_basic","theme_token":"LSjQCHHtaRPbPUV4-S6fthbn8x7lB77YElgR56NtnBE","js":{"public:\/\/google_tag\/google_tag.script.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/jquery_update\/replace\/jquery\/1.10\/jquery.min.js":1,"misc\/jquery-extend-3.4.0.js":1,"misc\/jquery.once.js":1,"misc\/drupal.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/jquery_update\/replace\/ui\/ui\/minified\/jquery.ui.core.min.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/jquery_update\/replace\/ui\/ui\/minified\/jquery.ui.widget.min.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/jquery_update\/replace\/ui\/external\/jquery.cookie.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/jquery_update\/replace\/ui\/ui\/minified\/jquery.ui.accordion.min.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/resp_img\/resp_img.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/custom\/givewell_add_querystring\/js\/givewell_add_querystring.js":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/gw_basic\/scripts\/lib\/modernizr.custom.74085.js":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/gw_basic\/scripts\/lib\/mean-menu\/jquery.meanmenu.min.js":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/gw_basic\/scripts\/lib\/jquery-migrate-1.0.0.js":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/gw_basic\/scripts\/lib\/jquery-validation\/dist\/jquery.validate.min.js":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/gw_basic\/scripts\/lib\/multiselect\/jquery.multiselect.min.js":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/gw_basic\/scripts\/lib\/dropkick.js":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/gw_basic\/scripts\/lib\/jquery.pep.js":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/gw_basic\/scripts\/main.js":1},"css":{"modules\/system\/system.base.css":1,"modules\/system\/system.menus.css":1,"modules\/system\/system.messages.css":1,"modules\/system\/system.theme.css":1,"misc\/ui\/jquery.ui.core.css":1,"misc\/ui\/jquery.ui.theme.css":1,"misc\/ui\/jquery.ui.accordion.css":1,"modules\/aggregator\/aggregator.css":1,"modules\/comment\/comment.css":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/date\/date_api\/date.css":1,"modules\/field\/theme\/field.css":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/footnotes\/footnotes.css":1,"modules\/node\/node.css":1,"modules\/search\/search.css":1,"modules\/user\/user.css":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/views\/css\/views.css":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/ckeditor\/css\/ckeditor.css":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/ctools\/css\/ctools.css":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/taxonomy_access\/taxonomy_access.css":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/content_type_extras\/css\/content_type_extras.css":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/print\/print_ui\/css\/print_ui.theme.css":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/gw_basic\/styles\/css\/global\/normalize.css":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/gw_basic\/styles\/css\/global\/gw-fonts.css":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/gw_basic\/styles\/css\/global\/html.css":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/gw_basic\/styles\/css\/global\/global.css":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/gw_basic\/styles\/css\/global\/meanmenu.css":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/gw_basic\/styles\/css\/global\/page-layout.css":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/gw_basic\/styles\/css\/global\/html-colors.css":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/gw_basic\/styles\/css\/pages\/pages.css":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/gw_basic\/styles\/css\/pages\/new-home.css":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/gw_basic\/styles\/sitesearch.css":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/gw_basic\/styles\/formstack.css":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/gw_basic\/styles\/css\/global\/admin.css":1}},"respImg":{"default_suffix":"","current_suffix":false,"forceRedirect":false,"forceResize":false,"reloadOnResize":false,"useDevicePixelRatio":false,"suffixes":{"":1}},"urlIsAjaxTrusted":{"\/how-we-work\/our-criteria\/cost-effectiveness\/cost-effectiveness-models":true}});
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
SCI Foundation
Sightsavers
The END Fund
GiveDirectly
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.
This search returns results from both GiveWell's main site and from the GiveWell Blog.
Search form
Search
DonateDonate
You are hereHome » Research » Cost-Effectiveness Analyses
GiveWell's Cost-Effectiveness Analyses
FacebookTwitter>Print>Email
Updated: April 2020
Our cost-effectiveness analyses are an important input into our charity recommendations. We view cost-effectiveness analyses as valuable for helping us identify large differences in the cost-effectiveness of organizations we're considering for a recommendation and to encourage staff to think through relevant issues related to charities' work. However, although we spend significant staff time on our cost-effectiveness analyses, we consider our cost-effectiveness numbers to be extremely rough. We do not make charity recommendations solely on the basis of cost-effectiveness calculations and will rely heavily on other factors, such as an organization's track record, when we are comparing organizations with cost-effectiveness estimates that are not very different.
The model relies on individuals' philosophical values—for example, how to weigh increasing a person's income relative to averting a death—and difficult judgment calls about which we have limited information, such as the likelihood that a program as it is implemented will have the same impact as the program when it was studied. We encourage those who are interested to make a copy of the model and edit it to account for their own values. We also strongly encourage those who use our research to read more about our approach to cost-effectiveness and our page with details on a 2019 survey of about 2,000 people living in extreme poverty in Kenya and Ghana about how they value different outcomes.
Our Cost-Effectiveness Model
Last Updated: November 25, 2019
The most recent version of our model can be accessed via the links below. Earlier versions of the 2019 model are accessible via links in the changelog.
View
Make editable copy