Update Explanation

On AMF, SCI, and DtW: GiveWell — whose research has been the primary input to our thinking on these charities — ranks AMF #1, ranks SCI #2, and has not recommended DtW. If forced to choose among the three, we might follow GiveWell, but we think it is a very hard call, and we would not be surprised if we had a different view of the matter in a few months. This is why we recommend all three charities equally.

On RESULTS: We believe that donations to RESULTS may turn out to be significantly more cost-effective than donations to our currently top-recommended charities, however we feel that our evidence for this is currently too thin and unstable to make a recommendation. We would not be surprised if donations to RESULTS turned out to be several times more cost-effective than donations to our top-recommended charities, but we also wouldn't be surprised to learn that they are significantly less cost-effective, perhaps even for reasons that could have been uncovered in advance. We hope to shore up some of our uncertainty and make an official recommendation in the coming months, but we should note that some donors willing to take significant risk for a potentially more significant return may wish to donate to RESULTS right now, or wait for us to look into the matter further.

For more information on our rankings and our methodology, see Our Methodology and What Changed?

Last updated 6 ^th June 2012