UPDATED 1/2024

What are the best charities to support in 2024?

Our recommended charities are highly reputable and remarkably effective. They have been rigorously evaluated and vetted by impact-focused charity evaluators — and those evaluators themselves have been investigated by our research team. We believe these charities represent some of the best opportunities to donate to, as they do substantially more good per dollar than average.

What we look for

(in a charity)

Extreme effectiveness

Charities that demonstrably maximise the good they do with each dollar donated.

Research based

Charities that operate evidence-backed programs or that experts estimate have very high expected impact.

Third-party evaluated

Charities that have been vetted by the research of industry-leading charity evaluators.

Who we look to

(for the best charities)

Trusted, transparent, third-party evaluators play a critical role in our recommendations. And we don’t just rely on any evaluator — we research which evaluators can best help donors maximise their impact.

Trusted evaluators: GiveWell - EA Funds - LongView
Where we focus

(to have the biggest impact)

Why focus on these areas?

Global health and wellbeing

See charities

Animal welfare

See charities

Reducing global catastrophic risks

See charities

What do we mean by “effective”?

Not all charities are equal. Your choice of where to donate can lead to significant differences in impact.

Our research team estimates that you can often do 100x more good with your dollar by donating to the best charities, and sometimes this multiplier is even greater.

If this comes as a surprise, you’re not alone. Many donors vastly underestimate the difference between “good” and “great” charities, which explains why many of the best charities to donate to remain underfunded.

Graph of impact per dollar for different charities

3 steps to donate effectively

Choose a promising cause

Just like triaging in an emergency room, it’s important to be smart about what we work on when. If we don’t prioritise, we won’t help as well as we could have.

LEARN MORE

Find an exceptional organisation or fund

Donating $100 to one of the best charities can do more than giving $10,000 without reflection. Give to charities backed by the best available research and reasoning.

SEE RECOMMENDATIONS

Donate efficiently

Automating your giving is easier than an ad-hoc approach. Create a personalised, recurring donation that automatically gives to multiple high-impact programs at once.

CHOOSE CHARITIES

Best charities for global health and wellbeing (6)

Millions of people die each year from preventable and curable diseases, including approximately 15,000 children every single day. These deaths (and the considerable suffering caused by these types of disease) can be prevented with proven treatments and techniques — that’s why we’ve eradicated these diseases in higher-income countries. The organisations implementing these interventions in lower-income countries, however, are perpetually underfunded.

The best charities for global health and wellbeing tend to operate programmes with a strong evidence base behind them and a proven track record of success. They — quite literally — save and improve lives.


GiveWell: All Grants Fund
All Grants Fund

by GiveWell

GiveWell's All Grants Fund supports the full range of GiveWell’s grantmaking to high-impact opportunities, including at organisations outside of its top charities.

Info
GiveWell: Top Charities Fund
Top Charities Fund

by GiveWell

The Top Charities Fund supports the highest-priority funding needs among GiveWell’s top charities, which are evidence-backed, high-impact, and highly cost-effective opportunities to save and improve the lives of people living in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

Info
Malaria Consortium — Seasonal malaria chemoprevention programme
Malaria Consortium

Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention

Malaria Consortium's seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) programme distributes preventative antimalarial drugs to young children during times of peak malaria transmission.

Info
Against Malaria Foundation
Against Malaria Foundation

Bednets To Prevent Malaria

Against Malaria Foundation (AMF) works to prevent malaria-caused deaths and illness by distributing long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets in at-risk, low-income communities. The organisation also consistently monitors its impact through surveys and case rate data.

Info
Helen Keller Intl— Vitamin A supplementation programme
Helen Keller International

Vitamin A Supplementation

Helen Keller Intl partners with governments across Africa and Asia to provide millions of children every year with lifesaving vitamin A supplements and other nutrients.

Info
New Incentives
New Incentives

Childhood Immunisation Incentives

New Incentives’ mission is to save lives in a way that does the most good per dollar. Guided by evidence, they provide cash incentives to increase childhood vaccination rates.

Info

Can’t choose?
Let experts decide.

Give to our Global Health and Wellbeing Fund.

MORE ABOUT FUNDS

Global Health and Wellbeing Fund
Global Health and Wellbeing Fund

by Giving What We Can

The Global Health and Wellbeing Fund directs funding to highly effective organisations working to improve human wellbeing. Currently, the research team consults with GiveWell when determining where to allocate funds.

More info

More options in global health and wellbeing

We've highlighted a few other supported programmes below. We don't currently include these programmes on our recommendations list, but think they may be interesting for donors to investigate further. The full list of supported programmes is available on our donation platform.

Founders Pledge: Global Health and Development Fund
Effective Altruism Funds: Global Health and Development Fund
Lead Exposure Elimination Project
Family Empowerment Media
Suvita

Best charities for animal welfare (2)

Despite widespread awareness of animal suffering, only about 3% of US charitable contributions support animals and the environment. Farmed animals are even more neglected, receiving only 0.03% of all US charitable donations. Yet farmed animals experience the overwhelming majority of human-inflicted animal suffering. They live lives filled with extreme physical and emotional distress — and in the US alone, over one million land animals are slaughtered every hour.

The best charities for animal welfare tend to operate programmes that are large in scale and tractable — they could reduce or eliminate the suffering of many, many animals through changes in policy, legislation, and consumer choices.


Effective Altruism Funds: Animal Welfare Fund
Animal Welfare Fund

by Effective Altruism Funds

The Animal Welfare Fund aims to effectively improve the wellbeing of nonhuman animals by making grants that focus on one or more best-in-class opportunities.

Info
The Humane League (Corporate campaign programs)
The Humane League

Corporate Animal Welfare Campaigns

The Humane League exists to end the abuse of animals raised for food. It does this by influencing the policies of the world’s biggest companies, demanding legislation, and empowering others to take action and leave animals off their plates. We specifically recommend The Humane League’s work on corporate campaigns for chicken welfare.

Info

Can’t choose?
Let experts decide.

Give to our Effective Animal Advocacy fund.

MORE ABOUT FUNDS

Effective Animal Advocacy Fund
Effective Animal Advocacy Fund

by Giving What We Can

The Effective Animal Advocacy Fund directs funding to highly effective organisations working to improve animal welfare. Currently, the research team plans to allocate half of this fund to the Animal Welfare Fund (EA Funds) and half to The Humane League’s corporate campaign work.

More info

More options in animal welfare

We've highlighted a few other supported programmes below. We don't currently include these programmes on our recommendations list, but think they may be interesting for donors to investigate further. The full list of supported programmes is available on our donation platform.

Animal Charity Evaluators: Recommended Charity Fund
Animal Charity Evaluators: Movement Grants fund
Good Food Institute
Faunalytics
Wild Animal Initiative

Best charities for reducing global catastrophic risks (2)

Pandemics. Rogue AI. Nuclear catastrophe. Some of these threats may be more likely than we imagine — and with the wrong dice roll, could endanger the future of not only everyone alive today, but everyone who could ever live. Despite the enormous scale of these threats, research and initiatives to prevent them are still relatively limited. While interventions in this area aren’t always as tractable as in other areas, the threats are so large that it could be incredibly impactful to fund projects that give us a better chance at preventing them.

The best giving options for reducing global catastrophic risks are funds that support promising projects to improve nuclear and biosecurity, prevent pandemics, and promote beneficial AI. (Because the field is developing so rapidly and the impact of interventions is harder to measure than in other areas, the expertise and context of specialised grantmakers are even more valuable when supporting this type of work.)


Longview Philanthropy: Emerging Challenges Fund
Emerging Challenges Fund

by Longview Philanthropy

The Emerging Challenges Fund — managed by Longview Philanthropy — directs funding to highly effective organisations working to safeguard the long-term future of humanity.

Info
Effective Altruism Funds: Long-Term Future Fund
Long-Term Future Fund

by Effective Altruism Funds

The Long-Term Future Fund aims to positively influence the long-term trajectory of civilisation by making grants that address global catastrophic risks, especially potential risks from advanced artificial intelligence and pandemics.

Info

Can’t choose?
Let experts decide.

Give to our Risks and Resilience Fund.

MORE ABOUT FUNDS

Risks and Resilience Fund
Risks and Resilience Fund

by Giving What We Can

The Risks and Resilience Fund directs funding to highly effective organisations working to reduce global catastrophic risks. Currently, the research team plans to allocate half of the fund's budget to the Long-Term Future Fund (EA Funds) and half to the Emerging Challenges Fund (Longview Philanthropy).

More info

More options in global catastrophic risks

We've highlighted a few other supported programmes below. We don't currently include these programmes on our recommendations list, but think they may be interesting for donors to investigate further. The full list of supported programmes is available on our donation platform.

Founders Pledge: Global Catastrophic Risks Fund
Founders Pledge: Patient Philanthropy Fund
Longview Philanthropy: Nuclear Weapons Policy Fund
Nuclear Threat Initiative — Biosecurity programme
Center for Human-Compatible Artificial Intelligence (CHAI)

More impact with funds

A fund pools donations from many donors, which expert grantmakers then direct as effectively as possible — typically taking into account the current funding needs of high-impact charities working within the cause area the fund aims to support.

In other words, donating to a charitable fund is similar to using an actively managed investment fund instead of trying to pick individual stocks to invest in — but with charitable funds, you don’t typically pay a fee for the expertise you gain! Read more.

Global Health and Wellbeing Fund
Global Health and Wellbeing Fund

by Giving What We Can

The Global Health and Wellbeing Fund directs funding to highly effective organisations working to improve human wellbeing. Currently, the research team consults with GiveWell when determining where to allocate funds.

Info
Effective Animal Advocacy Fund
Effective Animal Advocacy Fund

by Giving What We Can

The Effective Animal Advocacy Fund directs funding to highly effective organisations working to improve animal welfare. Currently, the research team plans to allocate half of this fund to the Animal Welfare Fund (EA Funds) and half to The Humane League’s corporate campaign work.

Info
Risks and Resilience Fund
Risks and Resilience Fund

by Giving What We Can

The Risks and Resilience Fund directs funding to highly effective organisations working to reduce global catastrophic risks. Currently, the research team plans to allocate half of the fund's budget to the Long-Term Future Fund (EA Funds) and half to the Emerging Challenges Fund (Longview Philanthropy).

Info
GiveWell: All Grants Fund
All Grants Fund

by GiveWell

GiveWell's All Grants Fund supports the full range of GiveWell’s grantmaking to high-impact opportunities, including at organisations outside of its top charities.

Info
GiveWell: Top Charities Fund
Top Charities Fund

by GiveWell

The Top Charities Fund supports the highest-priority funding needs among GiveWell’s top charities, which are evidence-backed, high-impact, and highly cost-effective opportunities to save and improve the lives of people living in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

Info
Effective Altruism Funds: Animal Welfare Fund
Animal Welfare Fund

by Effective Altruism Funds

The Animal Welfare Fund aims to effectively improve the wellbeing of nonhuman animals by making grants that focus on one or more best-in-class opportunities.

Info
Longview Philanthropy: Emerging Challenges Fund
Emerging Challenges Fund

by Longview Philanthropy

The Emerging Challenges Fund — managed by Longview Philanthropy — directs funding to highly effective organisations working to safeguard the long-term future of humanity.

Info
Effective Altruism Funds: Long-Term Future Fund
Long-Term Future Fund

by Effective Altruism Funds

The Long-Term Future Fund aims to positively influence the long-term trajectory of civilisation by making grants that address global catastrophic risks, especially potential risks from advanced artificial intelligence and pandemics.

Info
All Causes Bundle

Can’t decide? This bundle allows you to split your donation across all three of our GWWC-managed cause area funds.

MORE INFO

Promising charities in other areas

We haven’t (yet) included areas like climate change or effective giving outreach/education on our recommendations list, but we think these areas (and the charities working in them) may be interesting for donors to investigate further. We've highlighted a selection below; you can see the full list on our donation platform.

Founders Pledge: Climate Change Fund
Climate Change Fund

by Founders Pledge

The Founders Pledge Climate Change Fund supports highly impactful, evidence-based solutions to the “triple challenge” of carbon emissions, air pollution, and energy poverty.

Info
Giving Green Fund
Giving Green Grantmaking Fund

by Giving Green

Giving Green is a team of climate scientists, economists, and impact evaluation experts with decades of experience working at the intersection of evidence-based policy and the environment. The Giving Green Fund strategically supports its recommended high-impact giving opportunities.

Info
Effective Altruism Funds: Effective Altruism Infrastructure Fund
Effective Altruism Infrastructure Fund

by Effective Altruism Funds

The Effective Altruism Infrastructure Fund aims to increase the impact of projects that use the principles of effective altruism, by increasing their access to talent, capital, and knowledge.

Info
Charity Entrepreneurship: Incubated Charities Fund
Incubated Charities Fund

by Charity Entrepreneurship

Charity Entrepreneurship is a research and training programme that incubates multiple effective charities annually. Its Incubated Charities Fund allows you to support its Incubated Charities that do not have their own GWWC page. Donations to this fund are used to advance incubated charities' seed grants when these charities finish the program.

Info
The Life You Can Save
The Life You Can Save

Effective Giving Research & Advocacy

The Life You Can Save works to end extreme global poverty through the power of effective giving.

Info

Don’t see what you're looking for?

The recommendations above have been thoroughly researched and vetted as exceptional opportunities for impact. However, our donation platform also supports a number of other programmes that broadly align with our principles — in other words, they are addressing a pressing problem and taking a reasonably promising approach. We’ve highlighted a few of these that we think may be of particular interest to donors in each cause area (see why), but you can also see all of our supported programmes here.

SEE ALL PROGRAMS

About Giving What We Can

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Co-founded in 2009 by moral philosophers Toby Ord and William MacAskill, Giving What We Can is a global community of effective givers and a resource hub for people who want to help. We curate a carefully vetted list of charity recommendations, offer resources and guides so you can make a bigger difference on the problems you care about, and work to change the norms around charitable giving to inspire people to give more, and more effectively.


We believe the scale of global income inequality is so vast that most people living in high-income countries have significant power to affect the lives of others. (See where you stack up here.) To that end, we also help people support high-impact charitable programmes and projects via our donation platform and invite you to join the 9,531 people who have taken a giving pledge.

OUR MEMBERS OUR PLEDGES

Donor advising

Donors who plan to make substantial donations can benefit from working with a philanthropic advisor. Please reach out to us and we’ll connect you with an appropriate person or organisation.

REQUEST DONATION ADVICE

Recommendations FAQ

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We don’t charge fees.

Giving What We Can does not take any fees from donors who use our platform. We are independently funded to promote our mission of making giving effectively and significantly a cultural norm.

We don’t accept funding from the evaluators and programmes we recommend.

Giving What We Can does not take any fees from the charities and programmes listed on our platform. We are independently funded to promote our mission of making giving effectively and significantly a cultural norm.

We provide our services for free.

So that you can donate effectively and confidently. But you can support us directly if you appreciate our work.

How do I choose among these charities and funds?
How do you decide which charities to recommend?
Why is your list of recommendations so short?
Where can I find more donation options?
Why did you decide to more deeply investigate the third-party evaluators you use?
What are the Giving What We Can cause area funds?
Why don’t you recommend charities working on my favourite cause?
What’s the difference between your top-rated charities and a list like Charity Navigator’s?
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