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Grace Adams

It’s been a big couple of months! We’ve celebrated our 15th anniversary, we’ve announced our 2025 charity recommendations, and we’ve just finished holding our Pledge Week!

We’re only days away from the end of the year, so now is a great time to:

Finalise any donations for 2024 (maybe even make some donations as last-minute gifts)

(If you have not taken a Pledge yet,) take some time to consider whether you can take a 

 (or a custom percentage) of your income for 2025 — if you think you can afford even 1% of your income for one year, we have a 

(For our pledgers:) check out your donation stats and graphs for the year on your Pledge dashboard!

We have lots of news down below to keep you entertained and informed over the holidays. My picks are 

 on continuing to donate half their household income and 

 about how to interpret our claim that you can do up to 100x more good when donating to effective charities.

From our team at Giving What We Can — Happy Holidays!

Here are some of our favourite responses from people who took a pledge last month:

What motivated you to take a pledge with Giving What We Can?

“We can effectively improve the lives of less fortunate people, and significantly impact future generations.” 

“I'm a university student and I just started making some money as a freelancer. Being able to give has always been a dream of mine and I want to start giving as early as possible.” 

“It's too easy to ignore the amount of suffering in the world, instead of taking significant action to reduce it. It's too easy to forget how bad it is and how much you would want help if it was you.” 

 are here to help you maximise your impact! When you donate to a charity on our list, you can be confident your contribution will be well spent. Check out our Recommendations FAQ at the bottom of the page for info on the reasoning and research behind our list.

 page for more information about why and how we evaluate charity evaluators, and how this ongoing research informs our charity recommendations.

. The role is fully remote. (We have a slight preference for US or UK candidates but are open to global talent!) The deadline to apply is January 9, 2025, 11:59 PM GMT.

Our Donor Lottery is now open, with a block size of $200k USD! A donor lottery gives you a chance to direct a larger sum of money than your donation. We'll help winners make the best-informed decision possible. 

where the GWWC team is donating this year

Wondering what we mean (and what we don’t mean) when we say you can have 100 times more impact when donating to the best charities? 

We published a lot of great stories for Pledge Week, including:

moving from a 3% Trial Pledge to the 10% Pledge

taking the 10% Pledge before even earning an income

Beyond the dichotomy: Perspectives on direct work and effective giving

, exploring a few ways to think about how direct work and effective giving could complement each other, and spotlighting the thoughts and stories of some pledgers who do both.

 – how writing the soon-to-be-released 

 moved Jacob from belief to action and motivated him to take the 10% Pledge

This giving season, you might want to read 10% Pledger Julia Wise's reflections on donating up to 50% of her income while navigating career changes and raising a family. Her journey offers thoughtful insights that might spark ideas and encouragement for your giving plans for 2025. 

We had a chance to get a photo of a good bunch of the Australian and New Zealand GWWC community at EAGxAustralasia a few weeks ago. Take a look at all these lovely faces!

US donors might find this new tool helpful: 

 launched on Giving Tuesday as a free, open-source tool to help US donors calculate the true cost of their charitable giving. By analysing how donations affect your taxes and net income, GiveCalc empowers donors to give more effectively while considering state and income-level nuances. 

” with two long-time 10% Pledgers, Richard Chappell and Darius Meissner. It is designed to be accessible for undergraduates and informative for advanced readers.

 provides insights for animal advocates and funders in China, Southeast Asia, and beyond. By exploring how research is used, adapted, and produced by advocacy organisations in the region, this study offers a roadmap to bolster animal protection efforts in these culturally unique and logistically complex areas. 

THL UK raised £100,000 for its work for farmed animals in the funding appeal it ran from November 25 to December 3, exceeding its original target of £80k!

THL received a judgment from the Appeal Court on its judicial review against Defra – the judges ruled the law says animals can’t be bred if their genes cause them to suffer. THL is optimistic about the possibilities this judgment brings to end the use of ‘Frankenchickens’ in the UK.

’s Executive Director Cameron Meyer Shorb spoke on wild animal welfare at the 2024 

 (COP 16), where 177 nations were represented. While a conventional approach to conservation values biodiversity as a mechanism to prevent the extinction of species, Cameron encouraged the audience to consider an additional angle: how biodiversity can affect quality of life for wild animals as individuals, and why more research in this area is critical.

a blog post on its 2024 initiatives to drive real climate action

 by highlighting the role of alternative proteins in addressing agricultural emissions. GFI’s research shows the potential of protein diversification to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, free up 21% of farmland for biodiversity, and contribute €20-85 billion annually to the EU economy. By engaging stakeholders across policy, science, and agriculture, GFI is advancing discussions about protein diversification as a potential climate strategy. Read more about 

why GFI believes coalition building is crucial

project brief about its work in Cambodia raising awareness about cervical cancer

paving the way for the new malaria vaccine to be rolled out in Uganda

 in multiple time zones! It is looking for several Program Managers with different regional and/or language focuses, as well as a Program Manager who will work on industry engagement. LEEP is also seeking Senior Managers to help lead and inspire teams of Program Managers. The application deadline is January 5th

 brought together over 100 education policymakers, implementers, and supporters from Ministries of Education, development partners, and education organisations to reflect on their shared goal to improve children’s basic reading and math skills. Find a summary of 

reflections on the TaRL Africa conference here

The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security 

 on the risks of “mirror bacteria.” In the commentary, CHS’s director joins an international team of senior scientists to call for caution, stating “mirror bacteria, if created, could spread widely and irreversibly, with the potential for extraordinary mortality of humans and many other species.” 

Donors interested in supporting AI safety may be interested in 

Catalzye’s AI Safety Seed Funding Circle

, which connects donors to “pre-screened” AI safety non-profits focused on reducing risks from advanced AI systems. Members coordinate, network, and make independent funding decisions. The upcoming February 2025 round will concentrate on technical AI safety organizations. Interested donors can learn more by reaching out by 

Vox’s list of the best climate change charities

! The list includes eleven organisations Vox believes are doing the most effective, cost-effective and evidence-based work to tackle climate change.

Staff Members' Personal Donations for Giving Season 2024

re-evaluated the cost effectiveness of direct cash transfers as implemented by GiveDirectly, now estimating GiveDirectly’s flagship cash program to be 3-4x more cost-effective than previously estimated. See the 

 to their grant deployment timelines and a 

 shared their staff’s recommendations for individual donors in 2024, sharing suggestions in eight cause areas – 

’s research and recommendations were featured in 

Founder and executive director, Dr. Dan Stein, appeared on the 

 podcast to discuss the impact of individual actions vs. donations to high-impact nonprofits.

You can catch up on Giving Green’s “Bold Climate Philanthropy for 2025 and Beyond” webinar with the 

 to which nearly 500 donors contributed and voted in – the winning recipients of $21k USD are 

 (one of GWWC’s top recommendations for 2025) and Shrimp Welfare Project (one of the recipients of the Animal Welfare Fund).

Cause Area Lead in Global Health and Development

 to guide the GHD work on its research team, which identifies and evaluates high-impact funding opportunities.


We love seeing our community sharing stories about 

 and spreading the word about effective giving. We are stronger together! Tag us on 

 and stay connected with us for more news and updates.

Do you have any feedback on our newsletter or communications? 

 with Giving What We Can and effective giving.

Do you have questions about the pledge, Giving What We Can, or effective giving in general? Check out our 

December news: Wrapping Up 2024 

Alana Horowitz Friedman

Jacob Bauer

Author of Effective Altruism: An Introduction explains how writing his book motivated him to commit 10% of his income to high-impact charities.

From ideals to impact: Jacob Bauer on how writing his book changed his approach to giving

“After a decade of teaching, the book's research reaffirmed a truth I already understood: ten percent of my modest income can do immense good in the world, when directed toward high-impact charities. What was I waiting for?” - Jacob Bauer, author of 

It’s not uncommon for a powerful book to make a big impact on someone’s life. But it’s especially notable when that book is your own.

Such was the case for Jacob Bauer, who has known about the principles of effective altruism for over a decade, and even teaches them to his philosophy students. Yet it wasn’t until he was in the thick of writing his book — 

 — that he moved from belief to action.

“Reflecting on the long-term scale of human history helped put my own finances in perspective. My own financial struggles or concerns about job security seemed trivial compared to the life-threatening uncertainties faced daily by those in extreme poverty,” wrote Jacob when I asked him if he would mind sharing what finally pushed him over the line. “While I’ve known this for a while, reading through the current research for the book and conveying these incredible figures to others just really hit home.”

You can read Jacob’s full giving story below. We’re also very excited to read 

, which officially launches worldwide on February 11th, 2025, but which is available in the UK and international markets now. (The eBook is already available worldwide!)

My giving story: Why I pledged to donate 10% to high-impact charities

In brief, my two main reasons for taking Giving What We Can’s 10% pledge are: 

1) the realization that I am one of the most privileged people ever to be born, and 

2) that I can use that privilege to make a positive difference in the lives of the most underprivileged people in the world.

Although I have long held these beliefs, it was through researching and writing my book 

 that I moved from belief to action. In this article, I share my “giving story” and how teaching, research, and writing eventually led me to take the 10% Pledge.

My desire to give was sparked nearly 20 years ago during my first year of college when I read Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography. This led me to research Gandhi’s broader philosophy of nonviolence. Gandhi believed that nonviolence was an active virtue, requiring care for all individuals and, as a result, living a life of service. Raised in a privileged family in India, Gandhi was sent to London to train as a lawyer. Later, after witnessing extreme poverty and social injustices, he renounced his wealth and redirected his resources to aid his community and fight for social change. Gandhi believed that this was a moral responsibility, given the world we live in.

Gandhi advocated for two striking principles: non-stealing and non-possession. Non-stealing asserts that we should not take more than we need, as surplus resources belong to those who lack them; it is “theft if one receives anything which one does not really need.” Non-possession builds on this, holding that as long as others are deprived of the basic necessities of life, it is wrong to keep unnecessary possessions; one should “not possess anything which one does not really need.” Gandhi’s commitment to these principles led him to live in voluntary poverty, dying with only a handful of possessions.

While I agreed with Gandhi in theory, I found it difficult, to say the least, to live up to his high standards. As a college student with a negative net income, I saved spare change to donate to local charities but felt dissatisfied with my impact.

After graduating, I began teaching philosophy as an adjunct professor at multiple colleges. These part-time positions paid low wages (by U.S. standards). I had been teaching about utilitarianism and Peter Singer’s arguments for giving, when I discovered Singer’s 2013 TED Talk, 

. Singer’s arguments about our moral obligation to give were broadly aligned with Gandhi’s views, albeit from a different moral framework — Singer argues that since we can prevent terrible things from happening by giving away our money, we ought to do so. This TED talk introduced me to the wider movement of Effective Altruism — a project dedicated to using evidence and reason to identify the most effective ways to help others.

So alongside teaching Singer’s arguments, I began introducing students to effective altruism. Students often highlighted these lectures as transformative, prompting them to reconsider their potential impact on the world. Occasionally, I would be asked if I donated to charity. I’d answer honestly: I wanted to give more but, at the time, I was earning poverty-level wages and supporting a family. Nonetheless, I hoped to give more in the future.

In Fall 2019, I secured a full-time teaching position with better pay and was thrilled at the prospect of finally building some financial stability. That sense of security, however, was short-lived. Just a few months later, the COVID-19 pandemic brought widespread uncertainty and massive disruptions across industries, including higher education. Although I was fortunate to keep my position, it was unclear at the time whether I would still have a job in the following academic year.

It was during this turbulent time that I read Singer’s book, 

. These books helped me realize that, despite my financial struggles by U.S. standards, my position was far better than that of most people globally.

Hundreds of millions of people are in extreme poverty, living on less than $800 per year (adjusted for purchasing power parity). Through no fault of their own, millions of families lack access to the basic necessities that I routinely take for granted.

At the end of Singer’s book, I was surprised by his updated, more modest giving recommendations. In many of his earlier writings, Singer argued that we should give away

 all extra income that would otherwise be spent on luxuries

 (a position similar to Gandhi’s). However, he later recognized that setting such a high bar might deter people from engaging with the idea of high-impact giving altogether.

To address this, Singer now advocates for a more realistic and attainable starting point. He proposes a giving scale that starts at donating 1% of income to high-impact charities, with higher percentages for higher income brackets (capping at 50% of income above $53 million). This modest giving scale was “designed to have a barely noticeable impact on your standard of living — and a life-saving impact on those in extreme poverty.”

Singer’s giving scale helped me realize that I could give more systematically without imposing any meaningful hardship on myself or my family. My concerns about job security were overshadowed by the life-threatening uncertainties faced daily by those in extreme poverty. I began donating between 1-2% of my income each month to the Against Malaria Foundation (consistently ranked as one of the highest-impact charities by GiveWell). I viewed this as a starting point and planned to increase this percentage over time. I also took 

, which is based on Singer’s giving scale. (For anyone interested in a similar commitment, 

 is another great option — one I wish I had also taken at the time, in hindsight.)

A turning point: writing about effective altruism

My teaching eventually led to a book contract to write an introduction to effective altruism. As a faculty member with high course loads, this project required essentially working two full-time jobs — I would have to work nights, weekends, and holidays. Despite the challenges, I was eager to take on the project, as I had seen — through the interest of my students — how the principles of effective altruism could make a difference in people’s lives.

Throughout most of 2023 and early 2024, I researched and wrote 

. A large portion of the book involved transforming my lectures on effective altruism into book chapters while updating the arguments and data to the most recent available research.

As I carefully evaluated and reconstructed the arguments for giving during this time, I reflected on my own ability to give more to high-impact charities. Writing Chapter 2, "Global Poverty: You CAN Make a Difference," helped crystallize the reality that my modest income by USA standards represents immense wealth from the perspective of most of the world. Writing Chapter 6 on longtermism not only deepened my appreciation of our long-term potential but also helped me reflect on my place in long-term human history. Not only am I one of the most fortunate people alive today, I am, by far, one of the most fortunate people to ever live. Of the over 100 billion humans born during our 200-300 thousand-year history, almost all lived in utter hardship compared to my own, with 

nearly half dying before reaching adulthood

This helped contextualise my own financial situation. Any struggles I had or worried about simply paled in comparison to the resource struggles that almost all humans had faced up to this point. While writing the book, I also read through some of the current research on how much good our donations can do when directed to high-impact charities. “A donation to The Fred Hollows Foundation of as little as $50 can cure a person of blindness. Protecting an individual from iodine deficiency, which can lead to terrible health effects such as brain damage, costs as little as $0.10 per year through the Iodine Global Network. Expanding deworming programs costs around $0.50 per treatment and expanding access to safe drinking water costs around $1.50 per person per year through the charity Evidence Action.” (Chapter 2). After a decade of teaching, the book's research reaffirmed a truth I already understood: ten percent of my modest income can do immense good in the world, when directed toward high-impact charities. What was I waiting for?

In late 2023, amidst writing my book, I increased my donations to 10% of my income. In early 2024, I finally committed; I took 

, joining a community of thousands of others who pledged before me. Most of my donations now go to 

, including Giving What We Can’s Global Health and Wellbeing Fund, the Effective Animal Advocacy Fund, the Risks and Resilience Fund, and the Giving Green Grantmaking Fund.

Ironically, just months after taking the Pledge, my university announced plans to downsize, with my position among those at risk.

In light of this, do I regret taking the 10% Pledge? Not in the slightest. Even if I lose my job, I remain far more privileged than most people who have ever lived. I am grateful to contribute to improving lives and hope my modest contributions help build a better future. And even though it took me years to do it, I still view the 10% Pledge as a starting point. I hope to continue increasing my giving in the future, and I hope to inspire others to think deeply about the many ways they can make a positive difference in the world. But most importantly, I hope my story helps inspire others to not just think….

, especially if they already resonate with the ideas and principles behind effective giving.

From ideals to impact: Jacob Bauer on how writing his book changed his approach to giving 

Are direct work and effective giving two tools in the same impact toolbox? Here are some ways to think about the relationship, as well as some thoughts from people who do both.

Blog

December news: Wrapping Up 2024

From ideals to impact: Jacob Bauer on how writing his book changed his approach to giving

Beyond the dichotomy: Perspectives on direct work and effective giving

Where are the GWWC team donating this year?

Why I took the 🔸10% Pledge before earning an income

How I moved from donating 3% to a 10% Pledge

Comparing effective giving to other forms of charitable donations: Dos and Don’ts

Pledge Week 2024

2025 charity recommendations are in!

The 2024 Giving What We Can Donor Lottery is now open