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Alexandra Berlina

"If spending money... can improve my life only marginally, and someone else's life considerably... then it makes more sense to spend it on someone else. I couldn't live with myself if I did nothing."

"...it's crucial to give effectively, so that the money does the most good it can..."

"Don't be shy about spreading the word. I sign off emails with 'I donate 20% of my income to effective charity' -- and I've recently learned that one of my clients took the pledge, too."


Member Profile: Alexandra Berlina

When my husband Pavel and I we were students, money tended to run out by the end of the month; then we began supplementing our scholarship money with freelance translation and interpreting, and suddenly we had a bit more money than we needed.

The feeling was pleasant, but it also made me itchy -- it didn't seem fair to spend money on a cappuccino when I knew that the same tiny sum could help an ill child get better somewhere. 

(Argh, it's so hard to talk about these things without sounding terribly mauve and banal!)

For quite a while I made myself crazy, sometimes donating all we had and sometimes very little. Pavel was always a balancing influence, and finally we decided that we could spare 20% of our income. It was truly liberating not to reconsider how much to donate and where all the time but to have made a decision and stick with it -- though sometimes I still think it's too little and make a small additional donation to some particular cause.

It's just math, really: if spending, say, 10 € can improve my life only marginally, and someone else's life considerably -- or even save it, for instance, by ridding a child of worms and strengthening their immune system -- then it makes more sense to spend it on someone else. I couldn't live with myself if I did nothing.

Besides, I have it really easy: adopting a traumatized child, say, is incomparable to merely giving away some money; what we do is the simple thing. And we hardly deny ourselves anything, the kids get the books and games they want, and we don't live on bread and water.

It's not hard to give -- it's hard not to. Actually, you can say giving is an egoistic instinct: when I get depressed, I can always tell myself "at least I'm of some use to others -- even to some people I don't know," and this really helps.

Why did you take the Giving What We Can pledge?

 I was so happy to see there are other people out there who feel like I do -- most of my friends don't, and it makes me feel rather strange sometimes.

Plus, I think it's good to shout out into the world what we do, modesty be damned: 

What are the issues in the world that you care most deeply about?

Children pull at my heartstrings, and these things seem obvious enough: No child should die whom today's medicine can save. No child should be mutilated. No child should be denied education. 

Most people who live in high-income countries make enough money to make a difference

When I donate additionally and spontaneously, it usually concerns children, especially girls. But it's crucial to give effectively, so that the money does the most good it can, so I try not to get side-tracked by particular stories too much.

Which organizations do you give to (and why)?

Pavel and I spread 20% of income over SOS Children's Villages, Doctors without Borders and whatever is deemed 

most effective by current charity evaluations

We're both freelancers, so there is no pension fund, and we do have to save a bit. We'll have to see if we can manage the usual 20% this year when our income has suffered from COVID-19 (I hope we can). What I find actually hard is not giving but talking about giving without sounding like an insufferable do-goody. But you can't let people die for stylistic reasons, can you?

Do you try to effect change in any other way?

My husband and I are still only pescatarians; veganism or even vegetarianism is difficult with kids -- but as soon as there's affordable milk and meat from the test tube, we'll be buying it. We have no car. I've considered volunteering at a charity, but working more and giving more appears more effective. My husband Pavel is a member of the party 

What effective giving tips would you like to share?

Don't be shy about spreading the word. I sign off with 'I donate 20% of my income to effective charity' -- and I've recently learned that one of my clients took the pledge, too.

What suggestions do you have for other people considering the pledge?

Have any books or documentaries or articles or studies significantly changed the way you see giving?

Not original, but it must be named: "The Life You Can Save" is a must-read, and it's currently available as a 

Tell us a bit more about yourself, what keeps you busy, what makes you tick.

After a stint in academia, I became a freelance translator and interpreter -- mostly into English, but my most recent book translation was a new German version of the Russian classic "The Master and Margarita." I've always loved reading, and translation is the closest form of reading there is, so I'm immensely lucky in my work -- which is one of the reasons why I think I should share.

I live with my two kids and my husband Pavel in Düsseldorf. He was my first boyfriend and does double duty as my translation partner (we share the site 

). He, too, originally comes from Moscow; he, too, thinks that atheism does not liberate one from moral obligations, but quite the other way around. (Sometimes I suspect we're twins.) We made the decision to donate 20% of our shared income together a few years ago.

" series which profiles a selection of the Giving What We Can community. The Giving What We Can is a community of people from all walks of life, with different perspectives and motivations for giving -- all united by their desire to make a significant commitment to use their income to effectively helping others. Read more 

 to help inspire others to give more, and more effectively.

For more information about Giving What We Can we recommend you check out our 

"If spending money... can improve my life only marginally, and someone else's life considerably... then it makes more sense to spend it on someone else. I couldn't live with myself if I did nothing."

"...it's crucial to give effectively, so that the money does the most good it can..."

"Don't be shy about spreading the word. I sign off emails with 'I donate 20% of my income to effective charity' -- and I've recently learned that one of my clients took the pledge, too."

 Dominika Krupocin

Heather Heckman

"I'm fortunate by accident of birth that I'm born European and I've got a decent income, and all the rest of it that we get through living in Europe. Huge numbers of people haven't had this luck and it's just very unfair. There's huge inequality across the world between those people who suffer terrible conditions and those who don't. As long as there's that huge inequality, then I am motivated to keep donating a part of my income."

Member Profile: Pippa Gilbert

Meet Pippa Gilbert, originally from Great Britain, but for the last 11 years a resident of The Hague in the Netherlands. Pippa works as an analyst for an international organization and enjoys being active in her free time. She is passionate about cycling and is a member of local cycling and running clubs. She is also an active volunteer. Earlier this year, Pippa 

Pippa's journey with effective giving and charitable donations started a long time ago. At first, she tried to research charities and organizations on her own to ensure that the money she donated would be well-spent. After realizing that it was too time-consuming to identify effective organizations, Pippa turned to the 

, recalling that she had heard about its 

Pippa's motivation for giving is mainly driven by her acknowledgment of inequalities around the world:

The main factor that Pippa considers when 

 is confidence about its effectiveness. The bulk of her giving is directed toward alleviating human suffering, but she is also keen on supporting environmental and animal welfare causes:

"The quality of human life years appeals to me. That's a really rational way to look at it, how much you can improve someone's quality of life, whether it's stopping them going blind or getting ill or some sort of other form of suffering. If you can improve that, then that's one of the main things. I think that you have to worry more about humans than animals, but if you can help them be better treated, I'm happy for some of my funds to go that way, as well."

Pippa finds donating through the Giving What We Can Pledge to be particularly helpful for several reasons:

The Giving What We Can Pledge is well-structured and helps with keeping track of her donations. Pippa stresses that "if you have set a target, then the Pledge gives you something to make sure you meet it."

Taking The Pledge allows individuals to set up self-imposed goals and deadlines. Pippa explains: “I’d been meaning to increase my donating but kept putting it off because other things were more urgent. The Pledge helps me to prioritise this to make sure my goal is reached.”

It's a public commitment. Pippa cautiously states: "I think it's good, maybe, that the Pledge is public. I really like the whole idea of it, so if it's a way of promoting it to other people, that's also good."

Donating through the Giving What We Can website saves time. Pippa clarifies: "The big issue for me, over these years, has been a question of time. I, personally, just want something that doesn't cost me a lot of time. I think that the Giving What We Can website is particularly good, because it makes it really easy to donate."

Reflecting on whether she finds it difficult to give, Pippa concludes that for her, it isn't. She cannot think of any reason for not wanting to donate or for it to be difficult. When asked about her visions for the future, Pippa admits that she is not particularly optimistic about the future "with mankind being how mankind is." However, she ends telling her story with a rhetorical question: "But all you can do is just do your little bit, can't you?" If each individual does their little part, maybe there is still hope for humankind after all.

Luke Freeman

November 2020 Newsletter

As the 2020 giving season heats up we're here to ensure you're informed and ready to give effectively!

This edition of our newsletter includes information about our December meetups; updates from Giving What We Can; relevant updates for effective giving; a selection of interesting articles; upcoming events you can join; and some ways you can help!

This is the online edition of our November 2020 email newsletter (

There's a lot happening over the next few weeks -- we hope you can join us!

International Effective Giving Day (Europe/Americas)

 with special guests including Nobel Laureate Michael Kremer.


"I'm motivated to give because there really are some cost-effective ways to improve the lives of those people and animals, now and into the future. ... This ability to improve lives makes giving feel to me both like a responsibility (with great power comes great responsibility) and like an exciting opportunity (which helps me perk myself up)."


Our pledge drive is back for 2020! It's a great time to invite people you know to learn more about effective giving, to reflect on your own giving, and to think about your giving plans for the next year. One of the easiest ways to advocate for effective giving is to 

 by Julian Hazell
"Even in a purely self-interested sense, giving can be one of the best uses of our money. Effective philanthropy offers serious bang for our buck."


Advocate for effective giving by displaying our 

. Thanks to our volunteer Nicoleta Faina for her work designing these!

The altruists who give thousands from their salaries to charities


Four of our members were featured in a national UK newspaper, talking about their experiences donating to help improve the lives of others.


"April 2020 was perhaps the most impactful month of my life. I made a decision to act in a certain way, to realize certain values. To take the opportunity that fell into my lap four years ago, and instead of waiting any longer to magically become a rich philanthropist one day and think through the meaty questions all at once, to go ahead and decide I have enough right now."


Help Giving What We Can and other EA organisations inform our work and better understand the actions, values, demographics, and ideas of our community.

Recommended Videos, Books, Podcasts, Articles

 (including a new top charity) and also 

 of the fourth round of ACE Movement Grants.

released their donor lottery for this giving season

want your feedback to help improve the product.

 The Global Health & Development Fund also recommended a $198,320 grant to the 

 have released a Climate Change Fund (now 

released their 2020 recommendations (including a new top charity)

 is an excellent post by Nicole Ross about the importance of self-care and sustainability for people who are driven to be impactful

 about charity, science, and utilitarianism.

"When you shouldn't use jargon and how to avoid it"

 talk summary from Rob Wiblin of 80,000 Hours.

What can effective altruism learn from the social movements that ended slavery and launched environmentalism?

 explains their goals and how you can help.

 including talks from events like EA Global.

how we might improve prioritization among scientific projects

Effective Altruism Organisations October Updates

 includes updates from 21 organisations within the EA community.

 Learn how other members of our community are donating this year, and share your own donation decision.

 and start making Amazon donate 0.5% to your favorite effective charity.

 to your retirement fund or life insurance.

Using the tax system and stock market to donate more

: a few basic strategies for US taxpayers.

Interesting reflections (and ensuing discussion) about 

reconciling seemingly disparate value systems

 for people who value financial independence and early retirement (FIRE) but also value donating to help others.

whether animal advocacy (or, more generally, expanding the moral circle) should be a priority for long-termists

interviews Peter Singer about his new book "Why Vegan?"

 and covers the movement's progress and what's ahead.

doing the most good for animals post-COVID-19

 on using wild animals in circuses, on keeping dolphins and killer whales in captivity in marine parks, and on raising mink on fur farms.

The number of people without access to electricity 

dropped from almost 860 million in 2018 to 770 million in 2019

 An interim update on economic growth work.

. The results show the power of cash transfers to reduce homelessness.

The proportion of children under five years of age chronically infected with hepatitis B 

 down from around 5% in the pre-vaccine era!

 New Yorker article covering existential risk and profiling the work of 

 (Giving What We Can co-founder) and his book 

Climate Change as a possible existential threat

: Future of Life Institute interview with Kelly Wanser.

some reasons to be optimistic about EA Long-termism

: Is economic growth inherently risky, and how do we maximize the chances of a flourishing future?

 has launched! A new organization that provides career guidance intended to help people do as much good as possible.

A great way to multiply your impact is to simply tell people about effective giving. Here are just a few ways you can help advocate for effective giving:

Invite people to our events, especially our 

 about effective giving (e.g. at work or school, religious or community group, book or social club).

 from your website, social media, blog, email signature

Gift donations to effective charities to friends and family as presents (or ask for them as presents)

Report your donations with your pledge dashboard

 with Giving What We Can and effective altruism

Do you have questions about the pledge, Giving What We Can, or effective altruism in general?

Julian Hazell

"Even in a purely self-interested sense, giving can be one of the best uses of our money. Effective philanthropy offers serious bang for our personally-satisfying buck. I do not make this claim spuriously, as there is evidence to support this idea."

How to buy happiness

Take a second to think of the things you've spent your money on this past year, ranked from most to least important. Let's refer to this as a 'priority list'. What are some things that come to mind?

You probably started with the obvious things, like food, water, shelter, warm clothes, and a bed to sleep in. That's a good start, but keep going. Now you might be thinking of the money you spent to buy gifts for your family members on their birthdays, or perhaps the money you invested in your education. Of course, you wouldn't last long without food and water, so those were likely meaningful purchases. Similarly, you love and care about your family, so buying them nice things is likely important to you, as well. Keep asking yourself how important each purchase was to you as you make your way down the list.

As you approach the end of the list, however, you might notice something intuitive happens: because each subsequent item is less important to you, you will eventually reach a point where you probably wouldn't be that much worse off if you hadn't acquired the remaining items on the list. For example, those boredom-fueled quarantine purchases you made here and there this past April may not mean much to you now. It's okay though, I'm also guilty of making mindless quarantine purchases.

Neoclassical microeconomic theory agrees with your intuition. Consumer choice theory claims, among many other things, that we make decisions that aim to maximize our total satisfaction (or 'utility' in econ-speak) by spending each additional dollar on things that bring us the greatest satisfaction, and that buying the same thing repeatedly gives us lower satisfaction with each subsequent purchase. These two ideas make practical sense: you probably spend most of your money on things that are important to you. But while the first mattress you buy gives you a comfortable place to spend a third of your life, the seventh mattress begins to annoy your roommates as it clutters up the hallways.

The idea of becoming increasingly less satisfied with each additional mattress can be extended to the list as a whole. As you go down the list, the amount of utility you get for each purchase (or the 'marginal utility' of each additional dollar spent) likely goes down as well, as each subsequent item is increasingly less important to you --- if this wasn't true, you would've purchased the item near the top of the list!

over $58,000 USD per year puts one in the top 1%

 globally), the ends of our lists make increasingly little sense. This is even more apparent when we consider the fact that nearly 

700 million people live on less than $700 USD a year

, an amount you may have spent on at least one thing that wasn't very meaningful in the grand scheme of things.

If a Rolex doesn't make sense, what does? Consider giving to 

 instead. These charities are often significantly better than ones that are merely good or adequate --- sometimes as much as 100 or even 1,000 times more effective. For most of us, the artisanal craftsmanship of a $10,000 watch couldn't bring greater utility than the personal satisfaction gained from 

providing 3 years of protection from malaria to 10,000 people

 --- keep in mind that number is half the seating capacity of Madison Square Garden --- via donating to the 

Even in a purely self-interested sense, giving can be one of the best uses of our money. Effective philanthropy offers serious bang for our buck. I do not make this claim spuriously, as there is evidence to support this idea.

According to the theory of pure altruism, donors do not care where a charity receives a given amount of money from personally, so long as the charity receives the amount of funding the donor wants it to receive. So, if the government taxes someone and hands those funds over to charity, the individual will reduce what they usually would have donated by an equal amount, resulting in a gain of zero for the charity. The implication from this is that there is no personal utility to be gained from altruistic acts --- all we care about is the outcome that the charity creates, regardless of who funds it.

The theory of perfect altruism does not always hold in practice, however. 

 by James Andreoni, an economist who researches altruism, found that the "crowding-out" effect was not observed to be as substantial as the theory claims. This suggests that individuals do indeed derive some personal utility from the act of donating, sometimes referred to as a "warm glow". Interestingly, 

Blog

Member Profile: Alexandra Berlina

Member Profile: Pippa Gilbert

November 2020 Newsletter

How to buy happiness

Member Profile: Michael Aird

October 2020 Newsletter

Introducing our 'Open Forum' online events

You can make a difference (yes, you!)

Companies pledge at least 10% of profits to effective charities

Member Profile: Catherine Thomas