Blog post

The Sunday Times: Oxford don sparks floods of charity cash

2 min read
9 Dec 2012

Giving What We Can’s latest media appearance was this morning, in the latest edition of the Sunday Times, written by Nicholas Hellen. Buy a paper copy or read it here. See below for a glimpse of what this feature contains:

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“A PHILOSOPHER at Oxford University who decided to give half his earnings to charity has, over three years, inspired an international movement of generous-minded members of the public to pledge donations totalling £62.4m.

“Toby Ord, 33, a research fellow in ethics earning £39,300 a year, initially promised to give away everything he was paid over £20,000. He has since chosen an even simpler life, giving away everything above £18,000 after tax “because I really don’t need that much”. His wife, Bernadette, a doctor, has also signed the pledge.”

Hellen goes on to illustrate the importance of cost-effectiveness when making charitable decisions, explaining the QALY metric and using the example that the money required to train a guide dog could also cure over 2,000 people of blindness in developing countries. He mentions Toby’s discussions with Oxfam, as well as 10 Downing Street and Andrew Mitchell.

Becky and Owen Cotton-Barratt are also featured. Becky’s decision to donate 1% of her income to Deworm the World and SCI, as a student, and Owen’s to donate 10% of his income are explored, as is the possibility of coordinating taking the pledge and raising a family.

To read the full article, visit The Sunday Times website or buy a copy today!