But don't we have to do more than just throw money at the problem?

Yes, absolutely. Giving What We Can emphasises that we must do more than just give: we must give effectively. We need to look at the data and donate our money carefully. It can be the difference between saving a life and saving 1,000 lives.

We are also not saying that donating is all that can be done. For example, we encourage people to think about how they can use their career to have a big positive impact as well, and recommend 80,000 Hours' and Probably Good's guidance on how to do this. We're also aware that political change could have an incredible effect; for example, one of our recommended approaches to addressing climate change involves policy leadership.

We can pursue both avenues – systemic change and effective giving – at the same time.