Grace Adams

Ramadan is a time of reflection, self-improvement, and giving. As one of the Five Pillars of Islam, zakat (charitable giving) is an essential part of the Islamic faith that 

requires Muslims to give 2.5% of their wealth

 to help those in need, and Ramadan is a month where many Muslims focus on their charitable giving. 

While there are many worthy causes to support during Ramadan, it is important to consider the impact of our giving. Effective giving means maximizing the impact of our donations to help the most vulnerable people around the world.

 comes in. GiveDirectly is a nonprofit organization that distributes cash transfers directly to people living in poverty. The organization has a proven track record of effectiveness, with rigorous evaluations showing that cash transfers can significantly improve recipients' lives. By giving people the resources to meet their own needs, GiveDirectly empowers them to make the best decisions for their families and communities.

GiveDirectly has had their Yemen program 

 during Ramadan, Muslims can fulfil their zakat obligations while also making a significant difference in the lives of people in need. GiveDirectly's cash transfers are a flexible and adaptable form of assistance that can be used to meet a wide range of needs, from food and shelter to education and healthcare.

You can donate to support GiveDirectly's Yemen Zakat fund through our fundraiser. This fundraiser will allow donors to give to GiveDirectly’s Yemen program following the principles of Zakat. 100% of funds donated through this fundraiser will go to GiveDirectly’s Yemen program as we have secured private donors to cover the processing fees normally charged by Stripe.

Effective giving during Ramadan is not only a way to fulfill religious obligations, but it is also an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the world. By supporting organizations like GiveDirectly, we can ensure that our giving is high-impact and helps the most vulnerable people around the world.

Read more about GiveDirectly's Yemen Zakat Fund

, including details of the certification obtained.

GiveDirectly has had their Yemen program certified to collect Zakat. By donating to GiveDirectly's Yemen Zakat fund during Ramadan, Muslims can fulfil their zakat obligations while also making a significant difference in the lives of people in need. 

Where to give Zakat effectively during Ramadan 2023

Hello and welcome to our February newsletter!

Earlier this month, we were shocked to hear about the devastation across Turkey and Syria caused by the earthquakes. Our hearts go out to our members in Turkey, and their communities. Although harrowing, hearing about and seeing pictures of disasters helps us empathise with the most challenging conditions people can face.

In the wake of this disaster, we published a blog from Stefan Shaw and Louise Kihlberg about 

what to consider when thinking about donating to disaster relief efforts

One thing that’s always on my mind after these highly publicised tragedies, are the ongoing tragedies occurring around the world, that aren’t receiving any media attention. The famine and 

 have received little news coverage. And the suffering from the “silent catastrophes” of 

With all of the suffering in the world, I am extremely grateful to be surrounded by a global community of people who are dedicated to effectively improving the lives of others. Your gifts have a meaningful impact on those you are helping, and are contributing to a more equal world. I hope giving makes you feel empowered to be a part of positive global change, as it does for me.

 to donate a portion of your income to highly effective charities today. Committing to a pledge was one of the most powerful things I’ve done.

We also published a great article from member Alana Horowitz-Friedman 

busting the myth that “the best charities are the ones with low overhead costs”

. This is an excellent piece to bring up with friends and family when discussing where to donate. Thanks, Alana for this well thought out article!

-Grace Adams & the rest of the Giving What We Can team

Family Empowerment Media (FEM) is an evidence-driven nonprofit committed to eliminating maternal deaths and other health burdens from unintended pregnancies. FEM produces and air radio-based social and behavioural change campaigns on family planning to empower women and men who want to delay or prevent pregnancy to consistently use contraception. 

Effective Giving Global Coordinator and Incubator

 to help us support the global effective giving community and the development of new effective giving initiatives. Applications close March 1st. 

Are you interested in volunteering to help us with marketing our events? We’re looking for an ongoing volunteer who can assist with promoting our upcoming events. 

We have decided to have a single meetup each month and alternate between Europe/Asia and Americas/Oceania each month. We invite you to connect with other members from around the world at these events. This month will be a social event getting to know other community members.

Our open forum is an event where you can come along with questions about effective giving and/or to meet others interested in effective giving. This event alternates between Europe/Asia and Americas/Oceania each month.

new post about how much solutions differ in effectiveness

, this is a great piece from Ben Todd, who found that some of Toby Ord’s original research that underpins the concept of effective giving holds up, and can be expanded to other areas. But Ben also points out that it might be most fair to say that the best charities are 10 times better than the median.

Do you know a lawyer who can do a small amount of work to help our Charity Elections program expand into new countries? 

Due to the changes in the rules surrounding Meta’s Giving Tuesday match, the project has officially been hibernated, which we communicated in this 

Charity Entrepreneurship has announced their 

top interventions in Large-Scale Global Health and Biosecurity

, which potential entrepreneurs can launch through the July-August 2023 

. The application deadline is March 12, 2023. Links for applications can be found 

 on February 20, 6PM UK Time, where Sam Hilton, Director of Research, will introduce the ideas and answer questions. Team members and incubatees will also be present at EAG Bay Area.

Animal Charity Evaluators is accepting applications for our 2023 Movement Grants! If you’re looking for funding to support your promising charity or initiative, 

Open Philanthropy is hiring for two exciting new roles

 - work with the Global Health & Wellbeing cause prioritization team to 

 potential new focus areas enabling Open Phil to prioritize across causes which informs their grantmaking. (Deadline February 26)

 - make grants to support the forecasting community, support Open Phil staff in commissioning external forecasts on specific questions of interest, and lead their 

Faunalytics has released our newest original report, 

Reforming Animal Agriculture Subsidies: A Guide for Advocates

. This report dives into animal agriculture subsidies and how advocates can reduce their harmful impact. Additionally, we have released a companion report, 

The Animal Agriculture Industry's Perspective On Advocates & Cage-Free Reforms

investment data analysis + survey results

 show that long-term investor appetite for alt proteins is strong despite challenging macroeconomic & market conditions slowing growth in 2022.

 and began offering cash incentives to caregivers in Kano State last month in order to encourage childhood vaccinations.

The Happier Lives Institute published a shallow cause exploration of 

, including some rough cost-effectiveness estimates for possible interventions.

 with Aga Khan University doctors which found that 40% of oil-based paints sampled from the market in Pakistan contained dangerous and illegal levels of lead, endangering the health of children. Some paint contained 1000 times the legal limit for lead.

The Council on Strategic Risks is excited to debut our inaugural class of our 

Fellowship for Reducing Nuclear Weapons Risks

. They had their first convening in late January and are meeting regularly ahead of an experiential learning trip sometime later this spring.

Support from our community has enabled TerraPraxis to launch its 

to help coal plant owners, investors, and policymakers evaluate the opportunity to decarbonize the global coal fleet – the single largest source of carbon emissions – with emission-free heat sources by 2050.

Brit just completed her Trial Pledge, you can congratulate her on twitter 

Have any feedback on our newsletter or communications? 

Why not streamline your giving by setting up a recurring donation to a highly effective charity today?

 with Giving What We Can and effective altruism.

Discuss effective giving and effective altruism on the 

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

February 2023 Newsletter

Grace is the Head of Marketing at Giving What We Can. 

She has worked in marketing, digital product and customer experience through various roles including as a management consultant. 

Grace graduated with distinction from an applied bachelor of business with a major in marketing at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.

Having always wanted to do good, Grace was immediately taken with the ideas of effective giving and effective altruism when they were explained to her. She is working towards a flourishing future for all humans and non-human animals where suffering no longer exists.

In her personal time, Grace is an advocate for people living with migraine and has trained as a yoga teacher.

Grace Adams works on marketing for Giving What We Can. She has worked across marketing and product roles both in consulting and industry.

Grace Adams

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Where to give Zakat effectively during Ramadan 2023

February 2023 Newsletter