On why you can donate money and be an Effective Altruist
I have wanted to write an article on this for some time, but have held back because I’m not an expert on the subject, though I have taken interest in Effective Altruism for 2–3 years now. It’s also because I know it can be a potentially inflammatory and uncomfortable topic, particularly for young people who are only just planting their feet.
If you’re reading this article and don’t already donate to charity, there’s a very high chance you can afford to do so — even if you feel you don’t have much money. This tool calculates how wealthy you are compared to the global average, and how much good you could do if you were to donate 10% of your income — and how wealthy you would still be. Surprise! You are likely in the top 1%, 5% or at least 10% of the population.
A mental argument that I used for a while against donating was that I either wasn’t ready or didn’t feel I had enough of an income to do so. But you don’t have to donate huge sums of money to make a difference. Most charities enable you to set up direct debits of tiny sums a month, such as £2. If you can afford a coffee or a newspaper each month, you can afford that. And some charities will even tell you the amount of good your donation does. For example, when you donate to the Against Malaria Foundation it tells you how many mosquito nets your donation bought and where they were distributed.
The other argument against waiting to donate is that there will ALWAYS be an excuse for you not to donate. When you’re a student, you don’t have a (stable) income. Then when you get a job, you want to save for a house. Then you want to save for a wedding, your kids, your grandkids… it doesn’t end. But the world’s poorest (or whatever cause that is closest to your heart) can’t afford to wait for your help. Even donating 1% of your income can still be sizeable, and if you like, be spread across several charities of interest. You can then provide a more sizeable donation in your will, if you are uncertain about your finances or career plans at present.
This brings me to how to choose an effective charity — surely all charities are good, no? There is actually plenty of evidence out there about what defines a more effective charity. Typically, these are charities that have quantifiably been shown to save lives. As well as the Against Malaria Foundation mentioned above, other effective charities include deworming charities, charities focused on targeting micronutrient deficiencies, and GiveDirectly, where money is sent directly to some of the world’s poorest for them to spend how they need. These may not sound like the most exciting or sexy charities, but neglected causes are the ones that most need your help. If animal charities are more your thing, Animal Charity Evaluators can help you find a charity that will significantly improve the lives of animals.
I will keep this article short, and end by asking you to seriously consider even just one small donation each month to an effective charity. You do not need to pick a charity that is listed on one of the Effective Altruism pages listed above, but try and think about how much of a difference and what proportion of your donation will directly go to improving lives (or the planet) when you pick a charity. If we were all to do this, we could do a world of good.
