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Giving
Tracking my charitable donations.
| Date | Cause | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2020/07/27 | GiveDirectly; Any Cash Transfers - Africa | $3000 |
| 2021/12/16 | GiveDirectly; Any Cash Transfers - Africa | £2250 |
The following tracks giving that happened as a result of my actions, but that was not my money.
| Date | Cause | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/11/14 | GiveDirectly; Unrestricted | £300 | Employer holiday allowance |
| 2021/12/16 | GiveDirectly; Any Cash Transfers - Africa | £2250 | Employer match |
Questions
They aren’t frequently asked, but you may have them.
Why these causes?
So far I’ve only given to one cause—GiveDirectly. The concept appeals to me. It’s simple, and reflects what I believe. I want to stipulate very little and be content with whatever the recipient chooses. Further, it’s very easy to measure GiveDirectly’s impact and it’s a GiveWell top charity.
I’ve thought about apportioning a small percentage of my giving target every year to less measurable, higher risk causes. Political advocacy, research, and the arts are some examples. Currently I can’t justify these over GiveDirectly (I don’t believe in other causes as strongly; I wouldn’t be able to give at a level that would actually make an impact; it’s hard to tell how aligned these causes are with my beliefs). I’m still thinking about this though.
Why this amount?
My annual giving target is a small percentage of my total previous year’s income. If I think of doing “good” as an exploration-exploitation tradeoff, there’s some negative reward (selfish spending on myself), some exploration (spending on personal development to have greater impact later), and some exploration (giving more now). I’m still early in the exploration schedule.
Are you an effective altruist?
No. I’m convinced by many EA arguments. But I don’t know what beliefs people ascribe to someone when they learn that they’re an effective altruist. There’s some EA adjacent beliefs (which many EA members hold), which I’m very hesitant to be attached to.
Why is this public?
Jeff Kaufman and Ben Kuhn have more complete arguments for why giving should be public. Basically,
- It inspires other people to give. It worked on me.
- Other people can check your thought process.
- You can keep yourself accountable.