The Nonlinear Library EA - GWWC is spinning out of EV by Luke Freeman
Dec 13, 2023
05:03
Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: GWWC is spinning out of EV, published by Luke Freeman on December 13, 2023 on The Effective Altruism Forum.
Giving What We Can (GWWC) is embarking on an exciting new chapter: after years of support, we will be spinning out of the Effective Ventures Foundation UK and US (collectively referred to as "
EV"), our parent charities in the US and UK respectively, to become an independent organisation.
Rest assured that our core mission, commitments, and focus on effective giving remain unchanged. We believe this transition will allow us to better serve our community and to achieve our mission more effectively. Below, you'll find all the details you need, including what is changing, what isn't, and how you can get involved.
A heartfelt thanks
First and foremost, we owe a very big thank you to the team at EV. Their support over the years has helped us to grow and have a meaningful impact in the world. We could not be more grateful for their support.
A big thank you also to our members and donors who have supported us along the way. In particular I'd like to thank the many of you who we've consulted throughout the process of arriving at this decision and working on a plan.
Why spin out?
When
GWWC was founded in 2009, it was among the first in a small constellation of initiatives aimed at fostering
what would soon be called "effective altruism." In 2011, following the establishment of
80,000 Hours, both organisations came together to form the Centre for Effective Altruism (which is now EV
to disambiguate from the project called Centre for Effective Altruism, which is also housed within EV).
A lot has changed in the intervening years, both within GWWC and within EV. Today, EV is home to
more than 10 different initiatives and is focused on a broad range of issues. As for GWWC, we have developed
ambitious plans for our future and are committed to focusing more than ever on our core mission: to make effective and significant giving a cultural norm.
We've been considering this option for quite some time and have come to the conclusion that the best way to achieve our mission is to be an independent organisation. Being independent will allow us to:
Align our organisational structure and governance more closely with our mission.
Better manage our own legal and reputational risks.
Have greater clarity and transparency of our inner workings and governance to the outside world.
Have greater control over our operational costs.
We believe that these changes will enable us to serve our community better and to contribute more effectively to growing effective giving.
The details
For most of you, very little will change. There will be a multi-stage transition period (most of which we estimate will be completed over the next 12 months) and any relevant changes will be communicated in a timely and transparent manner. Here's what to expect:
What's changing
We have registered Giving What We Can USA Inc. as a 501(c)(3) charity in the US, and have started the process of registering charities in the UK and Canada. There will be a transfer of GWWC-specific intellectual property, contracts, services, and data (e.g. brand, databases, website, files) to the new entities (exact structure to be determined) and a transition of the donation platform across to the new entities. Our supported programs (e.g. charitable projects and grantmaking funds) will need to be onboarded as programs with our new entities before any switch over dates (TBC) in each country.
We are recruiting new governance and advisory boards for the new entities.
We're also pursuing affiliate arrangements to continue to expand effective-giving support into new countries (e.g. our collaboration with EA Australia to launch GWWC Australia). This will include adapting our approach to local tax situations, cultural contexts, languages, and curre...
Giving What We Can (GWWC) is embarking on an exciting new chapter: after years of support, we will be spinning out of the Effective Ventures Foundation UK and US (collectively referred to as "
EV"), our parent charities in the US and UK respectively, to become an independent organisation.
Rest assured that our core mission, commitments, and focus on effective giving remain unchanged. We believe this transition will allow us to better serve our community and to achieve our mission more effectively. Below, you'll find all the details you need, including what is changing, what isn't, and how you can get involved.
A heartfelt thanks
First and foremost, we owe a very big thank you to the team at EV. Their support over the years has helped us to grow and have a meaningful impact in the world. We could not be more grateful for their support.
A big thank you also to our members and donors who have supported us along the way. In particular I'd like to thank the many of you who we've consulted throughout the process of arriving at this decision and working on a plan.
Why spin out?
When
GWWC was founded in 2009, it was among the first in a small constellation of initiatives aimed at fostering
what would soon be called "effective altruism." In 2011, following the establishment of
80,000 Hours, both organisations came together to form the Centre for Effective Altruism (which is now EV
to disambiguate from the project called Centre for Effective Altruism, which is also housed within EV).
A lot has changed in the intervening years, both within GWWC and within EV. Today, EV is home to
more than 10 different initiatives and is focused on a broad range of issues. As for GWWC, we have developed
ambitious plans for our future and are committed to focusing more than ever on our core mission: to make effective and significant giving a cultural norm.
We've been considering this option for quite some time and have come to the conclusion that the best way to achieve our mission is to be an independent organisation. Being independent will allow us to:
Align our organisational structure and governance more closely with our mission.
Better manage our own legal and reputational risks.
Have greater clarity and transparency of our inner workings and governance to the outside world.
Have greater control over our operational costs.
We believe that these changes will enable us to serve our community better and to contribute more effectively to growing effective giving.
The details
For most of you, very little will change. There will be a multi-stage transition period (most of which we estimate will be completed over the next 12 months) and any relevant changes will be communicated in a timely and transparent manner. Here's what to expect:
What's changing
We have registered Giving What We Can USA Inc. as a 501(c)(3) charity in the US, and have started the process of registering charities in the UK and Canada. There will be a transfer of GWWC-specific intellectual property, contracts, services, and data (e.g. brand, databases, website, files) to the new entities (exact structure to be determined) and a transition of the donation platform across to the new entities. Our supported programs (e.g. charitable projects and grantmaking funds) will need to be onboarded as programs with our new entities before any switch over dates (TBC) in each country.
We are recruiting new governance and advisory boards for the new entities.
We're also pursuing affiliate arrangements to continue to expand effective-giving support into new countries (e.g. our collaboration with EA Australia to launch GWWC Australia). This will include adapting our approach to local tax situations, cultural contexts, languages, and curre...