The Nonlinear Library EA - Where are the GWWC team donating in 2023? by Luke Freeman
Dec 20, 2023
12:12
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: Where are the GWWC team donating in 2023?, published by Luke Freeman on December 20, 2023 on The Effective Altruism Forum.
In this post several Giving What We Can team members have volunteered to share their personal giving decisions for 2023.
Wondering why it's beneficial to talk about your donations? Check out our blog post, "Should we be private or public about giving to charity?", where we explore the advantages of being open about our philanthropy. We also recommend reading Claire Zabel's insightful piece, "Talk about donations earlier and more", which underscores the importance of discussing charitable giving more frequently and openly.
If you enjoy this post, we also encourage you to check out similar posts from teams at other organisations who've shared their personal giving this year too, such as GiveWell and CEA.
Finally, we want to hear from you too! We encourage you to join the conversation by sharing your own donation choices in the comments on "Where are you donating this year and why?". This is a wonderful opportunity to learn from each other and to inspire more thoughtful and impactful giving.
Now, let's meet some of our team and learn about their giving decisions in 2023!
Fabio Kuhn
Lead Software Engineer
I took the Giving What We Can Pledge in early 2021 and have consistently contributed slightly above 10% of my income to effective charities since then.
Similarly as last year, in 2023, the majority of my donations have been directed towards The Humane League (50%) and The Good Food Institute (5%).
I continue to be profoundly unsettled by our treatment of other sentient species. Additionally, I am concerned about the potential long-term risk of moral value lock-in resulting from training AI with our current perspectives on animals. This could lead to a substantial increase in animal suffering unless we promptly address this matter. Considering my view on the gravity of the issue and the apparent lack of sufficient funding in the field, I am positive that contributing to this cause is one of the most impactful options for my donations.
The majority of my donations are processed through Effektiv Spenden, allowing for tax-deductible donations in Switzerland.
Additionally, I made other noteworthy donations this year:
15% to the Effektiv Spenden "Fight Poverty" fund, which is based on the GiveWell "All Grants Fund".
5% to Effektiv Spenden itself, supporting the maintenance and development of the donation platform.
A contribution of 100 CHF to the climate fund, as an attempt of moral offsetting for my carbon footprint.
Grace Adams
Head of Marketing
I took a trial pledge in 2021 for 3% of my income and then the Giving What We Can Pledge in 2022 for at least 10% of my income over my lifetime.
My donations since learning about effective giving have primarily benefitted global health and wellbeing charities so far but have also supported ACE and some climate-focused charities as part of additional offsetting.
I recently gave $1000 AUD to the Lead Exposure Elimination Project after a Giving Game I ran and sponsored in Melbourne. With the remaining donations, I'm likely to split my support between Giving What We Can's operations (as I now think that my donation to GWWC is likely to be a multiplier and create even more donations for highly effective charities - thanks to our impact evaluation) and GiveWell's recommendations via Effective Altruism Australia so I can receive a tax benefit (and therefore donate more).
Lucas Moore
Effective Giving Global Coordinator and Incubator
I took the Giving What We Can Pledge in 2017. Initially, I gave mainly to Against Malaria Foundation, but over time, I started giving to a wider variety of charities and causes as I learnt more about effective giving.
In 2022, I gave mostly to GiveDirectly, and so far in 2023, my donations h...
In this post several Giving What We Can team members have volunteered to share their personal giving decisions for 2023.
Wondering why it's beneficial to talk about your donations? Check out our blog post, "Should we be private or public about giving to charity?", where we explore the advantages of being open about our philanthropy. We also recommend reading Claire Zabel's insightful piece, "Talk about donations earlier and more", which underscores the importance of discussing charitable giving more frequently and openly.
If you enjoy this post, we also encourage you to check out similar posts from teams at other organisations who've shared their personal giving this year too, such as GiveWell and CEA.
Finally, we want to hear from you too! We encourage you to join the conversation by sharing your own donation choices in the comments on "Where are you donating this year and why?". This is a wonderful opportunity to learn from each other and to inspire more thoughtful and impactful giving.
Now, let's meet some of our team and learn about their giving decisions in 2023!
Fabio Kuhn
Lead Software Engineer
I took the Giving What We Can Pledge in early 2021 and have consistently contributed slightly above 10% of my income to effective charities since then.
Similarly as last year, in 2023, the majority of my donations have been directed towards The Humane League (50%) and The Good Food Institute (5%).
I continue to be profoundly unsettled by our treatment of other sentient species. Additionally, I am concerned about the potential long-term risk of moral value lock-in resulting from training AI with our current perspectives on animals. This could lead to a substantial increase in animal suffering unless we promptly address this matter. Considering my view on the gravity of the issue and the apparent lack of sufficient funding in the field, I am positive that contributing to this cause is one of the most impactful options for my donations.
The majority of my donations are processed through Effektiv Spenden, allowing for tax-deductible donations in Switzerland.
Additionally, I made other noteworthy donations this year:
15% to the Effektiv Spenden "Fight Poverty" fund, which is based on the GiveWell "All Grants Fund".
5% to Effektiv Spenden itself, supporting the maintenance and development of the donation platform.
A contribution of 100 CHF to the climate fund, as an attempt of moral offsetting for my carbon footprint.
Grace Adams
Head of Marketing
I took a trial pledge in 2021 for 3% of my income and then the Giving What We Can Pledge in 2022 for at least 10% of my income over my lifetime.
My donations since learning about effective giving have primarily benefitted global health and wellbeing charities so far but have also supported ACE and some climate-focused charities as part of additional offsetting.
I recently gave $1000 AUD to the Lead Exposure Elimination Project after a Giving Game I ran and sponsored in Melbourne. With the remaining donations, I'm likely to split my support between Giving What We Can's operations (as I now think that my donation to GWWC is likely to be a multiplier and create even more donations for highly effective charities - thanks to our impact evaluation) and GiveWell's recommendations via Effective Altruism Australia so I can receive a tax benefit (and therefore donate more).
Lucas Moore
Effective Giving Global Coordinator and Incubator
I took the Giving What We Can Pledge in 2017. Initially, I gave mainly to Against Malaria Foundation, but over time, I started giving to a wider variety of charities and causes as I learnt more about effective giving.
In 2022, I gave mostly to GiveDirectly, and so far in 2023, my donations h...