We don't believe all charities are doing great work. We don't even believe most of them are. As long as donors keep saying "yes" to everyone, this isn't going to change.
Now is the perfect time to start saying "no" to typical charities - and saving your money for the exceptional ones. Our research is here to help you help others.
Key research findings
Many popular "cures for poverty" just don't work.
There are many proposed "solutions" for poverty and inequality. Most of these solutions have been tried. Very few have been tested. And of those that have been tested, many don’t work. Read more
Schools are not the key to equality of opportunity.
The New York City Voucher Experiment studied what happens when lower-income children get better options for schooling. Satisfaction surveys showed that families found the private schools to be far better than the public schools. But there was barely any difference in academic performance. Read more
Most charities' programs are unexamined and unproven. Of all the organizations we've considered, very few have serious evidence that their programs are working. Even if a charity spends your money responsibly, runs well, and means well, that doesn't mean it's changing lives. Read more
Give local, or international? We say international giving does much more good. In the poorest parts of the world, a child may die of malaria for lack of a $10 bednet, or of diarrhea for lack of a 5-cent packet of nutrients. Give to these people and have far more impact than you can in the U.S. Read more
Set on the U.S.? Consider early child care. Our top charity recommendation for the U.S. is the Nurse-Family Partnership, which helps mothers during pregnancy and early childhood. Read more
What is GiveWell? GiveWell started as a group of donors who couldn't find information on which charities are truly changing lives. Now we're identifying the best, telling the truth about the rest, and sharing what we've found. Read more
