GiveWell believes that generosity and good intentions are nice - but not enough.
Whether you want to help the homeless, fight disease, or do something we haven't covered yet, we believe you can accomplish a lot more good - and change a lot more lives - by finding the best possible charity in your area of interest. We exist to help you do just that.
We go beyond charities' fundraising materials. We go beyond their financial audits, and beyond the question of how much they spend on overhead (a question we believe is misleading).
Instead, we give out our own grants, and use the application process to collect as much information as we can. We review program activities, technical reports, and most importantly, results. How many lives has a charity changed, how has it changed them, and what's the evidence that they can do it again?
There's no quick formula for this kind of evaluation, and it isn't easy or cheap. But we believe that the conversation has to begin - that's the only way the world can become as effective in giving as it is in consuming.
So please explore our site. We've found the best charities we can find, and put all our reasoning and all our materials right here. If it's helpful, use our recommendations (and thank us by taking our survey). If you disagree with us, let us know and help us improve.
