Giving What We Can

Giving What We Can Giving What We Can is a community of effective givers. We help people to maximise their charitable impact so that their donations can do the most good.

Our mission is to inspire donations to the world’s most effective organisations

We believe that charitable donations can do an astonishing amount of good. However, the impact can vary wildly depending on where we donate. Because the difference between charities is astounding, it is important that we donate to the most effective charities if we want to have a significant impact.

02/04/2026

Every minute, around 251 children are born.

If you were born again in this minute, where would you land?

Your country of birth shapes your life expectancy, income, access to education, healthcare, and basic safety. None of us chose where we started. Yet that starting point affects almost everything that follows.

The Birth Lottery is an interactive tool that lets you experience this at a global scale. Each spin assigns you a country based on real-world birth rates, then shows what life typically looks like there using data from sources like the UN and World Bank.

It makes one thing clear: opportunity is not evenly distributed.

If much of your starting point comes down to chance, what do you do with the position you have?

Head to https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/birth-lottery to spin the globe and test your luck.

16/01/2026

Louise reflects on a question many people wrestle with: when am I actually in a position to give?

As a freelancer, her income wasn’t consistent. Some years she gave less, others more. But over time, she chose to keep increasing her giving as her situation allowed — guided by the belief that it’s every person’s responsibility to take care of others.

If you’d like to learn more about how the 🔶10% Pledge provides structure and effectiveness to your giving, check the link in our bio.

Not ready for a lifetime commitment? That’s okay.Chris is one of the 1000+ members in our community currently doing the ...
14/01/2026

Not ready for a lifetime commitment? That’s okay.

Chris is one of the 1000+ members in our community currently doing the 🔷 Trial pledge.

The 🔷 Trial Pledge is a way to start giving intentionally, with more flexibility. You choose an amount (even 1%) and a timeframe that works for you — and see how it feels in real life.

For many people, it’s about building the habit, gaining confidence, and turning concern into action. No pressure. No perfection. Just a meaningful place to start.

If you’ve been thinking “maybe later”, this is a way to try now.

08/01/2026

What if your biggest climate impact isn’t about doing one less thing — but putting resources in the right place?

Steve explains why, for climate action, where money goes can matter far more than many everyday choices.

Sometimes the difference isn’t incremental. It’s orders of magnitude. 🌍

.gonz.music is a singer, guitarist and songwriter who grew up in a refugee family, surrounded by conversations about inj...
02/01/2026

.gonz.music is a singer, guitarist and songwriter who grew up in a refugee family, surrounded by conversations about injustice. Years later, when he learned about effective giving, the idea made intuitive sense: combine the desire to help with evidence about where donations go furthest.

But committing wasn’t simple. Income as a musician was often unpredictable, and giving away money felt risky.

He began giving around 10% of his income in 2011 and formalised it in 2017 by taking the 🔸10% Pledge. His pledge group has since contributed more than $175,000 across nearly 500 donations.

Learn more about the 🔸10% Pledge here: https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/pledge

31/12/2025

“I don’t actually think being vegan is the best thing you can do for animals. Donating probably is.”

For Elle, veganism is about living her values day to day.

But giving 10% is what helps a lot of animals, even in the months she feels she has not done enough.

28/12/2025

Elle started out focused on doing everything “right” personally: vegan, no flying, second-hand clothes.

Then, in 2019, Elle’s turning point was learning that some charities can amplify your impact far beyond individual choices, through policy, advocacy, and changing public norms - and since November 2022 she is a 🔸 10% Pledger.

25/12/2025

Imagine buying a beer for $9, but buying a beer for someone else costs $0.90. How many would you get for someone else?

What are supported programmes — and how do they fit alongside our recommended charities?In addition to our top charity r...
23/12/2025

What are supported programmes — and how do they fit alongside our recommended charities?

In addition to our top charity recommendations, we also highlight supported programmes: organisations doing promising, impact-aligned work where the evidence is still developing or harder to measure.

This year, we added eight new programmes and removed twelve, intentionally keeping the overall number focused and manageable - so congrats to the following programmes for the promising, impactful, work:

- Animal Welfare Observatory
- Opportunity Green
- Fortify Health
- Forethought
- Acquatic Life Institute
- High Impact Professionals
- Future Cleantech Architects

Swipe to learn more about what supported programmes are, how they differ from recommended charities, and how both help donors give thoughtfully and transparently.

Explore all programmes via the link in our bio.

Giving is personal. Sharing it can feel awkward. And yet — seeing someone you know take the 🔸10% Pledge can be the nudge...
21/12/2025

Giving is personal. Sharing it can feel awkward. And yet — seeing someone you know take the 🔸10% Pledge can be the nudge that makes giving feel possible.

These pledgers chose to be open about how they think about money, impact, and values. Not to show off — but to normalise intentional giving.

Sometimes that’s all it takes to get the conversation started.

The end of the year is a natural pause.
Christmas reflections, New Year commitments, fresh starts.

It’s often the moment people are most open to rethinking how they live— and what they want next year to stand for.

If that’s you, explore the 🔸10% Pledge - link in comment!

There’s still time to make a high-impact donation this year.Saving and improving lives doesn’t have to be complicated.Th...
19/12/2025

There’s still time to make a high-impact donation this year.

Saving and improving lives doesn’t have to be complicated.
These charities support proven interventions that protect millions every year.

Here are our recommended organisations:
• The Against Malaria Foundation
• Helen Keller Intl (Vitamin A Program)
• Malaria Consortium (SMC)
• New Incentives (Vaccination Incentives)
• GiveWell Top Charities Fund
• GiveWell All Grants Fund

If you want your giving to be more intentional and consistent, the 🔸10% Pledge offers a framework for directing your donations toward high-impact programes over time.

👉 https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/pledge for more info about the 🔸10% Pledge and to learn more about the methodology behind this selection.

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