May 29, 2007 | Read Time: 1 minute
The author of of The GiveWell Blog wants to turn one of the basic tenets of giving on its head.
Donors tend to give to causes that offer them a personal connection to those they help.
But the author says donors should be encouraged to find ways to help the most people possible with their contributions. Charity, after all, is not about the donor.
“Chances are, you and those you love have never been affected by malaria or (severe) diarrhea – but those who are affected suffer in ways that are both severe and cheap to fix,” the anonymous author argues. “If you can look beyond ‘someone I love suffered from disease X, so I want to fight disease X’ to ‘someone I love suffered, so I want to fight suffering’ – you can make a bigger impact on more people’s lives.”
While such an approach might not offer as much direct gratification for donors, it would lead to more change, the author argues.
Is this approach likely to work? Will it make philanthropy more efficient or decrease overall giving? Click on the comments link just below this posting to share your opinion.
