A bunch of people have linked to the map of EAs and it’s become fairly widely known, but it occurs to me that I never properly introduced it. So, here it is! You should join it!

What it is

It’s a map. It features effective altruists around the world, and also local EA meetup groups. When you click on people you see their EA Profiles, which tell you more about them including their donation plans from the EA Donation Registry. Everyone has a contact form, so you can get in touch with people nearby. Ryan’s suggested using it to meet local EAs, and some people say they’re happy to host visitors. There’s also a searchable list of people on the map. When you click on a local group you see a profile for it, including where to find its next meeting and who to contact about it.

Why it’s a great idea to meet EAs where you live - and where you travel

There are so many reasons why! It’s a lot of fun and you can form long-lasting social bonds - indeed, many people have found that fellow effective altruists are very much on their wavelength. It also strengthens the community and makes people feel more involved and more connected. And it’s plausible that the more EAs someone knows, the more likely they are to continue to identify as an EA and ‘stay on the wagon’. Some evidence from this comes from the fact that having several friends in the movement seems to have induced many people to sign up; we might worry that they will drop out as this peer group drops away. It’s been gratifying to hear from several people who’ve used the map to find others near them, or local groups, or accommodation.

Why you should join it now

In addition to the reasons above, adding yourself to the map is an extremely easy way to show the size and spread of the movement, providing valuable social proof. And you can strengthen this yet further by adding information on your past or planned donations via the EA Donation Registry. To sign up, just give your city and country in this quick form. Why not?