An outline of a more precise and quantitative version of the importance, neglectedness, and tractability framework. Includes details on how to apply it to compare cause areas for yourself. (20 mins.)
This page describes one common way to compare the burden of different health issues. Researchers don't rely entirely on these kinds of metrics, but they can be one useful tool for helping to estimate the cost-effectiveness of an intervention.
These pages represent some of the most rigorous thinking you'll find on the impact of specific charities and interventions.
We've shared this link so you can see how GiveWell operates. To that end, any of the research will help. But for especially detailed work, refined over years, we recommend the writeups on GiveDirectly and mosquito nets.
A thorough exploration of RCT research in global development. It only covers work through 2010, but it's still a nice introduction if you enjoy well-written social science. (320 pages)
Another way to deal with prioritization under uncertainty is to focus on actions that seem likely to have generally positive effects across many scenarios, rather than focusing on clear, quantifiable metrics. (30 mins.)
Argues that people in the effective altruism movement might overestimate the extent to which charities differ in their expected marginal cost-effectiveness. (40 mins.)
An argument that research on and advocacy for economic growth in low- and middle-income countries is more cost-effective than the things funded by proponents of randomized controlled trials development. (60 mins - if you’re short on time, read Sections 1-3)
Elie, the CEO and co-founder of GiveWell, discusses his organization’s latest research, his views on economic growth, and what he’s changed his mind on lately. (60 mins.)
AI Use Note: Main body text entirely human written. Claude (Opus 4.8) helped develop models of animal life histories in the appendix.
Cross-posted from Good Structures.
Executive Summary
* Animal advocates sometimes make claims like “there are X of this animal...
“How long have you been v*g*n?”
This is one of the most common icebreakers at animal protection events. It’s a baseline assumption, and it mostly holds true: if you’re out advocating for animals not to be tortured or abused, realistically these days you are v**n, or close. And it makes for good conversation. It seems fairly safe to assume when you meet strangers.
But this assumption is hurting the movement in a way which we don’t always notice: someone new comes into the sp...
Summary
Back in November 2023 I posted here to launch Spiro and raise our first $198k. Two and a half years later this is an update and a fundraiser for the next step.
The short version: we've now reached over-5,900 people with TB preventive medicine, including over 3,000 children under five years old. Our early results have held up well an...