All of GraceAdams's Comments + Replies

Oh I thought I responded to this already!

I'd like to say that people often have very good reasons for not pledging, that are sometimes visible to us, and other times not - and no one should feel bad for making the right choice for themselves! 

I do of course think many more people in our community could take the GWWC Pledge, but I wouldn't want people to do that at the expense of them feeling comfortable with making that commitment.

We should respect other people's journeys, lifestyles and values in our pursuits to do good.

And thanks Lizka for sharing your previous post in this thread too! Appreciate you sharing your perspective!

I was lucky enough to see Marcus play this year at the Australian Open, and have pledged alongside him! Marcus is so hardworking - in tennis alongside his work at High Impact Athletes! Go Marcus!!!

Thanks for sharing your perspective, Karthik! 

I think it's pretty unacceptable to be rude or unkind to anyone who hasn't take a pledge with GWWC. Everyone is on their own journey and should do what is right for them. I would be disappointed to hear of pledgers who are acting in a manner that's unkind to non-pledgers.

I second Liza's request here to ask people who are being uncharitable or unkind about the decisions of others around taking a pledge to refrain from doing so. 

I think it's acceptable to politely ask people if they'd welcome a discussion about reasons they should consider taking a pled... (read more)

Hi David!

I'm not sure why they thought it was so high! It also surprised me! 

I think maybe because we had talked about their own income beforehand? But I also hadn't really introduced much about charity before that point - so perhaps in other settings they are also being anchored? 

I had a small sample size so not sure I can draw any major conclusions here! The filming was about 10 months ago so I'm afraid I can't remember!

Hi Ula! Sorry for the very slow response! I got caught up with other work! 

A video like this would generally cost between 10k-20k GBP depending on the team used and how much staff time goes into it.

We're currently not running ads with this video, but will probably do so in the future. We have been trying to get as much organic traction on it as possible so far! Happy to share some further results with you when we have it!

Here's an explanation from Luke about how taking a voluntary salary sacrifice could count towards the pledge (as long as you still think it's one of the most effective organisations improving the lives of others): 

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/sQg4Hi5D2oD6xrbTY/notes-on-not-taking-the-gwwc-pledge-yet?commentId=GSAEzKwdaD8MjRLjC

Let me know what you think!

We'll update this! We do encourage people to give annually to keep in the habit but you're also right that it's not actually in the pledge text. I think this is a major point for a lot of people so we'll update the page! Thanks for pointing that out!

Thanks for sharing, Nuno!

We do have members who don't donate strictly on a yearly basis, and choose to donate every couple of years when there's something quite promising to donate to. Also donating every second (or more depending on how much you donate) year can make sense for some Americans given the tax benefits. 

I think that deciding when to donate (i.e. investing or donating now) is a difficult one, and depends a lot on your worldviews etc. My take is that if you're interested in improving the lives of people now, it's generally good to donate so... (read more)

Ah thanks Ian! You can reach me at grace.adams@givingwhatwecan.org and I'll update the post!

Thanks, JD! I think this is really useful!

One thing I always find so interesting is the contrast between people who are in a culture where giving 10% seems normal (and maybe therefore unnecessary or less valuable to take a pledge) and people who are in a culture where it seems extreme! 

The comment about community is also really interesting - hopefully we're addressing this over time and making it easier to connect with this global community!

Many of our members who currently work at EA non-profits choose to sacrifice salary as part of their pledge! If you were working somewhere else outside of EA, would you consider donating to effective charities or projects?

Hi Jason,

I think this perspective around how upbringing and financial insecurity is really common, and can absolutely understand why it generates hesitancy to make a lifelong financial commitment!

I also think your "fix" of taking trial pledges is also common for people with a similar perspective.

Agreed that it's really valuable for us to understand diverse perspectives here! This is really helpful for us in order to think through in order to help achieve our mission.

Thanks to both you and Joseph for sharing!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Joseph! Really appreciate you taking the time!

I think your feelings here are shared by many! And I do think that taking a significant pledge without a sense of financial stability might not be a good idea. I personally decided to take a pledge once I felt I was in a position to be able to cover expenses if I needed to stop working for a period of time.

The pledges we offer at GWWC don't require you to donate in the case of being unemployed, but this doesn't solve the issue of having enough runway to cover living expenses in... (read more)

I'd like to extend a massive thank you to Gemma, Chris and Denise for volunteering their time and energy to run the GWWC London Group! I'm really excited about the potential for this group (and the others we're seeding around the globe) - and none of it would happen without the generosity of volunteers!

I'm really excited to return to London next year and hopefully attend an event!!!

I think of my veganism in the same way! 

Thanks for sharing, Lizka! and thanks to everyone else for sharing their voices in the comments too!

I liked this post from Samie which talks about some factors for financial planning and security that are helping when thinking about donating - I liked the ideas about income protection insurance and thinking about financial goals.

I personally took a trial pledge for 3% of my income for a year before deciding I could really commit to the full GWWC Pledge. I've had ongoing health issues throughout my adulthood which at times meant I wasn't able to work full t... (read more)

Hey Caleb!

(I'm writing this in my personal capacity, though I work at GWWC)

On 1: While I think that giving 10% is a great norm for us to have in the community (and to inspire people worldwide who are able to do the same), I don't think there should be pressure for people to take a pledge or donate who don't feel inspired to do so - I'd like to see a community where people can engage in ways that make sense for them and feel welcomed regardless of their donation habits or career choices, as long as they are genuinely engaging with wanting to do good effecti... (read more)

Many people see the commitment of the pledge to give 10% as one over their lifetime, so if you needed to drop back to build up runway for a while, with the intention of donating more in the following years once your finances were more secure, I personally think that would be an acceptable way to fulfil the pledge!

There's no strict requirement that donations need to be made each year, but GWWC does encourage regular giving where possible.

(FYI I work at GWWC)

Some of my loose thoughts on this are:

• Many EA groups are focused on fellowships/programs that require a lot of engagement
• Many EA groups have a longtermist focus
• Many EA groups prioritise careers over donations, which can make people feel like if they're only donating that they don't belong
• Many EA group members use a lot of jargon, technical terms, or have social norms that can make it hard for lower context people to feel welcome or engaged. Another way of putting this is that EA groups can feel a bit "in-group"-y.

The types of people that generally attend G... (read more)

I very sympathetic to people who care about high air quality and ventilation for health reasons!

By default, I often try to host events outdoors when I can, when the weather is good and generally try to keep spaces well ventilated.

I also think it can make sense to explicitly ask people who feel unwell at all to stay at home in communications prior to the event.

And I think it’s very reasonable for people with concerns to enquire with the hosts about things like this prior to the event!

I also think having some virtual events for those who might not want to or be able to attend in person events makes sense.

I might add something to the guide about this :)

A lovely post Michel! Do you mind if we share it on the GWWC social media?

That's a really good point! I'll make a note to update the guide to include a note about this! 

I actually do have this in a template for slides for events organisers are doing! I've also included in a doc on how to run events that it's important to set the tone for the event, and that this can be a good time to speak about what behaviours you do (and don't) want to see!

Both really important points, Luke! I think the shift from GWWC Chapters to EA groups is not obvious to many people in the community and represents some of the wider shift we've seen!

I also attended the course and thought it was really well run!

Having access to courses like this to practice important skills is really important, and is the kind of thing that can be hard to access if you're working for a small non-profit. 

I think having training sessions like this available to broader groups of people who would benefit would be very beneficial!

GWWC's membership has steadily grown in the recent years, so it's not that GWWC isn't getting more people to give significantly and effectively! I think this highlights broader questions about what the focus of the current effective altruism community is, and what it should be.

GWWC team members have advocated for a "big tent" effective altruism where everyone who wants to do good effectively should feel that they can be a part of the community - but anecdotally we hear sometimes that people who are primarily interested in giving don't feel like the broader... (read more)

Thanks for writing about this topic! I would like to see more discussion about disability on the forum and in other places!

On a personal note, I have dynamic disability (disability that varies in how it affects you over time and in different periods) and part of why I'm able to work full time currently is the flexibility and understanding that my remote-first employer and amazing manager have afforded me. 

Part of learning about my own conditions and looking at how they impact me and others like me, and their global burden is what led me to want to loo... (read more)

Thanks for this post Jenn! I think it's great to share perspectives from traditional non-profits! I think we should absolutely be trying our best to adopt what works really well at traditional non-profits. I think all the lessons you've raised make a lot of sense, and I'm especially passionate about the power of great customer service in all interactions! 

Super excited to see this happening! 

Hi James, I just wanted to say that I think this post is great and is a helpful way to understand the different perspectives! I think it's critical for us to be listening to other groups who are also trying to create a better world. 

One idea I have in my mind (that is probably not well thought out at all) is that having a mix of activists and pragmatists might actually be the best solution to create change. In my mind, the activists are the visionaries who paint a picture of how the world could be, and the pragmatists in many cases are slowly making the change happen, across many fronts. Just a stray thought :)

I really enjoy reading your work and think it makes a valuable contribution!

Thanks Michelle - this was a wonderful reminder of how great a lot of the people in the community are.

Many recent events have shaken and deeply upset me, but I still remain committed to wanting to dedicate my life to helping others. 

People in this community have:

•  been a large part in helping me to commit to the GWWC Pledge (one of the things I'm proudest of)
• showed me how important it is to keep an open mind and explore possibilities outside of what I'm familiar with
• helped me feel less alone in my commitment to veganism and to having a wide moral

I donated 100USD :) Which is about 140AUD (which is the cost of a fancy dinner and drinks out here in Melbourne)

Thank you for taking the time to share this information during a terrible crisis. 

I've added a link to your post on our article on the GWWC website so people can find the organisations you've listed.

My heart is with you and your communities. 

Thanks Megan! Happy Valentine's Day!

Thanks Nathan!! The success of your fundraiser with Émile has got me super excited about trying to do more fundraisers! 

Hi Ariel,

I agree with Ben below that there are a variety of plausible worldviews from which you could make decisions about giving to highly effective charities, and that being open to the variety of worldviews within the community is important.

I think both of the charities you've suggested are also great - but that doesn't diminish my excitement for what FEM does. I selected FEM specifically for Valentine's Day because it's focused on family planning - but I very well may pick some other organisations that empower and support women in other ways in the future.

[this comment, post and fundraiser are all done in my personal capacity]

Thanks Stan for including GWWC in your analysis! 

I definitely think GWWC could be doing a better job on twitter, which you've mentioned above - I'm still considering whether the additional effort is worth it for us at the moment. Regardless I am updating the mix of content to include more about our top-rated charities (this will happen slowly over time).

As an interesting aside - I think people are much less interested in engaging with orgs/brands than they are with individuals. Over the past few months I've experimented with my own twitter account and... (read more)

This is exciting! Thanks for writing this up. I'll share the post and calls to action with my networks :)

I'd be interested to see what you think of Giving What We Can's social media presence! 

(I am Head of Marketing and produce most of the social media posts and content promoted via our social media. This is not a large focus of my role but something I am happy to receive feedback on.)

Living in Australia, I've always given to orgs that have tax deductibility here in Australia - even though I know there might be better donation opportunities out there it's been a bit of a mental blocker for me. But now I've managed to internalise the benefit of donating to the charities I think have the highest impact regardless of the tax benefit so I'll be donating to StrongMinds and GFI this Giving Season as well as some of the other global health charities I normally support. 

I'm extremely grateful to have found a community of people who care deeply about doing good. I have felt very welcomed and accepted by the people I've met. Seeing the excitement and warmth that comes from people discussing and acting on how we can help others is a wonderful thing.

"Giving What We Can's mission is to make giving effectively and significantly a cultural norm. We mean this quite literally: our goal isn't just to marginally increase the amount of money going to effective charities — we're aiming to make meaningful cultural change."

At Giving What We Can we are trying to bring effective giving and the ideas of effective altruism to a much broader audience through the lens of engaging those who are generally in the top 10% of earners worldwide. 

There are many other organisations and new projects that aim to share the ... (read more)

GWWC will be organising lots of things for Giving Season including taking the lead on Effective Giving Day - we plan to share event guides for hosting events with your groups and workplaces in October to help people prepare and run successful Giving Season events!

Hi LB,

Appreciate your time in giving us some feedback!

For this years Giving Season campaign we're planning to test a donate CTA vs a newsletter sub CTA and track which causes more donations, pledges down the line. I agree that a donate CTA may fare better. 

Also agree that perhaps a more cause focused campaigns could be effective, but this has to be balanced with the nature of GWWC as an org, our place in the effective giving ecosystem and what our vision is. This is something we are thinking about how best to do for our brand. I also think leaning int... (read more)

I'm super excited by the launch of the Longtermism Fund which was driven by Michael Townsend and made possible by the excellent team at Longview! 

I think it fills a gap in longtermist giving and I'm excited to see giving grow in this space!

Just wanted to call out that working with User Friendly is great, and they've produced some excellent for Giving What We Can and we intend to keep using them!