GiveWell provides some valuable accountability

Offeringplate Many Americans are making year-end charitable donations, and two former New York hedge-fund analysts are hoping to help with that. The two left six-figure incomes to start GiveWell, applying their skills to evaluating charities on productivity numbers and effectiveness. Their findings are posted online to help potential investors weigh which organizations will be the best stewards of donations.

Their efforts have received mixed reviews from the philanthropic community, which questions the accuracy of gauging charities just by numbers. Nonetheless, not only does it give investors a clear view of where their money is going, the service adds an element of accountability in a hard-to-regulate climate of giving.

6 Comments

  1. Steven Davis
    Posted December 31, 2007 at 1:59 am | Permalink

    You don’t get the tax break, but when you are a micro-lender you can make a big difference in people’s lives.

    http://www.kiva.org/

    And most of the time you get the money back to roll over into other entrepreneur’s businesses.

    Did Bush really say that France was a second-rate country because they did not know what entrepreneurs were? Tony Blair says no, but I have my doubts.

  2. Steven Davis
    Posted December 31, 2007 at 2:20 am | Permalink

    …doubts that Blair was telling the truth on that story.

  3. georgetroy
    Posted December 31, 2007 at 10:28 am | Permalink

    But the money has come from the evil corporations. You must have profits to donate and help others. Of course Hillary wants to take from you and give to others.

  4. georgetroy
    Posted December 31, 2007 at 10:29 am | Permalink

    But the money has come from the evil corporations. You must have profits to donate and help others. Of course Hillary wants to take from you and give to others.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Posted January 2, 2008 at 12:25 am | Permalink

    Before donating money to GiveWell, you should read the following:

    http://metatalk.metafilter.com/15547/GiveWell-or-Give-em-Hell

    The CEO of GiveWell and other employees has been deceptively marketing the organization on the internet. The transparency that is supposed to be so essential to their process, apparently does not apply to all aspects of their business.

    To quote the CEO, Holden Karnofsky:I had a lapse in judgment, did a horrible thing, and I apologize.http://blog.givewell.net/?p=211

  6. Most go to state
    Posted January 2, 2008 at 12:36 am | Permalink

    http://www.guidestar.org

    Better choice with registration required, but free registration option gives plenty of info (Form 990)

    According to Guidestar, Givewell has not filed a Form 990 with the IRS since 2002 and has not updated its info since then. It may not need to file 990s in certain instances, but it was grossing more than enough in its two 990 filings to require it those years.

    No info on its board members which is typically on the 990.