The Problem
Most of us want to help others and do good. It’s the reason why we donate to charities. However, our impact is ultimately limited by a) a lack of knowledge around how to give effectively, b) a lack of awareness around the impact of our donations, both large and small, and c) a lack of creative, effective channels to give that we can immediately access.
Informed Giving
The importance of proper research in the donation process cannot be understated. Consider the cautionary tale of Playpumps International. The nonprofit visited developing-world villages and installed merry-go rounds that pumped water when children played on them. Instead of using the traditional hand pump, villagers could use the playpump to get clean water and children could enjoy their first playground amenity.
While the idea seemed brilliant, the results were disastrous. Children would understandably get tired of riding on the playpump, leaving villagers forced to constantly spin the pumps in order to access clean water. Moreover, the pumps were significantly more expensive and much less effective to use than the traditional hand pump. Millions of dollars were donated to Playpumps International, all toward an organization that unknowingly did more harm than good.
Impactful Giving
Our inability to conceive of the impact our donations can have also hinders charitable giving. However, when channeled into effective charities, even small donations can save lives . Consider the fact that members of the Against Malaria Foundation only need $2.50 to buy an anti-mosquito bed net that can protect someone from malaria for three to four years on average.
Efficient Giving
A lack of convenient options also acts as a barrier to donating. Many apps exist for us to find the best restaurants (Yelp), places to stay (TripAdvisor), or movies to watch (Rotten Tomatoes). However, relatively few resources exist to help us donate effectively and efficiently. Searching the word “charity” returns no results in the App Store.
The Solution
Effective Giving empowers users to make informed, impactful, and efficient donation decisions. We provide the research and online tools necessary to maximize the impact they can have.
We provide an extensive, searchable knowledgebase so users can learn about effective charities, weigh their options, and ultimately make a more informed donation. Users can search a charity by name, cause, or other category. Once they find one they're interested in, they can read the charity profile we provide and learn about the charity's mission, goals, achievements, and overall impact. Each charity profile builds off existing research from well-regarded charity evaluation orgnaizations, such as GiveWell and Effective Altruism, so our users can know and trust the information we provide.
Once users choose a charity, we provide options to either make a one-time or a monthly-recurring donation. By choosing to make a monthly-recurring donation, users can continue to give without taking time out of their busy schedules. The app will notify them after their payment is processed, and provide options to view the details of every transaction and manage the configuration of their recurring donations.
Using our donation options and gathered research, users can ultimately integrate informed charitable giving into their daily lives.