GiveWell Top Charities

GiveWell has assembled a world-class set of researchers to find the charities on Earth that do the most good per dollar. While "good" can mean many things — and individuals involved with the GiveWell community write many essays exploring this in more depth — the organization is one of the great projects in applied social science.

How much has GiveWell found (on average) it costs to save a life, for its most cost-effective charities? $3,000-$5,500. To explain how this happens, take the case of preventative malaria treatments in a country like Nigeria. A full five-month cycle of treatment for a child costs less than $10. With that money, workers on the ground can distribute around 500 of these treatments. Of those 500 children given treatment, on average, one fewer child dies each year.

In honor of our wedding, it would be very special to us if our guests would consider giving to the GiveWell Top Charities Fund.