Giving What We Can History - givingwhatwecan.org
webCredibility Rating
Good quality. Reputable source with community review or editorial standards, but less rigorous than peer-reviewed venues.
Rating inherited from publication venue: Giving What We Can
Tangentially relevant to AI safety via the effective altruism ecosystem; GWWC is an EA-aligned institution, and understanding EA organizational history provides context for funding and coordination dynamics influencing AI safety research priorities.
Metadata
Summary
This page documents the history of Giving What We Can (GWWC), a pledging organization founded by Toby Ord in 2009 that encourages members to donate a meaningful percentage of their income to the most effective charities. It traces the organization's growth from its origins in effective altruism philosophy to becoming a major institution in the global effective giving movement.
Key Points
- •Giving What We Can was founded in 2009 by philosopher Toby Ord, who pledged to donate everything he earned above a modest living standard to effective charities.
- •The organization is closely linked to the broader effective altruism movement and promotes evidence-based charitable giving to maximize positive impact.
- •Members take a pledge to donate at least 10% of their income to the most effective charities they can find.
- •GWWC grew significantly over the years, accumulating thousands of members and pledging billions of dollars to effective causes.
- •The organization reflects EA movement-building strategies relevant to understanding how altruistic coordination and priority-setting institutions develop.
Cited by 1 page
| Page | Type | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| Giving What We Can | Organization | 62.0 |
Cached Content Preview
Our history · Giving What We Can Our history Giving What We Can is the brainchild of Toby Ord , a philosopher at Balliol College, Oxford. Inspired by the ideas of ethicists such as Peter Singer , Toby decided in 2009 to commit a large proportion of his income to effective charities. Our origins Discovering that many of his friends and colleagues were interested in making a similar pledge, Toby Ord worked with fellow Oxford philosopher Will MacAskill to create an international organisation of people who would donate a significant proportion of their incomes to cost-effective charities. Together with his wife Bernadette Young , Ord and co-founder MacAskill launched Giving What We Can in November 2009, attracting significant media attention . Within a year, 64 people had joined, their pledged donations amounting to $21 million. Initially run on a volunteer basis, Giving What We Can took on full-time staff in the summer of 2012. In this video our co-founders Toby Ord and Will MacAskill talk about the history of Giving What We Can: A growing movement We now have 12,244 members, who have donated more than $ 361,418,057 to charity. A note of thanks to our early supporters Giving What We Can is extremely grateful for the support provided by the following organisations over the years: The Future of Humanity Institute --- The leading research center looking at big-picture questions for human civilisation. Balliol College, Oxford --- One of the oldest Oxford colleges, with a strong philosophical tradition. The Oxford Uehiro Centre --- An institute that encourages and supports debate and deeper reflection on practical ethics. Your current selection Funds / Organisations you select will show up here Allocate donation
9edc32b0d49c4b78 | Stable ID: sid_gozhruEoJg