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Earning to Give - Effektiv Altruism Sweden

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This is an introductory page from Effective Altruism Sweden aimed at a general audience; it is tangentially relevant to AI safety insofar as EA funding strategies support AI safety research organizations.

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Summary

This page from Effective Altruism Sweden explains the 'earning to give' strategy, where individuals pursue high-income careers and donate a significant portion of their earnings to high-impact causes. It presents the rationale that financial contributions can sometimes do more good than direct work, particularly in cause areas with funding gaps.

Key Points

  • Earning to give involves choosing a career based on income potential in order to donate more to effective causes.
  • The strategy is based on the premise that money donated to high-impact organizations can multiply one's positive impact.
  • It is one of several career paths recommended by the effective altruism community alongside direct work and advocacy.
  • The approach is especially relevant when skilled individuals can earn significantly more in private sector roles than in nonprofit work.
  • Effective Altruism Sweden presents this as a legitimate and impactful option for people wanting to contribute to global priorities.

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Earning to Give: Maximizing Philanthropy Through High-Income Careers 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 


 







 
 
 

 
 

 

 
 Skip to content 

 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 Earning to Give

 
 
 
 
 Explore if pursuing a high-income profession, for the purpose of donating a significant portion of earned income to the most effective charities in the world, is a promising path for you

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Learn more 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Introduction to Earning to Give

 
 
 
 
 Why it matters

 
 
 
 
 Earning to Give (E2G) is a strategy where individuals pursue high-earning careers to maximize their philanthropic contributions. The core idea is to earn a substantial income and donate a significant portion to effective charities, potentially having a greater impact than by directly working in those fields. This approach allows individuals to leverage their income to generate substantial social good, and to support multiple causes simultaneously.

 E2G offers career flexibility, allowing individuals to choose from a wide range of careers that match their skills and interests while still contributing significantly to global welfare. By targeting donations to underfunded and high-impact areas, individuals can fill funding gaps and accelerate progress in critical but overlooked fields.

 Two crucial considerations when pursuing an E2G career are the opportunity to build valuable career capital in the role, and to avoid high-earning professions that might cause harm.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Learn more 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 By donating up to half their income to effective charities, Jeff and Julia have found that giving generously not only saves lives but also brings them greater happiness and fulfillment.

Photo: Image: Julia Wise/Jeff Kaufman 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 If you have the potential of being at the tail of the income distribution, you could have a significant positive impact in the world by donating a large share of your income. 
Source: Our World in Data 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Career in Earning to Give

 
 
 
 
 There are some professions where the average salary is much higher than most others, and by pursuing those, more money can be donated to impactful causes. Below is a non-exhaustive list of some of them.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Tech Roles 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Tech Roles 

 
 
 A career in tech provides high earning potential, rapid advancement opportunities, and often significant stock options, especially if joining a company in an early stage.

 Software Engineer 

 Data Scientist 

 Cybersecurity Specialist 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Finance Roles 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Finance Roles 

 
 
 The finance industry is famous for being highly compensated. In addition to their exceptionally high earning potential, lucrative bonuses are often common.

 Quantitative Trader 

 Hedge Fund Manager 

 Financial Analyst 

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