Finance & economics | GiveSmart

The search for the world’s most efficient charities

What the data say about doing good well

A charity worker holds a mosquito net which covers the whole of the photograph with locals smiling in the background. Distribution day in Maracha and Terego, Uganda.
Photograph: Courtesy AMF - Against Malaria Foundation

GIVING IS BIG business. In 2023 Americans alone handed $557bn to charities, according to the Giving USA annual report. So identifying which charities are the most efficient in terms of good done per dollar given is important. GiveWell, a charity evaluator, tries to do just this, and currently recommends giving to four worthy organisations. How is this recommendation put together, and how good is it?

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This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Doing good well”

From the December 21st 2024 edition

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