GiveWell Charity Research and Giving Platform

Business Profile

Core Value Proposition

GiveWell provides independent charity research and recommendations to maximize the impact of donations.

Target Customer

Donors and philanthropic funders seeking high-impact giving; charities seeking funding; global donors.

Key Differentiator

Open, evidence-based research with zero fees and public access to all analyses; transparent methodology and ongoing disclosures of mistakes and updates.

Implementation Timeline

Top Charities Fund donations are committed to specific Top Charities programs no more than six months after donation; donors receive updates on which programs were selected.

Pain Points

1Donors struggle to identify charities that save or improve the most lives per dollar.
2Lack of independent, transparent evidence on charity effectiveness.
3Potential misallocation of funds due to insufficient or non-transparent impact data.

Key Features

1Independent cost-effectiveness analyses and impact estimates for charity programs.
2Open, transparent research published online (including past mistakes and research notes).
3Multiple giving options: Top Charities Fund, All Grants Fund, Direct to Top Charities, Unrestricted Fund.
4Donor-friendly timing: Top Charities Fund donations are granted to programs no more than six months after donation.
5Comprehensive research process: gather independent evidence, model cost-effectiveness, conduct interviews/sites visits, review budgets, request program data, and follow up on progress.

Target Customer Industries

Client Results

1Over 150,000 donors have trusted GiveWell to direct their donations.
2Donors have given over $2.6 billion to the organizations and grants GiveWell has recommended since 2011.
3These donations will save over 340,000 lives.
4GiveWell has backed 70,000+ hours of research annually since 2007.

Competitive Advantages

1Zero fees for donations directed to recommended charities.
2Public, open research with evidence-based cost-effectiveness analyses.
3Focused on high-impact, cost-effective programs with robust evidence.
4Transparent reporting and open access to research and progress.

Key Benefits

1Evidence-backed recommendations with high confidence.

2Zero fees for donations to recommended charities.

3Public access to research, data, and impact estimates.

4Multiple giving options (Top Charities Fund, All Grants Fund, Direct to Top Charities, Unrestricted Fund).

5Timely allocation of funds to top programs (within six months) and ongoing updates.

Case Studies & Success Stories

Malaria Consortium Seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) program

Case #1

Cost-effectiveness estimated at about $4,000 per life saved (2022–2024); evidence of impact described as exceptionally strong; top organization in this area.

Against Malaria Foundation – nets to prevent malaria

Case #2

Cost-effectiveness estimated at about $5,500 per life saved (2022–2024); evidence of impact exceptionally strong; top organization in this area.

Helen Keller Intl – Vitamin A supplementation program

Case #3

Cost-effectiveness estimated at about $3,500 per life saved (2022–2024); very strong evidence of impact; top organization in this area.

New Incentives – cash incentives for routine childhood vaccines (Nigeria)

Case #4

Cost-effectiveness estimated at about $4,500 per life saved (2022–2024); evidence of impact exceptionally strong; top organization in this area.

Additional Product Information

Product Description

Independent nonprofit providing open research on charity effectiveness, including cost-effectiveness analyses and impact estimates, with giving options such as Top Charities Fund, All Grants Fund, and Direct to Top Charities; zero fees and transparent reporting.

Target Market

Global donors and philanthropic funders looking to maximize impact of their contributions; recipient charities seeking funding.

Unique Value Proposition

Open, no-fee, evidence-based charity research that identifies the most cost-effective giving opportunities and directly funds high-impact programs.

Technical Requirements

N/A

Pricing Model

GiveWell operates as a nonprofit; it does not take fees from donations directed to recommended charities; standard bank and credit card processing fees apply to donations.

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