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Where should we donate to to maximize “net good”?

3 points by cheapsteak ↗ HN
Making a rash decision seems selfish since it would satisfy the desire to "do something", even though it's almost guaranteed to be wastefully inefficient compared to whatever the most optimal cause is that you could be donating to instead.

But not doing anything from decision paralysis is only barely better than actively doing harm, unfortunately it's where I think a lot of people (myself included) are stuck on.

What should we be allocating resources on to maximize "net good"?

7 comments

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devnonymous
The way I see it, donations are pretty similar to investments (without the expectations of returns). In other words if you are serious about giving and want to approach it systematically to optimize effect, do the same thing as investment - first do your research, and then spread out your donations over a reasonably wide range of options, instead of lumping it all into one charity. If you're very serious, keep monitoring performance. Of course this is all easier said than done and is also an oversimplification
brudgers
Who defines "net good"?

  Mongol General: Hao! Dai ye! We won again! 
    This is good, but what is best in life?

  Mongol: The open steppe, fleet horse, falcons 
    at your wrist, and the wind in your hair.

  Mongol General: Wrong! Conan! What is best in life?

  Conan: Crush your enemies. 
         See them driven before you. 
         Hear the lamentations of their women.

  Mongol General: That is good! That is good.
Utilitarian ethics are useful so long as we recognize the limits and fallibility of our knowledge...and more importantly that it is an easy excuse to look past individuals that aren't us.

Good luck.

dreamdu5t
Depends on what you value. There is no such thing as "net good" without quantifying "good".
willholloway
My theory on this:

Identify gifted young people with an idealistic streak, high in empathy, people like Aaron Swartz.

Give them a guaranteed basic income, technical education, guidance and connections.

They will go on and fix the problems of the world with an urgency and purity you won't find anywhere else.