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Giving What We Can History - givingwhatwecan.org
webCredibility Rating
3/5
Good(3)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.
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Importance: 18/100homepage
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 |
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# Our history Giving What We Can is the brainchild of [Toby Ord](https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/people/toby-ord), a philosopher at Balliol College, Oxford. Inspired by the ideas of ethicists such as [Peter Singer](https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/people/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](https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/people/toby-ord) worked with fellow Oxford philosopher [Will MacAskill](https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/people/william-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](https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/people/bernadette-young), Ord and co-founder MacAskill launched Giving What We Can in November 2009, attracting significant [media attention](https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/about-us/media-coverage). 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 12,168 members, who have donated more than **$346,202,865** 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](http://www.fhi.ox.ac.uk/) \-\-\- The leading research center looking at big-picture questions for human civilisation. - [Balliol College, Oxford](https://www.balliol.ox.ac.uk/) \-\-\- One of the oldest Oxford colleges, with a strong philosophical tradition. - [The Oxford Uehiro Centre](http://www.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk/) \-\-\- 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 We use cookies to improve your experience and understand how our site is used. By continuing to browse, you agree to our use of cookies. You can [manage your preferences](https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/cookie-notice) at any time. I understand reCAPTCHA Recaptcha requires verification. [Privacy](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/) \- [Terms](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/terms/) protected by **reCAPTCHA** [Privacy](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/) \- [Terms](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/terms/)
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