Turning good intentions into greater impact

Meet people applying effective altruism to do more good with their time, money, and resources.

Watch stories

Take action

What is effective altruism?

A philosophy

Using reason and evidence to find the most effective ways to help others. Read more in this essay.

A movement

A global network of people and organizations putting the ideas into practice.

As featured in

More ideas on how to make a difference – and a free book

Sign up for the Effective Altruism Newsletter, a monthly email with the latest ideas, stories, and opportunities from the effective altruism community.

60k+ subscribers, 21 subscribed today. Read past editions

Effective altruism in action

From global health to existential risk: see how people apply effective altruism across diverse fields

Watch

“
Even when you work with very smart and talented and driven people who share a commitment to doing the most good possible, it can be unclear what to do. This is tough, slow work. But I love having a community with whom I can do that work.
”

Will MacAskill

Philosophy student turned founder of the effective altruism movement

Watch

“
We're often the first organization to enter these overlooked spaces, trying not only to solve immediate problems but also to marshal interest into issues most people haven't considered.
”

Devon Fritz

Software engineer turned charity incubator COO

Watch

“
Hearing that your dollar could go 100 times further overseas really struck me. Of course, if I could help a hundred times more people, I wanted to do that.
”

Grace Adams

Management consultant turned champion for effective giving

Watch

“
Very few things are as meaningful as saving someone else's life.
”

Marcus Davis

Volunteer turned thinktank CEO

Watch

“
Two principles really resonated with me: taking seriously the interests of people and animals geographically distant from you, and approaching charity as a quest to have the greatest impact possible.
”

Lewis Bollard

Lawyer turned animal welfare grantmaker

Watch

“
Seeing the intellectual humility of people really trying to interrogate whether or not they are in fact doing the right thing — that wasn't something I had encountered in any workplace or community to this extent before.
”

Zachary Robinson

Management consultant turned nonprofit CEO

Watch

“
I found other people who deeply cared about making a positive difference in the world, and really wanted to use all the tools that they could to find the best opportunities to do that.
”

Julia Wise

Social worker turned community health lead

Watch

“
My advice to someone who wants to make an impact: consider for-profit entrepreneurship. It's not for everyone, but if you have a vision of a better world and a product that people really need, venture capital is a powerful tool.
”

Lincoln Quirk

Tech founder turned financial inclusion pioneer

Read

“
Before I discovered EA, I was wrestling with a common question: how can I use my time and my career in a way that's actually useful for the world?
”

Melanie Brennan

English teacher turned community builder

Read

“
The financial sacrifice of moving from a job in finance to the animal NGO space was a challenge, but the promise of meaning outweighed the costs for me.
”

Andrés Jiménez Zorrilla

Morgan Stanley investor turned animal welfare advocate

Read

“
We can be more than we often make ourselves out to be, especially morally speaking. We can do more, we can be more.
”

Cecil Abungu

Law student turned AI safety researcher

Read

“
To me, effective altruism means thinking deeply and putting care into using our resources — thoughtfully and impartially to best improve the lives of others.
”

Sam Anschell

Poker dealer turned global aid grantmaker

Read

“
One of the best skills EA has given me is the ability to prioritize. I don't know if all philosophy students are prone to analysis paralysis, but that was certainly the case for me.
”

James Herbert

Consultant turned community leader

Read

“
These ideas, along with other influences, helped me identify farmed animal welfare, wild animal welfare, invertebrate welfare, and AI welfare as areas of focus.
”

Jeff Sebo

Philosophy PhD turned author and NYU professor

Read

“
I studied arts management with dreams of organizing festivals and concerts, but when I actually tried it, I realized it didn't give me a sense of purpose.
”

Sarah Tegeler

Arts management student turned nonprofit director

Read

“
I was really unsure how my life was going to unfold, but I knew that I wanted to make a difference and live a life in service to others.
”

Lucas Moore

English tutor turned partnerships manager

Read

“
I value the combination of moral seriousness, scope sensitivity, and being agentic that effective altruism inspires. There's something powerful about really taking suffering seriously and then actually doing something about it.
”

Elliot Teperman

Psychology student turned donor advisor

What the community has achieved

Browse projects from the effective altruism community

Global health and economic development

Protected hundreds of millions of people against malaria through the distribution of insecticide-treated nets

Against Malaria Foundation

Built mobile financial solutions for millions of users across Africa

Wave

Advocated for human challenge trials to understand COVID-19

1Day Sooner

Implemented regulations that are projected to prevent lead exposure in tens of millions of children by 2100

Lead Exposure Elimination Project (LEEP)

Supported the delivery over $800 million in cash transfers to over 1.6 million people in need in 12 countries

GiveDirectly

Animal welfare

Freed hundreds of millions of hens from painful battery cages

Open Wing Alliance

Helped secure regulatory clearance for cultivated meat in the United States

Good Food Institute

Established a new legal framework for animal advocates to challenge animal cruelty in court

Legal Impact for Chickens

Secured commitments from top companies to adopt higher animal welfare policies

Anima International

Existential risk and the long-term future

Researched the implications of superintelligent AI for humanity's future

Forethought

Pioneered advances in the field of mechanistic interpretability

Neel Nanda, Google Deep Mind

Developed a monitoring network to detect concerning biological sequences before they spread

Nucleic Acid Observatory

Research and charity evaluation

Directed more than $2.4 billion of donations to evidence-backed charities, informed by 60,000+ research hours each year

GiveWell

Produced groundbreaking research that influenced millions in philanthropic funding decisions, including studies on animal welfare, global health priorities, and existential risk reduction

Rethink Priorities

Incubated 40+ effective nonprofits serving 35 million people and 1 billion animals

Charity Entrepreneurship

Influenced more than $68 million toward highly effective charities and projects helping animals

Animal Charity Evaluators

Grantmaking, fundraising, and donor advising

Built a network of thousands of pledgers who have donated more than $300 million

Giving What We Can

Empowered entrepreneurs to give effectively, mobilizing $1.5 billion in charitable donations across 2,500+ pledges

Founders Pledge

Advised millions of dollars to evidence-based climate interventions

Giving Green

Founded Germany's leading effective giving platform, directing millions of Euros to highly impactful charities

Effektiv Spenden

Four ideas you probably already agree with

That could mean you're already on board with effective altruism

1. It’s important to help others

When people are in need and we can help them, we think that we should. Most people think millionaires should give back, but few realize that even those earning the median wage in a rich country typically rank among the global top 5% of the world’s wealthy. See where you fall on the global income scale.

2. Everyone deserves equal consideration

Everyone has an equal claim to being happy, healthy, fulfilled and free, whatever their circumstances. Everyone matters, wherever they live, however rich they are, and whatever their ethnicity, age, gender, ability, or religious views.

3. Helping more is better than helping less

All else being equal, we should save more lives, help people live longer, and make more people happier. If the same resources will improve 20 lives instead of one, it’s better to improve 20.

4. Our resources are limited

We have a finite amount of money to spend. This is also true of our time. Choosing to spend money or time on one option is an implicit choice not to spend it on other options.

It’s important to help others
People are equal
Helping more is better than helping less
Our resources are limited

Research and ideas

Insights and research that have shaped the movement

“Many of the concepts in effective altruism will be familiar to economists. What is unusual is to see these tools used to develop a practical guide on how to live an ethical life. It doesn’t tell you what choices to make; instead it sets out a simple framework for how to think through decisions.”

Find ways to help

There are many ways to take action—through donations, career choices, volunteering, and much more

View past editions

Turning good intentions into greater impact

Meet people applying effective altruism to do more good with their time, money, and resources.

What is effective altruism?

A philosophy

A movement

More ideas on how to make a difference – and a free book

Effective altruism in action

“Even when you work with very smart and talented and driven people who share a commitment to doing the most good possible, it can be unclear what to do. This is tough, slow work. But I love having a community with whom I can do that work.”

Even when you work with very smart and talented and driven people who share a commitment to doing the most good possible, it can be unclear what to do. This is tough, slow work. But I love having a community with whom I can do that work.

“We're often the first organization to enter these overlooked spaces, trying not only to solve immediate problems but also to marshal interest into issues most people haven't considered.”

We're often the first organization to enter these overlooked spaces, trying not only to solve immediate problems but also to marshal interest into issues most people haven't considered.

“Hearing that your dollar could go 100 times further overseas really struck me. Of course, if I could help a hundred times more people, I wanted to do that.”

Hearing that your dollar could go 100 times further overseas really struck me. Of course, if I could help a hundred times more people, I wanted to do that.

“Very few things are as meaningful as saving someone else's life.”

Very few things are as meaningful as saving someone else's life.

“Two principles really resonated with me: taking seriously the interests of people and animals geographically distant from you, and approaching charity as a quest to have the greatest impact possible.”

Two principles really resonated with me: taking seriously the interests of people and animals geographically distant from you, and approaching charity as a quest to have the greatest impact possible.

“Seeing the intellectual humility of people really trying to interrogate whether or not they are in fact doing the right thing — that wasn't something I had encountered in any workplace or community to this extent before.”

Seeing the intellectual humility of people really trying to interrogate whether or not they are in fact doing the right thing — that wasn't something I had encountered in any workplace or community to this extent before.

“I found other people who deeply cared about making a positive difference in the world, and really wanted to use all the tools that they could to find the best opportunities to do that.”

I found other people who deeply cared about making a positive difference in the world, and really wanted to use all the tools that they could to find the best opportunities to do that.

“My advice to someone who wants to make an impact: consider for-profit entrepreneurship. It's not for everyone, but if you have a vision of a better world and a product that people really need, venture capital is a powerful tool.”

My advice to someone who wants to make an impact: consider for-profit entrepreneurship. It's not for everyone, but if you have a vision of a better world and a product that people really need, venture capital is a powerful tool.

“Before I discovered EA, I was wrestling with a common question: how can I use my time and my career in a way that's actually useful for the world?”

Before I discovered EA, I was wrestling with a common question: how can I use my time and my career in a way that's actually useful for the world?

“The financial sacrifice of moving from a job in finance to the animal NGO space was a challenge, but the promise of meaning outweighed the costs for me.”

The financial sacrifice of moving from a job in finance to the animal NGO space was a challenge, but the promise of meaning outweighed the costs for me.

“We can be more than we often make ourselves out to be, especially morally speaking. We can do more, we can be more.”

We can be more than we often make ourselves out to be, especially morally speaking. We can do more, we can be more.

“To me, effective altruism means thinking deeply and putting care into using our resources — thoughtfully and impartially to best improve the lives of others.”

To me, effective altruism means thinking deeply and putting care into using our resources — thoughtfully and impartially to best improve the lives of others.

“One of the best skills EA has given me is the ability to prioritize. I don't know if all philosophy students are prone to analysis paralysis, but that was certainly the case for me.”

One of the best skills EA has given me is the ability to prioritize. I don't know if all philosophy students are prone to analysis paralysis, but that was certainly the case for me.

“These ideas, along with other influences, helped me identify farmed animal welfare, wild animal welfare, invertebrate welfare, and AI welfare as areas of focus.”

These ideas, along with other influences, helped me identify farmed animal welfare, wild animal welfare, invertebrate welfare, and AI welfare as areas of focus.

“I studied arts management with dreams of organizing festivals and concerts, but when I actually tried it, I realized it didn't give me a sense of purpose.”

I studied arts management with dreams of organizing festivals and concerts, but when I actually tried it, I realized it didn't give me a sense of purpose.

“I was really unsure how my life was going to unfold, but I knew that I wanted to make a difference and live a life in service to others.”

I was really unsure how my life was going to unfold, but I knew that I wanted to make a difference and live a life in service to others.

“I value the combination of moral seriousness, scope sensitivity, and being agentic that effective altruism inspires. There's something powerful about really taking suffering seriously and then actually doing something about it.”

I value the combination of moral seriousness, scope sensitivity, and being agentic that effective altruism inspires. There's something powerful about really taking suffering seriously and then actually doing something about it.

What the community has achieved

Global health and economic development

Protected hundreds of millions of people against malaria through the distribution of insecticide-treated nets

Built mobile financial solutions for millions of users across Africa

Advocated for human challenge trials to understand COVID-19

Implemented regulations that are projected to prevent lead exposure in tens of millions of children by 2100

Supported the delivery over $800 million in cash transfers to over 1.6 million people in need in 12 countries

Animal welfare

Freed hundreds of millions of hens from painful battery cages

Helped secure regulatory clearance for cultivated meat in the United States

Established a new legal framework for animal advocates to challenge animal cruelty in court

Secured commitments from top companies to adopt higher animal welfare policies

Existential risk and the long-term future

Researched the implications of superintelligent AI for humanity's future

Pioneered advances in the field of mechanistic interpretability

Developed a monitoring network to detect concerning biological sequences before they spread

Research and charity evaluation

Directed more than $2.4 billion of donations to evidence-backed charities, informed by 60,000+ research hours each year

Produced groundbreaking research that influenced millions in philanthropic funding decisions, including studies on animal welfare, global health priorities, and existential risk reduction

Incubated 40+ effective nonprofits serving 35 million people and 1 billion animals

Influenced more than $68 million toward highly effective charities and projects helping animals

Grantmaking, fundraising, and donor advising

Built a network of thousands of pledgers who have donated more than $300 million

Empowered entrepreneurs to give effectively, mobilizing $1.5 billion in charitable donations across 2,500+ pledges

Advised millions of dollars to evidence-based climate interventions

Founded Germany's leading effective giving platform, directing millions of Euros to highly impactful charities

Four ideas you probably already agree with

1. It’s important to help others

2. Everyone deserves equal consideration

3. Helping more is better than helping less

4. Our resources are limited

Research and ideas

What are the most important moral problems of our time?

Why you think you're right — even if you're wrong

The why and how of effective altruism

The case that career choice is your key moral decision

Which charities improve global health the most per dollar?

Why this might be humanity’s most important century

Find ways to help

“
Even when you work with very smart and talented and driven people who share a commitment to doing the most good possible, it can be unclear what to do. This is tough, slow work. But I love having a community with whom I can do that work.
”

“
We're often the first organization to enter these overlooked spaces, trying not only to solve immediate problems but also to marshal interest into issues most people haven't considered.
”

“
Hearing that your dollar could go 100 times further overseas really struck me. Of course, if I could help a hundred times more people, I wanted to do that.
”

“
Very few things are as meaningful as saving someone else's life.
”

“
Two principles really resonated with me: taking seriously the interests of people and animals geographically distant from you, and approaching charity as a quest to have the greatest impact possible.
”

“
Seeing the intellectual humility of people really trying to interrogate whether or not they are in fact doing the right thing — that wasn't something I had encountered in any workplace or community to this extent before.
”

“
I found other people who deeply cared about making a positive difference in the world, and really wanted to use all the tools that they could to find the best opportunities to do that.
”

“
My advice to someone who wants to make an impact: consider for-profit entrepreneurship. It's not for everyone, but if you have a vision of a better world and a product that people really need, venture capital is a powerful tool.
”

“
Before I discovered EA, I was wrestling with a common question: how can I use my time and my career in a way that's actually useful for the world?
”

“
The financial sacrifice of moving from a job in finance to the animal NGO space was a challenge, but the promise of meaning outweighed the costs for me.
”

“
We can be more than we often make ourselves out to be, especially morally speaking. We can do more, we can be more.
”

“
To me, effective altruism means thinking deeply and putting care into using our resources — thoughtfully and impartially to best improve the lives of others.
”

“
One of the best skills EA has given me is the ability to prioritize. I don't know if all philosophy students are prone to analysis paralysis, but that was certainly the case for me.
”

“
These ideas, along with other influences, helped me identify farmed animal welfare, wild animal welfare, invertebrate welfare, and AI welfare as areas of focus.
”

“
I studied arts management with dreams of organizing festivals and concerts, but when I actually tried it, I realized it didn't give me a sense of purpose.
”

“
I was really unsure how my life was going to unfold, but I knew that I wanted to make a difference and live a life in service to others.
”

“
I value the combination of moral seriousness, scope sensitivity, and being agentic that effective altruism inspires. There's something powerful about really taking suffering seriously and then actually doing something about it.
”