Overview

GiveWell is a nonprofit research organization that identifies and recommends charities working in global health and poverty alleviation based on how much good they do per dollar. Founded in 2007, it evaluates programs by gathering independent evidence, building cost-effectiveness models, interviewing staff, conducting site visits, and monitoring results, producing over 70,000 hours of research a year. It publishes a short annual list of top charities plus detailed reports and offers donation funds—Top Charities, All Grants, and Unrestricted—while charging no fees to donors or charities. What sets GiveWell apart is its transparent methodology and openness, including publishing its own mistakes and making all research freely available. The goal is to help donors do as much good as possible, having directed over $2.6 billion to recommended organizations and, by its estimate, helped save more than 340,000 lives.