We can treat the 15% figure from the 2024 Rethink Priorities EA Survey results as an approximation of the current %. However, I’m sure this number varies a lot based on your definition of ‘earning to give’. I.e. It’s likely that some of these people are 10% pledgers who aren’t actively maximising their earning potential/ exposure to upside.
I agree with both parts of this.
We haven’t asked directly about donation levels since EAS 2020[1]. But looking at that data (which didn’t seem to vary substantially year-on-year), the median person reporting earning to give was donating 4.58% of their income and $2000 in total.[2]
That probably seems strikingly (and perhaps dispiritingly) low- only ~30% of the E2Gers are even donating 10%. This is partly explained by a lot of EAs being new to the movement (the median percentage donated among E2Gers who joined the movement between 2009-2014 is around 20% and their median donation is more like $20,000). But it does still mean that a large number of the recorded E2Gers may not actually, directly, be E2Ging any significant amount yet.[3]
Due to a combination of (i) extreme pressure on space and it seeming like other questions with the highest decision-relevance to decisionmakers were most important, (ii) donation/income data is relatively sensitive, (iii) it seems like the community has other sources of aggregate level data on donations, even if we lose a lot of individual level data by cutting questions.
Donation amounts are winsorized at $50,000 to make the lower end of the scale more visible, donation percentages are winsorized at 100% (note that donations might be from accumulated wealth, not annual income).
I’m having a hard time understanding what you’re saying with these graphs. Are these for self-identified ETG people, or for everyone in your survey? Donation_w shows something like 60% (no y scale so not sure) of population don’t give at all, is that right? And around 10% give $20K or more? Thanks.
Thanks for your question. Yes, these show the distribution for E2G people only (otherwise these plots could not inform us about the E2G question).
Donation_w shows something like 60% (no y scale so not sure) of population don’t give at all, is that right?
Only 12.8% are literally donating $0. But a larger percentage are donating close to $0 (31% donating <$500, 38.3% donating <$1000). And around 10% give $20K or more?
You can tell from the median of $2000 that 60% of people are not donating $0. The 60th percentile is around $4000.
Thank you David, I understand much better now. It is indeed perplexing to hear that 38% of self-identified earning to give folks are giving $1000 or less, but I think your explanations do seem plausible. I guess there could also be people saving and investing now to do giving later, unless this category was a separate option in your survey.
I agree with both parts of this.
We haven’t asked directly about donation levels since EAS 2020[1]. But looking at that data (which didn’t seem to vary substantially year-on-year), the median person reporting earning to give was donating 4.58% of their income and $2000 in total.[2]
That probably seems strikingly (and perhaps dispiritingly) low- only ~30% of the E2Gers are even donating 10%. This is partly explained by a lot of EAs being new to the movement (the median percentage donated among E2Gers who joined the movement between 2009-2014 is around 20% and their median donation is more like $20,000). But it does still mean that a large number of the recorded E2Gers may not actually, directly, be E2Ging any significant amount yet.[3]
Due to a combination of (i) extreme pressure on space and it seeming like other questions with the highest decision-relevance to decisionmakers were most important, (ii) donation/income data is relatively sensitive, (iii) it seems like the community has other sources of aggregate level data on donations, even if we lose a lot of individual level data by cutting questions.
Donation amounts are winsorized at $50,000 to make the lower end of the scale more visible, donation percentages are winsorized at 100% (note that donations might be from accumulated wealth, not annual income).
This is one reason why the best time to dramatically grow the movement might have been several years ago, even if the second best time is today.
I’m having a hard time understanding what you’re saying with these graphs. Are these for self-identified ETG people, or for everyone in your survey? Donation_w shows something like 60% (no y scale so not sure) of population don’t give at all, is that right? And around 10% give $20K or more? Thanks.
Thanks for your question. Yes, these show the distribution for E2G people only (otherwise these plots could not inform us about the E2G question).
Only 12.8% are literally donating $0. But a larger percentage are donating close to $0 (31% donating <$500, 38.3% donating <$1000). And around 10% give $20K or more?
You can tell from the median of $2000 that 60% of people are not donating $0. The 60th percentile is around $4000.
20.7% were giving $20,000 or more.
Thank you David, I understand much better now. It is indeed perplexing to hear that 38% of self-identified earning to give folks are giving $1000 or less, but I think your explanations do seem plausible. I guess there could also be people saving and investing now to do giving later, unless this category was a separate option in your survey.