Based on our evaluation, we’ve decided to continue to rely on GW’s charity recommendations and to ask GW to advise our new GWWC Global Health and Wellbeing Fund.
It is understandable that you asked GW to advise your new GWWC Global Health and Wellbeing Fund instead of directing the donations it received to EA Funds’ Global Health and Development Fund, as this is also advised by GW. However, this arguably means there will be a significant correlation between the grants made by 4 funds:
Have you considered allocating the donations made to the GWWC Global Health and Wellbeing Fund to GW’s funds? As an aside, it is also unclear to me what is the added value of EA Funds’ Global Health and Development Fund.
There is definitely substantial overlap between the four funds you listed; and especially on GWWC’s fund and EA Funds’. In principle, it doesn’t have to be this way:
GWWC’s Global Health and Wellbeing Fund could potentially grant based on evaluations other than GW (e.g., potentially from Founders Pledge, or Happier Lives Institute, etc., depending on how our subsequent evaluations go).
EA Funds’ Global Health and Development Fund could similarly appoint new advisors, or change its scope. But I can’t speak on behalf of EA Funds!
GW’s Top Charities Fund and All Grants Fund do make different grants, with the latter having a wider scope, but there is overlap.
Have you considered allocating the donations made to the GWWC Global Health and Wellbeing Fund to GW’s funds?
We expect that in effect this will be what happens. That is, we expect GW to advise our fund as a proxy for the All Grants Fund. Operationally, it’s better for us to directly grant to the organisations based on GW’s advice (rather than, for example, sending the money to GW to regrant it) so that, among other reasons, charities can receive the money sooner. We already have this process setup for donations made to GW’s funds on our platform. This means that, at least right now, giving to either the All Grants Fund, or our cause area fund, will have the same effect. But as above, this could change based on future evaluations of evaluators, which we see as a feature for donors who want to setup recurring donations to track our latest research.
Thanks for clarifying, Michael! Your approach makes sense to me. On the other hand, the value of EA Funds’ Global Health and Development Fund in its current form remains unclear to me.
If I remember correctly, GHDF predated GW’s creation of the Top Charities Fund and the All Grants Fund. In addition, I think GiveWell UK is of fairly recent origin, so EA Funds would have offered UK tax advantages that were not then (at least readily) available through GiveWell. So I think at least some of the original advantages of GHDF may have become much less significant with subsequent developments at GiveWell?
If I remember correctly, GHDF predated GW’s creation of the Top Charities Fund and the All Grants Fund.
The All Grants Fund waslaunched in August 2022, and GW’s Maximum Impact Fund was renamed to Top Charities Fund one month later. GHDF made its 1st grant in 2017. The Maximum Impact Fund had been making grants since 2014.
In addition, I think GiveWell UK is of fairly recent origin, so EA Funds would have offered UK tax advantages that were not then (at least readily) available through GiveWell.
Good point! GiveWell UK was launched in August 2022.
So I think at least some of the original advantages of GHDF may have become much less significant with subsequent developments at GiveWell?
Hi Sjir, Alana and Michael,
Thanks for the update on this valuable project!
It is understandable that you asked GW to advise your new GWWC Global Health and Wellbeing Fund instead of directing the donations it received to EA Funds’ Global Health and Development Fund, as this is also advised by GW. However, this arguably means there will be a significant correlation between the grants made by 4 funds:
GWWC Global Health and Wellbeing Fund.
EA Funds’ Global Health and Development Fund.
GW’s Top Charities Fund.
GW’s All Grants Fund.
Have you considered allocating the donations made to the GWWC Global Health and Wellbeing Fund to GW’s funds? As an aside, it is also unclear to me what is the added value of EA Funds’ Global Health and Development Fund.
There is definitely substantial overlap between the four funds you listed; and especially on GWWC’s fund and EA Funds’. In principle, it doesn’t have to be this way:
GWWC’s Global Health and Wellbeing Fund could potentially grant based on evaluations other than GW (e.g., potentially from Founders Pledge, or Happier Lives Institute, etc., depending on how our subsequent evaluations go).
EA Funds’ Global Health and Development Fund could similarly appoint new advisors, or change its scope. But I can’t speak on behalf of EA Funds!
GW’s Top Charities Fund and All Grants Fund do make different grants, with the latter having a wider scope, but there is overlap.
We expect that in effect this will be what happens. That is, we expect GW to advise our fund as a proxy for the All Grants Fund. Operationally, it’s better for us to directly grant to the organisations based on GW’s advice (rather than, for example, sending the money to GW to regrant it) so that, among other reasons, charities can receive the money sooner. We already have this process setup for donations made to GW’s funds on our platform. This means that, at least right now, giving to either the All Grants Fund, or our cause area fund, will have the same effect. But as above, this could change based on future evaluations of evaluators, which we see as a feature for donors who want to setup recurring donations to track our latest research.
Thanks for clarifying, Michael! Your approach makes sense to me. On the other hand, the value of EA Funds’ Global Health and Development Fund in its current form remains unclear to me.
If I remember correctly, GHDF predated GW’s creation of the Top Charities Fund and the All Grants Fund. In addition, I think GiveWell UK is of fairly recent origin, so EA Funds would have offered UK tax advantages that were not then (at least readily) available through GiveWell. So I think at least some of the original advantages of GHDF may have become much less significant with subsequent developments at GiveWell?
Hi Jason,
The All Grants Fund was launched in August 2022, and GW’s Maximum Impact Fund was renamed to Top Charities Fund one month later. GHDF made its 1st grant in 2017. The Maximum Impact Fund had been making grants since 2014.
Good point! GiveWell UK was launched in August 2022.
I think so.