Hi Jason—thanks for spelling out the details here. I agree with your observations. I’m not proposing to eliminate the 10% pledge and am more “endorsing a multi-level approach” as you said in your other comment. I acknowledge it’s (1) easier to let go of “(what would counterfactually be) other people’s money” and (2) it’d likely be a lesser sum than lifetime giving, but it may be a good lower-commitment option. Gen Z are having fewer kids (which is reflected in my friend group, where especially high-income women are not planning to have any kids) and people tend to think more about their legacy in old age, so this proposal could be appealing. To be clear, I think people who take the 10% pledge are super respectable and the trial pledge is a good way to get people on the fence in the door. Giving What We Can already added the wealth-based option and the Further Pledge as newer options and I wonder if it’s more accessible if it gives a whole list of options (As another example, X% of your inheritance/trust—I know many trust fund babies that would be happy to do something, anything, with their money. Again, it doesn’t carry the weight of an average middle-class person giving 10% every year, but it would be a lot more money funneled into effective causes rather than naming another building at Harvard after themselves.) and tweak the messaging to be something like “While we encourage people to take the 10% pledge and have a trial pledge that you can easily get started with, we also realize there are many other possible giving options that you prefer to pursue, for example: [insert list of options]. Should you choose not taking the 10% pledge, we still urge you to consider directing your donations towards effective charities.”
I suppose I’m really making two main points here:
More mass appeal (both to the not-so-well-off and to the wealthy people) without giving up the full-commitment option
Emphasis on the “effective” part more than the “10%” part to the mass while affirming/not diluting the meaning of the 10% pledge for those choosing the full commitment
Hi Jason—thanks for spelling out the details here. I agree with your observations. I’m not proposing to eliminate the 10% pledge and am more “endorsing a multi-level approach” as you said in your other comment. I acknowledge it’s (1) easier to let go of “(what would counterfactually be) other people’s money” and (2) it’d likely be a lesser sum than lifetime giving, but it may be a good lower-commitment option. Gen Z are having fewer kids (which is reflected in my friend group, where especially high-income women are not planning to have any kids) and people tend to think more about their legacy in old age, so this proposal could be appealing. To be clear, I think people who take the 10% pledge are super respectable and the trial pledge is a good way to get people on the fence in the door. Giving What We Can already added the wealth-based option and the Further Pledge as newer options and I wonder if it’s more accessible if it gives a whole list of options (As another example, X% of your inheritance/trust—I know many trust fund babies that would be happy to do something, anything, with their money. Again, it doesn’t carry the weight of an average middle-class person giving 10% every year, but it would be a lot more money funneled into effective causes rather than naming another building at Harvard after themselves.) and tweak the messaging to be something like “While we encourage people to take the 10% pledge and have a trial pledge that you can easily get started with, we also realize there are many other possible giving options that you prefer to pursue, for example: [insert list of options]. Should you choose not taking the 10% pledge, we still urge you to consider directing your donations towards effective charities.”
I suppose I’m really making two main points here:
More mass appeal (both to the not-so-well-off and to the wealthy people) without giving up the full-commitment option
Emphasis on the “effective” part more than the “10%” part to the mass while affirming/not diluting the meaning of the 10% pledge for those choosing the full commitment