I have more ideas for posts to publish to this forum:
The Growth of Effective Altruism: Growing Bigger Vs. Growing Stronger
At the 2014 Effective Altruism Summit, Rob Wiblin and William MacAskill espoused how they believe potentially the best action for effective altruism as a movement proper would take is increasing its own population size. I call this “growing bigger”. Ostensibly, this is also in large part the current mission of the Centre for Effective Altruism, and its “Effective Altruism Outreach”. Anna Salamon of the Center For Applied Rationality seemed skeptical of this approach as best use of recursion to improve the movement. She espoused the perspective that supporters of effective altruism, both as individuals and as a whole community, might be better to ensure the community self-improves, increasing the movement’s legitimate self-confidence that it can achieve the good outcomes desired. In other words, she posits increasing the good each effective altruist can do, and the absolute good expected from per individual would be the way to go. I call this “growing stronger”. Understanding the semantic distinction between “growing bigger” and growing stronger” seems to me crucial when discussing the “(movement) growth” of effective altruism”.
Research Into Social Movements
Over the last year, I’ve observed multiple individuals independent of the Centre for Effective Altruism suggesting how social movements have historically grown and succeeded be studied so effective altruism can learn how successfully it could replicate such methods. However, I’ve noticed a dearth of updates or coordination on such a project. More than researching myself, I’d be reaching out to the community to note and report on who what others have learned thus far.
Blogging Carnival: Role Models
I’m going to propose the monthly topic for the effective altruism blogging carnival for February be “Role Models”. If this doesn’t come to pass, though, I want to write about it anyway. It’s a topic which excites me, so I’m willing to take suggestions for (co-)authoring a profile on an individual who has lived and acted in the spirit of effective altruism in the past or present, if not affiliated with the movement.
What Different Types of Organizations Can Do
At the 2014 Effective Altruism Summit, I met multiple entrepreneurs who suggested start-ups and for-profit efforts can produce through their goods or services provide an efficient mechanism for positive social impact in addition to the money to be donated that they generate for their owners or employees. Since then, I’ve noticed this idea popping up more. Of course, start-ups contrast with bigger corporations. Additionally, I believe there are different types of non-profit organizations, and their differences are important. Charities doing direct work (e.g., the Against Malaria Foundation), foundations (e.g., Good Ventures, Charity Science), research think tanks (e.g., Givewell, the Centre for Effective Altruism), advocacy and awareness organizations (e.g., The Life You Can Save, Greenpeace), scientific research projects (e.g. the International Panel on Climate Change), and political advocacy (Avaaz.org, Amnesty International) are all different.
To lump all “for-profit” types of work, and all “non-profit” types of work into two categories underrates the advantages and disadvantages of how to structure an organization driven toward a goal.
Different types of organizations differ across nations and law codes, the cultures and traditions of their respective sectors, and their structural limitations. Effective altruism should be aware of such so it can figure out how best effectively achieve goals for a given cause.
Building Relationships With Charities
Within effective altruism, there are individuals who have succeeded in earning high enough income that they can and do donate (tens of thousands) of dollars to a single charity each year. The focus of donations within of effective altruism is on charities which the community believes are working in neglected cause areas, so those charities may be smaller than more common ones (such as UNICEF or Greenpeace), and accustomed to such large donations. Owners and investors into companies maintain relationships with executives to check how well they’re operating those companies. However, while donations to a charity may be analogous to a profit-seeking investment, the relationship between a (large) donor and a charity may be quite different. Effective altruism is unique in that single large donors tend to care about the transparency and technical details of charities they support more than philanthropists and donors not influenced by effective altruism. So, maintaining a mutually respectful and courteous relationship may be more different and tenuous than average. It seems a guide for those earning to give, and who build relationships with charities over time, could be useful. I don’t consider myself remotely qualified to write this guide on my own, so I’ll be seeking coauthors or reviewers extensively.
Building Relationships With Donors and Fundraisers
There are supporters of effective altruism starting and managing unconventional non-profit organizations. I wouldn’t be surprised if more of them do so in the coming years. Their financial and moral supporters may or may not be familiar with effective altruism, and non-profits that try to optimize for effectiveness. This guide would be an inverse to the one above, about how to maintain effective relationships with donors, both in general, and specifically about charities aiming to be more effective. This guide would be intended for maintaining relationships with ongoing donors, in particular ones who are concerned with and constructively critical of how a non-profit is run. How to effectively court new donors, or run successful fundraisers, seems like a separate guide. Thirdly, as they grow, non-profits aligned with effective altruism may form relationships with other organizations that boost their profile or raise funds on their behalf. How to effectively manage relations with them also seems important. Again, these are all topics on which I consider myself unqualified to write guides about, but I think are important enough for me to facilitate. So, I’ll be seeking coauthors, reviewers, and experienced supporters extensively.
I think you’ll have more luck getting social movement research into the public domain by approaching people individually. In my experience, putting a general request out there is much more likely to fall flat from a bystander effect compared to if you contact the people who you know have been involved.
I have more ideas for posts to publish to this forum:
The Growth of Effective Altruism: Growing Bigger Vs. Growing Stronger At the 2014 Effective Altruism Summit, Rob Wiblin and William MacAskill espoused how they believe potentially the best action for effective altruism as a movement proper would take is increasing its own population size. I call this “growing bigger”. Ostensibly, this is also in large part the current mission of the Centre for Effective Altruism, and its “Effective Altruism Outreach”. Anna Salamon of the Center For Applied Rationality seemed skeptical of this approach as best use of recursion to improve the movement. She espoused the perspective that supporters of effective altruism, both as individuals and as a whole community, might be better to ensure the community self-improves, increasing the movement’s legitimate self-confidence that it can achieve the good outcomes desired. In other words, she posits increasing the good each effective altruist can do, and the absolute good expected from per individual would be the way to go. I call this “growing stronger”. Understanding the semantic distinction between “growing bigger” and growing stronger” seems to me crucial when discussing the “(movement) growth” of effective altruism”.
Research Into Social Movements Over the last year, I’ve observed multiple individuals independent of the Centre for Effective Altruism suggesting how social movements have historically grown and succeeded be studied so effective altruism can learn how successfully it could replicate such methods. However, I’ve noticed a dearth of updates or coordination on such a project. More than researching myself, I’d be reaching out to the community to note and report on who what others have learned thus far.
Blogging Carnival: Role Models I’m going to propose the monthly topic for the effective altruism blogging carnival for February be “Role Models”. If this doesn’t come to pass, though, I want to write about it anyway. It’s a topic which excites me, so I’m willing to take suggestions for (co-)authoring a profile on an individual who has lived and acted in the spirit of effective altruism in the past or present, if not affiliated with the movement.
What Different Types of Organizations Can Do At the 2014 Effective Altruism Summit, I met multiple entrepreneurs who suggested start-ups and for-profit efforts can produce through their goods or services provide an efficient mechanism for positive social impact in addition to the money to be donated that they generate for their owners or employees. Since then, I’ve noticed this idea popping up more. Of course, start-ups contrast with bigger corporations. Additionally, I believe there are different types of non-profit organizations, and their differences are important. Charities doing direct work (e.g., the Against Malaria Foundation), foundations (e.g., Good Ventures, Charity Science), research think tanks (e.g., Givewell, the Centre for Effective Altruism), advocacy and awareness organizations (e.g., The Life You Can Save, Greenpeace), scientific research projects (e.g. the International Panel on Climate Change), and political advocacy (Avaaz.org, Amnesty International) are all different.
To lump all “for-profit” types of work, and all “non-profit” types of work into two categories underrates the advantages and disadvantages of how to structure an organization driven toward a goal.
Different types of organizations differ across nations and law codes, the cultures and traditions of their respective sectors, and their structural limitations. Effective altruism should be aware of such so it can figure out how best effectively achieve goals for a given cause.
Building Relationships With Charities Within effective altruism, there are individuals who have succeeded in earning high enough income that they can and do donate (tens of thousands) of dollars to a single charity each year. The focus of donations within of effective altruism is on charities which the community believes are working in neglected cause areas, so those charities may be smaller than more common ones (such as UNICEF or Greenpeace), and accustomed to such large donations. Owners and investors into companies maintain relationships with executives to check how well they’re operating those companies. However, while donations to a charity may be analogous to a profit-seeking investment, the relationship between a (large) donor and a charity may be quite different. Effective altruism is unique in that single large donors tend to care about the transparency and technical details of charities they support more than philanthropists and donors not influenced by effective altruism. So, maintaining a mutually respectful and courteous relationship may be more different and tenuous than average. It seems a guide for those earning to give, and who build relationships with charities over time, could be useful. I don’t consider myself remotely qualified to write this guide on my own, so I’ll be seeking coauthors or reviewers extensively.
Building Relationships With Donors and Fundraisers There are supporters of effective altruism starting and managing unconventional non-profit organizations. I wouldn’t be surprised if more of them do so in the coming years. Their financial and moral supporters may or may not be familiar with effective altruism, and non-profits that try to optimize for effectiveness. This guide would be an inverse to the one above, about how to maintain effective relationships with donors, both in general, and specifically about charities aiming to be more effective. This guide would be intended for maintaining relationships with ongoing donors, in particular ones who are concerned with and constructively critical of how a non-profit is run. How to effectively court new donors, or run successful fundraisers, seems like a separate guide. Thirdly, as they grow, non-profits aligned with effective altruism may form relationships with other organizations that boost their profile or raise funds on their behalf. How to effectively manage relations with them also seems important. Again, these are all topics on which I consider myself unqualified to write guides about, but I think are important enough for me to facilitate. So, I’ll be seeking coauthors, reviewers, and experienced supporters extensively.
I’m interested in the social movement research and in your blogging carnival suggestion.
Good suggestions.
I think you’ll have more luck getting social movement research into the public domain by approaching people individually. In my experience, putting a general request out there is much more likely to fall flat from a bystander effect compared to if you contact the people who you know have been involved.