They generally only know about EA through me, or by being tech-adjacent (VC, startup founders etc). No one I know who is an actual EA donor has messaged me about this, but I would consider all of them to be potential donors.
That may be the case with those in your social circle, but several existing EA donors have been vocally upset on the EA subreddit. One question we’ve had to answer there multiple times is whether GiveWell had anything to do with this, because, if so, they would cease their donations there.
People on the EA subreddit are generally more casual than the people that come here to the EA Forum. But comments like this are typical in the last few days:
“I really have trouble believing that someone who has even vaguely brushed up against the insights of EA would buy a mansion. In fact, I could think of few acts that would be more bluntly and vulgarly antithetical to EA.”
These are not anti-EA zealots posting on social media about how this kind of thing disgusts them, using this opportunity as a chance to strike (though some of those also exist). No, these are actual EAs — they may not be as engaged as EA Forum users, but they care enough to join the subreddit, to donate to EA orgs, and to participate in light EA discussions on reddit. They are really not happy about the purchase of Wytham Abbey.
I honestly only really know ~5 people who would consider themselves EAs and none of them tend to stay on top of current events much, they just donate every year to EA orgs. Haven’t heard anything from them, but I am not so embedded in the community. Agree that my perspective is not necessarily typical here but I also can’t tell if your comment is meant to dispute something I said or if you are agreeing?
They generally only know about EA through me, or by being tech-adjacent (VC, startup founders etc). No one I know who is an actual EA donor has messaged me about this, but I would consider all of them to be potential donors.
That may be the case with those in your social circle, but several existing EA donors have been vocally upset on the EA subreddit. One question we’ve had to answer there multiple times is whether GiveWell had anything to do with this, because, if so, they would cease their donations there.
People on the EA subreddit are generally more casual than the people that come here to the EA Forum. But comments like this are typical in the last few days:
These are not anti-EA zealots posting on social media about how this kind of thing disgusts them, using this opportunity as a chance to strike (though some of those also exist). No, these are actual EAs — they may not be as engaged as EA Forum users, but they care enough to join the subreddit, to donate to EA orgs, and to participate in light EA discussions on reddit. They are really not happy about the purchase of Wytham Abbey.
I honestly only really know ~5 people who would consider themselves EAs and none of them tend to stay on top of current events much, they just donate every year to EA orgs. Haven’t heard anything from them, but I am not so embedded in the community. Agree that my perspective is not necessarily typical here but I also can’t tell if your comment is meant to dispute something I said or if you are agreeing?