Presumably there is a market for certificates amongst those concerned with e.g. the global poor, and it might function in this way. There is no provision in this system for allowing the beneficiaries to determine the value of these certificates. As with contemporary philanthropy, this responsibility falls to the philanthropists, who may or may not execute it responsibly.
(This judgment would be reflected in the relative prices of “Helped Alice by doing X” and “Helped Alice by giving her $1,” which may have some benefits in terms of transparency.)
Cash transfers are a more direct way to capture these benefits. (After cash transfers are in place, providing goods to the poor can then be a profit-oriented enterprise.) The key question is just whether you think philanthropists or beneficiaries are better at comparing benefits.
Presumably there is a market for certificates amongst those concerned with e.g. the global poor, and it might function in this way. There is no provision in this system for allowing the beneficiaries to determine the value of these certificates. As with contemporary philanthropy, this responsibility falls to the philanthropists, who may or may not execute it responsibly.
(This judgment would be reflected in the relative prices of “Helped Alice by doing X” and “Helped Alice by giving her $1,” which may have some benefits in terms of transparency.)
Cash transfers are a more direct way to capture these benefits. (After cash transfers are in place, providing goods to the poor can then be a profit-oriented enterprise.) The key question is just whether you think philanthropists or beneficiaries are better at comparing benefits.