Podcast Summary: "The GiveWell Method"

Podcast: New Books in Science, Technology, and Society (New Books Network)
Date: August 7, 2024
Host: Caleb Zakrin
Guest: Ori Brehm, Head of Communications at GiveWell

Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth conversation between Caleb Zakrin and Ori Brehm about GiveWell—a nonprofit dedicated to identifying the most effective charities for donors who want to maximize their positive impact. The discussion covers GiveWell's methodology, transparency, influence on philanthropy, career paths for academics, and the organization's future. The episode is particularly valuable for listeners interested in evidence-based approaches to charitable giving, as well as those considering alternative careers outside of academia.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Ori Brehm's Background and Career Path

• (02:20) Ori describes his "strange career" trajectory—including research in development economics at Oxford and Princeton, writing a statistics book for general audiences, nonprofit work in South Africa, journalism, and running The Browser, a media company curating interesting articles.
  • He frames GiveWell as "the browser for charities," curating and recommending the most impactful giving opportunities.

2. GiveWell's Mission and Approach

• (03:57) Overview: GiveWell is a nonprofit research org focused on rigorously identifying the most cost-effective charities, often those targeting global health interventions in low-income countries (especially Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia).
• Origins: Ori found the communications job at GiveWell via Twitter, saying, "This retroactively justified all the hours I have ever wasted on Twitter. Absolutely devastating news for me." (03:57, Ori Brehm)

3. How GiveWell Works for Donors

• (05:29) All research is published for free on GiveWell.org. Donors can:
  • Read and use GiveWell research for their own decisions.
  • Donate directly to the recommended charities or through GiveWell’s two main funds, which allocate donations to high-impact programs.
  • "We believe that you can currently save a life for $4,500, which is obviously incredibly humbling but incredibly impactful for those of us who can." (05:29, Ori Brehm)

4. What Makes a Great Charity (GiveWell's Four Criteria)

• (06:50-08:33)
  1. Evidence of Effectiveness: Charities must show clear, data-backed results.
  2. Cost Effectiveness: Maximizing impact per dollar—often directing funds to the poorest areas where basic interventions go further.
  3. Room for More Funding: The charity must be able to use additional funds productively.
     • Example: Surgery programs may be limited by available surgeons, not just funding.
  4. Transparency: Openness about successes, failures, and methodology.

5. Embracing and Publishing Mistakes

• (09:54) GiveWell publicly lists hundreds of its own mistakes to foster learning, accountability, and sector-wide improvement.
  • "We want donors to know that we don't think we're perfect. In fact, we know we're not perfect, and we're trying to learn." (10:26, Ori Brehm)

6. Connections Between Academic Research and GiveWell's Work

• (11:59) Many listeners with research backgrounds will relate to GiveWell’s evidence-based approach.
  • There is a strong demand for senior researchers with quantitative backgrounds—often PhDs or experienced academics.
  • Researchers:
    • Assess and extrapolate external academic research, often randomized controlled trials (RCTs), for real-world application.
    • Must be comfortable making high-stakes decisions with incomplete information, prioritizing the biggest impact factors.
  • "Each individual senior researcher is just meaningfully responsible for saving thousands of lives." (13:48, Ori Brehm)

7. GiveWell by the Numbers

• (14:31) Approximately 70 staff (half in research roles), remote with offices in Oakland and Brooklyn.
• Since 2007:
  • Moved $2 billion in donations,
  • Over 125,000 donors,
  • An estimated 200,000 lives saved.

8. Communications, Outreach, and Growth

• (15:58) GiveWell’s communications strategy has emphasized deep, obsessive rigor in its research to build credibility and trust.
  • Now focused on broadening outreach and making the work more accessible and engaging.

9. The Future of GiveWell

• (21:38) Continued core focus: rigorous research and impact maximization.
• Plans to expand outreach and communicate GiveWell’s process and findings to a wider audience.
  • "One of the exciting things coming up this year is our first New Books Network listener hire... We're trying to be more heads-up in the world." (21:38, Ori Brehm)

10. Organizational Culture and Daily Work

• (22:26) GiveWell is fully remote, with a hard-working, intellectually curious team.
  • "It's just like a hard working group of nerds who argue about things all day and try and figure out quite how deep you can go on questions that might seem simple at first." (22:26, Ori Brehm)

11. How to Donate

• (23:24) Donations and research access are available at givewell.org:
  • Top Charities Fund: Four highly-proven, rigorously vetted programs.
  • All Grants Fund: Includes programs with slightly less evidence but potentially higher average impact ("expected value is slightly higher, but the variance is slightly wider").
  • GiveWell takes no fees—administrative costs are covered by donors.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Making an Impact:
  "We believe that you can currently save a life for $4,500, which is obviously incredibly humbling but incredibly impactful for those of us who can."
  (05:29, Ori Brehm)

• On Academic Orientation:
  "Each individual senior researcher is just like meaningfully responsible for saving thousands of lives. And I think that's a really nice element of going to work every day."
  (13:48, Ori Brehm)

• On Embracing Failure Publicly:
  "We want donors to know that we don't think we're perfect. In fact, we know we're not perfect, and we're trying to learn."
  (10:26, Ori Brehm)

• On Team Culture:
  "It's just like a hard working group of nerds who argue about things all day and try and figure out quite how deep you can go on questions that might seem simple at first."
  (22:26, Ori Brehm)

• On How He Discovered GiveWell:
  "This retroactively justified all the hours I have ever wasted on Twitter. Absolutely devastating news for me."
  (03:57, Ori Brehm)

Important Timestamps

• 02:20 — Ori Brehm’s professional journey and GiveWell’s core premise.
• 03:57 — How Ori came to GiveWell.
• 05:29 — How GiveWell connects donors to high-impact charities.
• 06:50–08:33 — The four core criteria used to evaluate charities.
• 09:54 — Why GiveWell publicly lists its mistakes.
• 11:59–13:48 — The application of academic rigor in GiveWell research roles.
• 14:31 — Organizational size, scope, and impact stats.
• 15:58–16:39 — Communication strategies and the importance of trust-building.
• 21:38 — Future directions and expansion.
• 22:26 — Organizational culture and remote work.
• 23:24 — Step-by-step on how to donate and explanation of the two main funds.

Summary Takeaways

• GiveWell’s reputation is built on transparency and obsessive attention to research rigor, setting it apart in the nonprofit world.
• The organization offers a clear path for donors to maximize impact through highly vetted health interventions in low-income countries.
• GiveWell is actively seeking researchers with strong quantitative backgrounds—especially those with academic training and the ability to make practical, impactful decisions.
• The team culture is intellectual, collaborative, and remote-first.
• GiveWell.org is recommended as a resource for both potential donors and anyone interested in evidence-based philanthropy.

Recommended Action:
For listeners interested in high-impact giving, research careers, or learning from radical transparency in nonprofit work, visit givewell.org.