What Is Effective Altruism?
High Impact Athletes is inspired by the Effective Altruism movement, and our charity selections are based on recommendations made by EA-aligned organisations. But what exactly is Effective Altruism?
We all want to create a better world. A world without suffering from preventable and treatable diseases, avoidable deaths, and extreme poverty. A world where natural resources are conserved and used sustainably and equitably, and factory farming is a phenomenon of the past. It isn’t always clear what we can do to bring about a better future when these issues can seem impossibly complex and removed. But you have more power to save lives than you realize.
If you earn an average income in a first-world country, you have the ability to save dozens of lives in your lifetime by donating a portion of your income to an effective charity working on highly impactful interventions, such as preventing malaria by distributing bed nets. You can work on enacting legislative changes that vastly improve the welfare of farmed animals. You can contribute by conducting research on long-term risks to humanity, lobbying for policy change, or entrepreneurship focused on new, helpful technologies like carbon capture or animal protein alternatives.
But how do we know where to give our money to, or where and how to spend our time and use our talents? This is where Effective Altruism can provide answers.
Effective Altruism, or EA, comes down to one question: How can we use our resources to help others the most? Peter Singer, philosopher and HIA advisor, cites Wikipedia’s definition of Effective Altruism in The Most Good You Can Do: How Effective Altruism Is Changing Ideas About Living Ethically:
Effective Altruism is “a philosophy and social movement which applies evidence and reason to working out the most effective ways to improve the world.”
Although many effective altruists focus on alleviating extreme poverty, there is a wide range of promising causes in need of attention. An effective altruist aims to be as effective as possible with their money and other resources (such as time and talents) in order to create as much of a positive impact in these areas as possible.
Aspiring effective altruists use this goal and careful analysis to choose the best cause and the best way to give to that cause. They want to maximize their ability to save and change lives. This person is both motivated to make a difference, and chooses to use data and evidence to ensure their resources are used efficiently to make that difference.
We at High Impact Athletes want to grow the Effective Altruism movement by showing professional athletes the difference their donations and advocacy can make when given to an effective, evidence-based charity, and in turn encouraging those same athletes to spread the word to their followers and fans. We believe that ordinary people have the power to make a tremendous positive impact on the world, and we aim to show people how they can channel their resources towards creating a better future.
Anyone can be an effective altruist. Meet and learn more about our rigorously evaluated charities working on fighting extreme poverty here and on reducing humanity’s environmental impact here, and consider taking our giving pledge here.
100% of the donations made through the HIA website go towards our featured charities; we don’t take any cut. You can be sure your gift is going towards saving and changing lives.
If you want to dive a little deeper in to EA, check out the references below:
Singer, Peter. The Most Good You Can Do
Effectivealtruism.org
80000hours.org