How to Choose a Charity

What does this charity do?
- What does this charity do?
- How many different types of programs does it run?
- For each of these programs, what exactly is it that this charity does? If it runs more than one program, why is that?
How cost-effective is each program area?
- Is the charity focused on one of the most important causes?
- How cost-effective does the evidence suggest the program to be?
How robust is evidence behind each program?
- What is the evidence behind the programs that the charity runs?
- Are there trials showing that the program is effective?
- Does the charity rigorously monitor and evaluate the success of its programs?
How well is each program implemented?
- Do the leaders of the charity have demonstrated success in other areas?
- Is the charity highly transparent?
- Does it acknowledge mistakes that it’s made in the past?
- What are the alternative charities you could give to?
- Are there good reasons for supposing that this charity is better than others?
Does the charity need additional funds?
- What would additional funding be used to do?
- Why haven’t other donors already funded the charity to the point it can’t use extra money?