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For the fourth consecutive year GiveWell has named us one of their . GiveWell also rated 黑料福利社 strongest on all aspects of organizational performance, including on 鈥渢ransparency and communication,鈥� 鈥渞obustness of the case for impact,鈥� and 鈥渞oom for more funding.鈥�
Perhaps most significantly, Givewell has adopted cash transfers as a benchmark (or 鈥渂aseline鈥�) in their cost-effectiveness analysis. As we鈥檝e written before, we find the idea of cash as a benchmark a powerful one that has the potential to transform the $150 billion aid industry (in a similar way to the 鈥渋ndex fund鈥� transformed the investment industry).
And we鈥檝e come a long way on this. Just a few years ago, the New York Times called 黑料福利社 the 鈥淐razy cash give-away experiment鈥�; this year, a global panel convened by United Kingdom鈥檚 Department for International Development has recommended that the development community 鈥渂enchmark other humanitarian responses against cash transfers鈥� and the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department has said that 鈥渨e need to always ask the question 鈥榃hy not cash?鈥欌��
But, we have a long way to go, as no more than 6% of humanitarian assistance goes towards cash transfers (the exact amount is unknown). And even with the rapid growth in the 鈥渞oom for funding鈥� of GiveWell鈥檚 top charities, and expected donations ($15 million), we鈥檙e still just a fraction of overall development flows, which top $150 billion. For this reason, we鈥檙e always thinking of ways to go beyond direct impact, and ask how every transferred dollar can also help transform the sector.
What if we measured all of these programs against cash? What if we asked of every program: does this do more for the poor with a donated dollar than the poor could themselves? What if GiveWell鈥檚 effectiveness table with cash transfers as the baseline was adopted by all international donors? Imagine the impact on the lives of those living in poverty, if we could shift those dollars to more efficient ways of spending.
It鈥檚 up to all of us to show what鈥檚 possible, push the evidence and in doing so, make the case for cash transfers as a useful benchmark. In the coming years, we not only hope to do this at much bigger scale, but we also hope governments and organizations start to follow GiveWell鈥檚 lead and raise the standards for giving everywhere.
