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Jul 04, 2014
ssc
17 min 2,153 words 87 comments podcast
Ozy argues for diversifying charitable donations, while Scott counters that focusing on the single most efficient charity at any given time is more effective. Longer summary
This post includes two perspectives on charity donation strategies. Ozy argues for diversification in charitable giving, comparing it to stock market investing. They suggest that a society of effective altruists would still support various charities due to uncertainty and the balance between high-risk/high-return and low-risk/low-return options. Scott disagrees, arguing that charity differs from stock investments due to the absence of diminishing returns in lives saved. He introduces concepts of disaster aversion and low-hanging fruit, concluding that at any given time, there is one most efficient charity to donate to based on current funding levels and marginal utility. Shorter summary