Effective altruism is a system of using high-quality evidence and careful reasoning to work out how much good from each resource is possible. But how can you really measure your donation’s effectiveness?
Take for example how when we choose to go about choosing the right products to buy. We look at the reviews to find what works. Do we repeat these same procedures when we donate to charities? Do we ask about what happens to our funds when we when someone approaches us on the street?
How do you know your efforts are doing the most good? How can you measure the effectiveness of your charity? Do you choose local over global efforts? Do you prefer to help the most impoverished in the world over the comparatively well-off within our own country?