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Doing Good Better

By William MacAskill

A radical new way to make a difference

  • When giving to charity you should give where you expect your impact to be greatest

  • Given the law of diminishing returns, don't give to causes that already receive a lot

  • Making the biggest impact means figuring out where you can make the biggest difference

    • Accessing the counter factual (What if you haven't done anything)

  • Working for an NGO or "following your passion" may not be the best career choices

    • You should do what you are good at, and then donate a sizable income to charity causes

  • What a charity actually does is much more relevant than how much it spends on administrative costs and salaries

  • Often, well-intentioned acts of charity can have the opposite effect

  • Charity can be a lifestyle, not merely a gift.

  • Read charitably. Give the author your most favorable interpretation.

  • Listen charitably. Donate your undivided attention.

  • Work charitably. Be generous with your expertise.

  • In this way, you make charity a daily habit.