Smart Giving

selecting our Nonprofits

We are often asked how we select a new nonprofit each month and think that now is the perfect time to explain our philosophy. We want to unite a diverse community that is inclusive of everyone, regardless of socio-economic status, religion, geographic location or any number of other things that make each of us unique. This philosophy carries over into our nonprofit selection process as well.

The foundation of our smart giving philosophy has been greatly inspired by the effective altruism movement. However, we take just a few steps further, by targeting other nonprofits that may fall outside scope of this morally driven, highly rational selection process that places high value on very specific causes.

Diversification is Key

We like to think of it as a diversified investment portfolio. The base of which is your low-risk, immediate and measured reward organizations. We think of these as the life-saving and disaster relief nonprofits that have an immediate impact on the people and places they help. A few organizations that we’ve worked with such as MAP International, Against Malaria Foundation, and All Hands Volunteers are perfect examples of the foundational nonprofits that we target.

The Middle Ground

The next category has a slightly higher risk — organizations that help people whose lives may not be at stake but whose path will be drastically altered for the better with the right intervention. These types of organizations are all about empowerment and self-reliance — your education and inner-city programs, among others. Parent-Child Home Program, Pencils of Promise, and All-Stars Project are excellent examples of nonprofits that are setting people off in the right direction and have potentially immeasurable benefits.

Higher Risk — Higher Reward

The final category, and albeit the one with the highest risk and the potential for the greatest reward, is the long-term investment. These are the organizations where their effects are not immediate and it may be harder to measure their impact. These nonprofits have long-term goals with the potential to change the course of humanity. The Alliance for Aging Research is just such an organization. These are the groups that will be finding cures for cancer and mapping the human brain.

Evolving Everyday

These three “investment” categories — weighted on the low-risk end of the spectrum — are what makeup the core of our smart giving philosophy. But we don’t stop there. We are constantly evolving the way our nonprofits are selected and we take into account a number of other factors to make sure we are picking the best of the best. We focus on organizations that are highly-rated — be it through Charity Navigator, Givewell, or any number of nonprofit rating sites. This helps us make sure that our members are donating to efficiently run organizations that are doing the most good and stand out in their sector.

Making the Greatest Impact

There are 1.5 million nonprofits in the U.S. With a number like that, we have barely begun to scratch the surface of the countless sectors and causes. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t going to try. We want our nonprofits to be as diverse as our members. And that means hitting a wide array of global nonprofits.

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