Hi everyone,

Alana here!

When I first heard about the remarkable impact I could have by donating to research-backed, exceptionally cost-effective charities, I felt two things simultaneously:

On the one hand, I was incredibly relieved that there was actual research out there that showed me my money wouldn’t go to waste.

I now felt confident my donations were helping real people, even providing interventions that could be the difference between life and death. I finally knew where to give — a question that had been plaguing me for years!

On the other, I was even more confused than before.

Since I could be confident this money would concretely improve (and that enough of it would even save) someone’s life, how could I justify spending money on anything else? Shouldn’t I choose a malaria net over a latte? After all, they were about the same price…

(Actually, if yesterday’s coffee order is any indication, I think malaria nets are actually cheaper — damn it, $7 oat milk cappuccino…why are you so delicious?!)

All kidding aside, constantly ruminating on every purchase I made turned out to be entirely unproductive.

I was so confused about where to draw the line between my personal happiness and the responsibility I felt to improve the lives of others that I did nothing…I took no action at all. And both my personal happiness and my impact took a sharp, downwards spiral.

The 10% Pledge is intended to help prevent this type of paralysis.

By providing a clear structure and a clear standard of giving, the Pledge helps you stop ruminating and start doing — one “bucket” automatically goes to charity and you don’t worry about the rest.

This isn’t to say that I completely stopped the thought spirals — after all, why 10%? And was it enough?

But what I did realise is that defining an explicit goal that was both achievable and significant made it easier for me to act — and would make it easier for others in a similar state of decision paralysis to act as well.

I wasn’t alone in working towards a better world, and it was important that those like me who also felt a desire and/or responsibility to give back — but were having trouble actioning this belief — had a clear, structured way to do so. Signing the Pledge was a way to start living up to my values…and to inspire others to do the same.

Here’s a run-down of the reasoning behind 10% as a good standard of giving.

• Significant → most people give far less than this, so setting 10% as a standard significantly impacts the way people approach charity as well as the progress that can be made.

• Achievable → While 10% sounds like a lot, we hear from most people that it doesn’t meaningfully affect their quality of life/what they are able to afford on a day-to-day basis.

• Intuitive → There’s a historical precedent for giving 10%, due to its connections to tithing in many cultures.

• Sustainable → Many people would choose to switch to a more meaningful job even if it paid 10% less; they might not make this switch if it paid 50% less.

Of course, 10% isn’t achievable for everyone. If you’re on board with the ideas behind the Pledge but aren’t sure you can afford to give 10%, I highly recommend checking out the Trial Pledge, where you choose a custom percentage of income for a custom period of time. (Just don’t ruminate on how much to choose for too long!)

My journey to the 10% Pledge proved really helpful both in terms of

• exploring the question of how much to give to charity, and also

   

• figuring out how to step up and live in line with my values without letting burnout from unrealistic expectations get in the way.

But people decide to take the Pledge for many different reasons. Here are a few:

Why did you take the Pledge?

“Because I'd like to share my good fortune with those for whom it can have a much greater impact.”
-Caspar de Haes, Great Britain

“Making the world a better place is everyone’s responsibility, starting by oneself.”
-Alejandro Díaz, Mexico

“Because I want to live in a world where we focus on solving challenges that really need to be solved. I am dedicated to creating a world where we uplift and support each other, making a positive difference in people's lives—whether through emotional, financial, or other forms of assistance.”
-Janine Khuc, Netherlands

“Because even though reducing injustice is usually very difficult, this pledge is by far the easiest, most effective step we can take to make the world a little bit more equal.”
-André Santos, Ireland

“Because while I don't have the power to single-handedly solve all the world's issues (though wouldn't that be great!), I have the power to make a real difference by simply allocating my funds wisely.”
-James Moss, Great Britain

And on that inspiring note — Grace joins me again next time for the last email in the series! Keep an eye out!

Ready to take the Pledge? 

You can do so here.