Giving What We Can (GWWC) is a community of effective givers that promotes the 10% Pledge, encouraging people to commit at least 10% of their income to the most impactful charities. Founded in 2009, it has grown to over 12,000 members who have collectively donated more than $500 million.
Giving What We Can (GWWC) is a community of effective givers that promotes the 10% Pledge, encouraging people to commit at least 10% of their income to the most impactful charities. Founded in 2009, it has grown to over 12,000 members who have collectively donated more than $500 million.
People
Updated 05/18/26Chief Operations Officer
Chief Growth Officer
Researcher
Community Engagement Coordinator
Community Engagement Coordinator
Operations Associate
Senior Growth Specialist
Funding Details
Updated 05/18/26- Annual Budget
- $4,200,000
- Current Runway
- -
- Funding Goal
- $4,200,000
- Funding Raised to Date
- -
Org Details
Updated 05/18/26Giving What We Can (GWWC) was founded in November 2009 at Oxford University by philosophers Toby Ord and Will MacAskill, along with Bernadette Young. Inspired by the writings of Peter Singer on the moral obligation to help those in extreme poverty, Ord committed a large proportion of his own income to effective charities and worked with MacAskill to build an international community around this idea. The organization launched with 23 founding members who pledged a combined $21 million in future donations. GWWC's central program is the 10% Pledge: a public, lifelong commitment to donate at least 10% of one's income to whichever organizations can most effectively improve the lives of others. As of early 2026, over 12,000 people across 100+ countries have taken the pledge, and the community has collectively donated more than $500 million. The organization also offers a Trial Pledge for those wanting to try giving 10% for one year before committing fully. In addition to pledge promotion, GWWC operates a donation platform that makes it easy to give tax-deductibly to a curated list of high-impact organizations and cause-area funds spanning global health, animal welfare, and global catastrophic risk. GWWC does not charge fees to donors or recommended organizations. The organization was originally housed within the Centre for Effective Altruism and later the Effective Ventures Foundation (EVF). In August 2024, GWWC completed a spin-out to become a fully independent legal entity, registering as a UK charity (number 1207964) and a US 501(c)(3) (EIN 93-3629215). The organization is led by CEO Sjir Hoeijmakers and a team of 16 core staff as of 2025. GWWC's 2026 budget is approximately $4.2 million, funded primarily by a major grant from Coefficient Giving (~50%), individual donations from members and staff (~30%), and interest income (~20%). As of February 2026, the organization was still fundraising roughly 60% of its 2026 operational budget. GWWC targets a giving multiplier of 6x on its operational spending, meaning each dollar spent is estimated to generate $6 in additional donations to highly effective charities.
Theory of Change
Updated 05/18/26GWWC's core theory of change is that social norms around giving are malleable, and that a visible community of committed givers can shift what is considered normal and admirable. By recruiting individuals to take a public pledge to give 10% or more of their income, GWWC creates durable, long-term increases in resources flowing to highly effective charities. Each new pledger is estimated to contribute approximately $100,000 in lifetime donations that would not otherwise have gone to high-impact causes. At scale, this pledge community generates hundreds of millions of dollars per year for the most effective organizations addressing global health, animal welfare, and global catastrophic risks including AI safety. GWWC also operates a donation platform that channels funds to vetted high-impact organizations, further improving the quality of giving among its community.
Grants Received– no grants recorded
Updated 05/18/26Projects– no linked projects
Updated 05/18/26Discussion
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