Combining compassion and reason to do the most good we can.
Effective altruism is a philosophical movement and community focused on maximising the good you can do over the course of your life with your limited time, money, and resources. The movement develops and shares practical tools and recommendations regarding how to prioritize social action, including in one’s career, projects, and donations. The community around this movement provides opportunities to assist each other in our efforts to improve the world.
Paths to making an impact
Depending on your background and interests, there could be a variety of ways to efficiently make a positive impact with your time, money, and energy. Explore below to consider some options that might work for you. Additionally, feel free to schedule a call with us if you’d like to chat about and refine your current approach to improving the world.
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Careers
From direct work, to earning potential, to academia and governance, our careers often have far-reaching effects on how we do good.
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Donations
Carefully chosen donations can be one of the simplest ways to make an outsized impact. Effective Altruism reminds us that some donations can do much more than others.
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Research
Using evidence and a scientific mindset is at the heart of effective altruism. Effective research can be an especially useful way to help answer fundamental questions.
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Volunteering
With the right opportunity, one could do a lot of good through effective volunteering. Sign up to volunteer with us, or schedule a consultation below to discuss more options.
Starting small
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Newsletter
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Events
Meet the community
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1-on-1
Talk to our staff
Connecting with the local community
There are many ways to get involved with effective altruism, both locally and globally.
In NYC, you can meet us at events, find others with similar interests and backgrounds, and connect 1-on-1 with our staff. You can also join the conversation online on our Slack or our Facebook and subscribe to our newsletter!
Globally, you can peruse the Effective Altruism Forum, attend online fellowships and discussion groups, attend conferences, and make more connections in the broader community.
Ways to learn more
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Frequently Asked Questions About Effective Altruism
Article, 13 minutes
Passive vs. rational vs. quantified
Article, 5 minutes
Effective Altruism is a Question, Not an Ideology
Article, 7 minutes
An overview of the main concepts of Effective Altruism
Video, 26 minutes
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Neutrality in choosing fields of activity
Article, 8 minutes
How can we help the world? A flowchart
Article, 4 minutes
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While the effective altruism community is always open to finding more cause areas to focus on (see the cause area: global priorities research), here are some (but not all) other common areas one may work on depending on their personal fit and comparative advantage:
