Is the search to ‘do the most good’ compromising support for systemic change? How are metrics clouding donors’ capacity to fund transformational movements? How are tenets of ‘Effective Altruism’ at odds with social justice philanthropy, and what might these communities learn from each other?

Effective altruism has been around for some time, but has grown in popularity in the last decade. One of the drivers of the EA movement was the founding of GiveWell, an organization that identifies charities that ‘do the most good’. Given its proximity to Silicon Valley, this charitable philosophy has become popular among millennials seeking to maximize the impact of their donations. Yet, this worldview also rubs up against some of the trends of social justice philanthropy, such as trusting the lived experience of impacted communities and confronting the root causes of systemic injustice.

Join us for a discussion to learn more about Effective Altruism (EA) and grassroots movement-building. We will tackle juicy and tough questions about the limitations of philanthropy, the opportunities for bigger impact, and the contradictions of measuring social change. There will be tensions, there will be inspiration, and there will be cookies.

Speakers:

1. Jacy Reese | Research Director | Sentience Institute

2. Rajiv Khanna | Director of Philanthropic Partnerships | Thousand Currents

3. Alex Saingchin | Vice President of Community Investments and Partnerships | East Bay Community Foundation

Tickets free for Blue Heart members, sliding scale $10-50 for non-members (to cover event costs). No one turned away for lack of funds. To learn more about Blue Heart click here.