BlogGWWC Newsletter: October 2024

Welcome to our October newsletter!


Earlier this year, we told you about our goal to hit 10,000 10% Pledges by 2025. In the coming few months, we’re going to ramp things up in pursuit of that goal!

I want to flag some exciting upcoming events so you can be sure to keep an eye out if you’re interested in getting involved. We’ll be:

Celebrating the 15th anniversary of GWWC and the 10% Pledge by lighting up the internet with stories, quotes, and photos from November 18th to 24th

November will mark 15 years since the Pledge was created in 2009! We’ll be encouraging 10% Pledgers to post their pledge stories/experiences/thoughts/photos on social media during the anniversary week.

Running a Pledge Week from the 16th to the 22nd of December

This will be a week where those who have been considering the Pledge for some time but are waiting for the right moment will be encouraged to take the plunge! We’ll be hosting virtual pledge Q&A and pledge signing sessions (so pledgers can sign alongside others) as well as sharing content about the impact a pledge can have.

Reaching 10,000 10% Pledges will represent a community that will save or improve the lives of millions of people and animals over their lifetimes, demonstrating that when we act collectively, we do have real power to affect change.

And finally – we’ve created a great new email series for people who want to learn more about pledging. If that’s you – you can opt into that here.

There’s some super exciting news below about a massive increase in funding to combat lead exposure, as well as some other great stuff!

With gratitude,

Grace & the Giving What We Can team


Motivations for Pledging

Here are some of our favourite responses from people who took a pledge last month:

What motivated you to take a pledge with Giving What We Can?

  • I’m committed to doing the most good I can with the resources I have. –Taanya Ravi from India
  • Because, given my privilege and comfort, it's a clear choice to use what I don't need to effectively improve the world, and to commit to doing so for the rest of my life. –Aaron Sandoval from the United States
  • I am confident that this money will go where it may have the most effect and I am confident that if the society changes, the recommendations will too and stay up-to-date and aligned with my values! –Solal Stern from France

Upcoming Events

Online: Webinar Series from High Impact Professionals and Giving What We Can

Happening today: Effective Giving as a High-Impact Career Path

In the first of our webinars co-hosted with High Impact Professionals (HIP), we will explore how effective giving can be a key component of a high-impact career, addressing common misconceptions such as affordability and the effectiveness of donations.

This session is designed for professionals who want to make an impact, whether you're just getting started or looking to amplify your efforts. We'll wrap up with a Q&A session.

Wednesday, 23rd October from 5 pm BST/ 4 pm UTC. Register here to attend on October 23.

Leveraging Your Career Beyond Effective Giving

In our second webinar with HIP, we’ll explore how you can leverage your career to go beyond your personal effective giving and create broader impact through professional influence featuring:

  • Advocacy strategies to inspire others
  • Corporate giving campaigns & donation-matching
  • Workplace initiatives to amplify social impact (and more!)

Thursday, 28th November from 5 pm UTC. Register here to attend on November 28.


GWWC Melbourne: Social Drink

Join Grace and the GWWC Melbourne community for a drink on Thursday, 7th November. Come chat with other people who are interested in giving to effective charities as well as just generally being good humans! Grace will be happy to answer any questions you have about giving. Please RSVP here!

Thursday, 7th November from 6-8 pm AEDT at The Cornish Arms, 163A Sydney Rd, Brunswick VIC 3056

GWWC Vancouver: Giving Week 2024 Holiday Party

Join GWWC Vancouver for a festive evening of impact. The question of the night is, “If you had 10% of your income set aside for giving back, where would you give?” Get into the holiday spirit with Christmas and Hanukkah-themed snacks, and come discuss how to best make a real difference in the world! Please RSVP here.

Saturday, November 30 from 6-9 pm GMT-7 at 1443 W 8th Ave, Vancouver, BC


News & Updates

Cause areas

Animal Welfare

Global Health and Wellbeing

Global Catastrophic Risk Reduction

  • Clean Air Task Force reported that a growing interest in nuclear energy as a way to combat climate change while meeting electricity demand was evident at Climate Week NYC in September 2024. You can read more about developments here.

Evaluators, grantmakers and incubators

GWWC

  • 10% Pledger Lauren Mee and her team at Animal Advocacy Careers (AAC) published a reflection on their work in the past 5 years. We’re delighted to highlight that among their work to connect passionate individuals to highly impactful roles in animal advocacy, AAC’s efforts since becoming a partner this year led to twelve 10% Pledges and eleven trial pledges being taken with GWWC! You can read the full article sharing their achievements, changes and future plans here.

Last month, we highlighted how powerful it is for you to share your stories about pledging on social media – we’re also grateful to the companies that take the Company Pledge and go the extra mile to make sure their patrons and networks know about it:

Figure

Thank you to Croxsons in the UK for taking and sharing the Company Pledge!

Are you following us on social media? You can stay connected with us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok for more news and updates.

Have any feedback on our newsletter or communications? Share your thoughts here.

Useful Links

Do you have questions about the pledge, Giving What We Can, or effective giving in general? Check out our FAQ page, or contact us directly.