Frequently Asked Questions
We get asked a lot of questions about what we do. Here are answers to some of the most common ones
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About Us
I have more questions. Who can I contact?
Who started Giving What We Can?
How much money has Giving What We Can raised so far?
How can I stay up-to-date with Giving What We Can's work?
How did Giving What We Can start?
What is Giving What We Can’s mission?
Do you have a religious affiliation?
How is Giving What We Can funded?
How can I find out more about Giving What We Can and its work?
What is Giving What We Can?
What does Giving What We Can do?
What is Giving What We Can's legal structure?
Charity Recommendations
How do I choose among these charities and funds?
Why is your list of recommendations so short?
Where can I find more donation options?
What are the Giving What We Can cause area funds?
How do you decide which charities to recommend?
Why do you highlight charities or funds that you haven’t recommended?
Why did you decide to more deeply investigate the third-party evaluators you use?
Why don’t you recommend charities working on my favourite cause?
Our Community
Who is in charge of Giving What We Can?
What would I gain from becoming a member?
What is the Giving What We Can community like?
What is a "lifetime" member?
How do I join Giving What We Can?
I want to get involved. What can I do?
Why are some members missing from or anonymous on our public member list?
What are some of the events Giving What We Can hosts or participates in?
Giving Effectively
How can I be sure my donation will be used effectively?
Should I split my donation between multiple charities or choose just one?
How much should I give to effective charities?
Why give now, rather than later in life or in my will?
But don't we have to do more than just throw money at the problem?
But giving doesn’t really work, does it?
What if I disagree with Giving What We Can's recommendations?
What are effective charities?
Should I give regularly recurring donations or one-off (e.g. yearly)?
What difference does my giving make?
Why should I give to effective charities?
Giving Pledges
What is the Pledge?
Why is the 🔸10% Pledge 10%?
What’s the small orange diamond emoji 🔸?
How can I resign or unpledge for my pledge?
What if I can't afford to give 10% of my income?
Could I become a member and not have my name published?
How do I upgrade my existing pledge to include wealth?
Is a 🔸10% Pledge with wealth a lifetime commitment?
What are the different giving pledge options?
Why are the names of pledged members made public?
How often should members donate?
Can I pledge with my partner as a couple?
How do I calculate my pledge if I’m retired?
How does working at a nonprofit or charity change my pledge?
Is there a pledge for students?
Does Gift Aid count toward my pledge?
How do I calculate my pledge if I’m a student?
Is the Pledge until retirement or for the rest of your life?
What happens if I acquire a disability and am no longer able to work?
Should everyone take a giving pledge?
How do I decide which pledge to take?
What if I want to give more than 10% of my income?
Is the income Pledge based on pre-tax income or post-tax income?
Is a giving pledge legally binding?
What is “wealth” and how can I include it in my pledge?
How permanent is a giving pledge?
What should I think about before taking a pledge?
Does volunteering count towards my giving pledge?
How does debt change my giving pledge?
I'm not sure about becoming a member yet, but would like to help. What can I do?
Do I count employer donation matching towards my giving pledge?
How do I calculate my pledge if I’m unemployed?
How do you keep track of whether I follow through on my commitment?
What organisations or charities ‘count’ towards a giving pledge?
How do I calculate my pledge if I’m a full-time parent or carer?
Can I report donations to any charity using the Pledge Dashboard?
How do I use the pledge recommendation tool if I'm retired, a student, or unemployed?
Donation Platform
How does the Giving What We Can donation platform work?
How will you use my personal information?
What payment types do you accept?
A recurring donation was unsuccessful, what should I do?
Will my donations be confidential?
How do you reduce administrative fees?
Which charities are available via Giving What We Can?
What if I want to change my allocation after I've donated?
Why donate cryptocurrency to charity?
My credit card has expired (or is about to expire). How do I update my billing details?
Can I leave a bequest to donate in my will?
Can I make very large cryptocurrency donations?
Can you claim Gift Aid on crypto donations?
How can I donate to Giving What We Can's supported programs through payroll giving/workplace giving?
What are funding partners?
Is Giving What We Can tax deductible?
What fees are charged on donations?
How can I cancel a recurring donation?
What tax documentation will I get?
How will you invest money while it is being held before donation?
Can I choose which day my recurring payment is taken?
Why donate with Giving What We Can?
How do I donate cryptocurrency to charity?
Can I donate cryptocurrency, stocks or other appreciated assets?
Can I set up a monthly direct debit with Giving What We Can?
Can I donate to your charities using a donor-advised fund (DAF)?
How do I know that my donations are making it to the intended programs?
Pledge Pin
Why is Giving What We Can spending money on making and distributing these pins?
I have taken a 🔹Trial Pledge, will I get a pledge pin?
Do you send pins anywhere in the world?
When are pins sent out?
What is the detailed criteria for eligibility for the 1 year pin?
What are the 🔸10% Pledge Pins?
I’m not eligible according to the criteria but I still plan to fulfil my pledge, how do I get a pin?
Is there a way to purchase or buy a pin?
I do not want to receive a pledge pin, how can I opt out?
What if I haven’t updated my account in 12 months but do intend to fulfil my pledge?
I only recently met the eligibility criteria after not being eligible, will I get a pin?
What is the detailed criteria for eligibility for the 10 year pin?
My address is out of date, will my pin go to the wrong address?
Still have questions?
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