If you're reading this, you may have already taken the Giving What We Can pledge. Nevertheless, we want to let you know that there is a pledge drive this New Year. We are looking to get as many new people to take the pledge as possible, and we need your help. If you can persuade somebody to commit 10% of their income to effective charities, you can potentially double your impact.
Most of our society doesn't even consider the idea of pledging to give 10% to effective charities yet. So if you're someone who has taken the pledge, you've made an rare and amazing commitment. You're probably giving away thousands of pounds each year. You wouldn't be doing that unless you had a good reason, and it's probably not just because you get your name on a cool list.
Do you think all of us living safe lives in rich countries have a duty to those less fortunate? Does it bring you joy to save lives? Do you have a deep sense of empathy for people suffering around the world? Does it sadden you that our world is as broken and contains as much suffering as it does?
This New Year, think about the people in your life who might understand and share those reasons. Maybe you know someone who also cares for others or feels that they have a duty to those less fortunate, but they're currently giving to charities that are less effective than they could be. Perhaps they have a deep sense of empathy and are saddened by the suffering in the world, but they haven't yet noticed that giving 10% is a way to help. Maybe they're even giving 10% or more already, but they haven't made the public commitment of taking the pledge.
If you know anyone like that, please reach out to them. We want as many people as possible to join us in taking the pledge this New Year. Whatever driving passions or deeply held moral beliefs or lofty ambitions made you take the pledge, we want you to share them with people, to show them to those who need inspiring, and be extraordinarily proud of the good you do in the world. Here is a list of things you can do to help us inspire more people:
- Join our Thunderclap campaign: Thunderclap was a tool which broadcasted our message across social media only if enough people signed up to share the post at the same time.
- Share the pledge event on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/556956541147412/. As well as sharing - both on your facebook wall and in any groups you are a part of and pages you manage - and clicking 'interested', you can click 'invite' and select the names of all of your friends who might possibly be interested in the pledge.
- Reach out personally to anyone whom you think might take the pledge, explaining the reasons you took it and suggesting that they join you.
- If you have a blog, write about the pledge drive. Several people have done so already. Check out these links for inspiration:
- The Unit of Caring Tumblr
- Sinesalvatorem Tumblr: Making a Difference
- Slate Star Codex: Nobody is Perfect, Everything is Commensurable
- Giving Gladly: Why I Pledged
- Things of Things: We Can Be Heroes
- Aceso Under Glass: the Giving What We Can Pledge
- 80,000 Hours: what's the easiets way anyone can have a big social impact?
- Giving What We Can: do something incredible this New Year
Consider writing an article for your local newspaper or student publication about Giving What We Can and taking the pledge as a New Year’s Resolution. And, if you have other media connections, please contact Linchuan Zhang (email.linch@gmail.com), one of the organisers of this event, about spreading the word further.
- And if you haven't pledged yet, you can take the pledge at https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/get-involved/become-member. Or if you don't feel ready to commit to giving 10%, but you want to learn more about what giving feels like, you can Try Giving at https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/get-involved/try-giving/.
Finally, show people that taking the pledge doesn't make your life any less fun by having a very Merry Christmas!