With such limited resources, how can we do the most good?
Most of us want to improve the world. We see suffering, injustice and death, and are moved to do something about them. But working out what that "something" is, let alone actually doing it, can be a difficult and disheartening challenge.
Effective Altruism (EA) is a response to this challenge.
Effective Altruism means using evidence to find the most effective ways to help others, then act on that basis. Effective Altruism Hong Kong is a Hong Kong–registered charity that helps people apply EA ideas through our programmes and effective giving guidance.
Our key programmes
Four ideas you might already agree with
1. Helping others is important.
When others are in trouble and we have the ability to help, we know for sure that we should lend a hand.
2. Everyone deserves to be considered for help equally.
Everyone has the right to equal happiness, health, fulfillment, and freedom, regardless of their circumstances. Everyone matters, wherever they live, whether they are rich or not, regardless of their ethnicity, age, gender, abilities, or religious beliefs.
3. Helping a large amount is better than helping a little.
We should save more lives, help people live longer, and make more people happier. If, with the same resources, we could improve 20 lives instead of just one, we should choose to help 20 people.
4. Our resources are limited.
Our time and money are limited. When we allocate resources to one option, we implicitly don't allocate them to other options.
The difference between EA and traditional philanthropy
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Impartiality: Rather than starting from a defined community of beneficiaries, Effective Altruism seeks to identify the solutions that relieves the most suffering regardless of the identity of those helped.
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Cause-Prioritisation: Effective altruists prioritize cause areas that are large in scale, yet neglected, with tractable solutions, so as to maximise marginal impact.
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Long-Term and Global Perspective: This includes considerations such as the catastrophic risks of emerging technologies like AI.
HK is missing some of the best impact opportunities
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The problem: Lack of ambition to support causes beyond HK
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The problem: Lack of trust that donations can have impact, or awareness of impactful opportunities.
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The problem: Misplaced focus on operational cost instead of impact
EAHK as an impact multiplier
