Tuesday 25-10-2022 - 15:18

Donating to charities fighting against extreme poverty can sometimes be a weird thing. You are giving money to an organisation in the hopes of changing a life. But where is your money actually going? How is it actually helping? Who is actually benefiting? These were my main reservations when donating to charities. Instead of putting money and resources directly into peoples’ hands, we’re expected to trust that someone else will do that for us. How can I really be sure that I’m making a difference when I don’t know what that difference is? Well, that’s when I found out about One for the World (OFTW).  

OFTW is a charitable organisation that seeks to counter suspicions about charitable giving. It makes the process as transparent, and evidence-based as possible. It isn’t about telling you to donate because you will make a difference. It’s about telling you to donate and showing you the difference you’ve made. OFTW focus on eliminating extreme poverty through effective giving. 

According to the World Bank, extreme poverty is a standard of living that applies to anyone living on less than $1.90 USD per day, this amounts to about 740 million people across the globe. This forces families to compromise on necessities like education, food, water, housing and medicine. Due to this, about 14,500 children under the age of 5 die from preventable diseases, like malaria, diarrhoea, or malnutrition, every single day. This is where OFTW comes in, bringing society together to tackle extreme poverty and save millions of lives.   

 

 

 

OFTW encourages individuals to pledge to donate 1% of their post-graduate income to charities combatting extreme poverty. But they are not just random charities claiming to be effective. What is unique about OFTW is that it partners with GiveWell. GiveWell is an independent organisation that evaluates the effectiveness of charities based on real metrics like overhead costs, staff insights and spending records. It identifies the most cost-effective charities and removes recommendations of charities that cease to meet their criteria. OFTW is guided by the data provided by GiveWell to put our donations toward 5 of the most effective charities.  

Of the charities, the Against Malaria Fund is the one that I’d like my 1% to go towards when I start earning money. According to their website, about 625,000 people die from malaria each year. More than 240 million people fall ill and about 70% are children under 5. But with just $2.00 USD a mosquito net can be purchased. Mosquito nets, despite their simplicity, are still one of the most effective means of preventing malaria.  

But OFTW doesn’t stop there. After donating, you can see exactly where your net is distributed. You are updated on the impact of the use of antimalarial nets in that area. You know what your donation is doing, where your donation is going, and how effective your donation is.  

 

Finding out about OFTW has transformed my outlook on charitable giving and restored my faith in charities through the use of strict criteria and evidence-based research. Becoming a OFTW Student Ambassador allowed me to share my interest and encourage others to donate. Becoming the Durham Chapter’s Treasurer has allowed me to have greater contributions to events and devote more of my time to a cause that I fully understand and enjoy.  

Taking the pledge would mean that when you start working (after you’ve graduated) 1% of your future income will go toward charities, like the Against Malaria Foundation, that use evidence-based approaches to combatting extreme poverty. I would encourage you to speak to the Durham OFTW society, or look at the main website, and join us in this fight against global poverty.  

 

Sources: 

 https://www.1fortheworld.org/extreme-poverty 

https://www.givewell.org/ 

https://www.againstmalaria.com 

 

Profile: 

Hi, I’m Nicole! I’m a penultimate-year Law student at Durham University. After joining One For the World as a Student Ambassador during my first year, I was elected to the position of Treasurer this year! When not at OFTW, I can normally be found getting involved in College life as the POC Rep, organising our barrister mentoring scheme within the Bar Society and at the library!!