Effective Altruism and charity fun runs
A friend of mine recently decided to do a run on behalf of an HIV/AIDS charity. It's a cause that means a lot to him as a member of the LGBTQ community. He mentioned the run to me, but said he knew I probably wouldn't donate, because I am part of the Effective Altruism community. Effective Altruism is about doing as much good as you can, using reason and evidence. For example, here's an article that describes different HIV/AIDS charities. The most cost-effective HIV/AIDS charity can provide an estimated 27 years of healthy life for each $1000 donation; the least cost-effective charity provides less than 1 additional year of healthy life. I find this logic really compelling! I set aside a part of my income each year and I try to make sure that money does as much good as possible. But I still donate to my friends' fundraisers and don't see that as contradictory. The truth is, donating to this fundraiser didn't come from the "charity" part of my budget;