I am giving $5k to a case worker who will buy goods for a family in New Orleans. The mother and father of the family have schizophrenia and do not work. (The father is violent, and does not live with his children.) The mother and her children live in a two bedroom house with 10 other people. I don’t know the children’s exact ages, but I believe they are around 3, 7, and 12 years old.
The only directive I’ve given the case worker is to alleviate immediate and preventable suffering as best possible. “Put out fires,” so to speak.
I would like to scale this giving into a larger program of philanthropy if I can show that my $5k makes a positive impact. …This is where I get vague and need EAs help… How do you think I should judge success? QALYs? How would I even judge QALY improvement?… In the end, I want to be able to say $5k to a family of 5 reduces suffering by a factor of X. I hope to compare these measures to EA giving opportunities.
…Some additional background of why I’m doing this…
It’s easier to raise money for local causes that prevent suffering than something like the Against Malaria Foundation. You can see an example of this in the 11:11 group donations. A majority of the causes group members gave to were local causes, despite the entire group going through 11 weeks of EA indoctrination.
With EA feedback, I hope to establish clear OKRs for a local charitable program. We would aim to fundraise to achieve these OKRs before diverting cash to other locals in need. (The ultimate goal is to raise money and reduce suffering in local communities, spreading excess resources from the wealthiest communities to the poorest communities.)
Curious to hear your ideas, or any additional resources you have on giving locally and judging those gifts.