Helen Keller International (HKI) is a nonprofit organization focused on preventing blindness and reducing malnutrition.

Activities

HKI carries out over 120 programs in 21 countries around the world, including cataract surgery, vision correction, screening and treatment for diabetic retinopathy, distribution of treatments and cures for neglected tropical diseases, maternal and child nutrition education, and community-based management of acute malnutrition (Helen Keller International 2021a). Charity evaluators within the effective altruism community have largely focused on HKI's vitamin A supplementation (VAS) program, which distributes vitamin A supplements in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Evaluation

As of September 2021, GiveWell estimates that HKI can deliver a vitamin A supplement at a cost of about $1, and that a donation in the range of $3000–$5000 is expected to save the life of a child under five (GiveWell 2020a; GiveWell 2020b). (The cost of distributing vitamin supplements is much lower than the cost of saving a life because a small fraction of people who receive supplementation would otherwise have died from conditions related to vitamin deficiency, and because of other factors (GiveWell 2020c).)

HKI's VAS program has been a GiveWell top-rated charity since 2017, and its cost-effectiveness is estimated to be in the same range as GiveWell's other priority programs (GiveWell 2021). HKI is also featured in The Life You Can Save's list of "best charities" (The Life You Can Save 2021).