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Weekly Finance Thread - 2026-08-01

A weekly thread to discuss financial matters - from personal all the way up to global.

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What does theMotte think might be some good charity EA options? I'm skeptical of a lot of the EA suggestions for a number of reasons. Things that have a very direct impact, like Malaria nets, I like in theory but I worry about the downstream consequences (do we really want a lot more Africans who can't feed themselves when the global fertilizer crisis really hits). Other charities that I like in theory, like the Good Food Institute, which is working on making people's diets more plant based, seem to just be paying some CEO's salary with the donations.

Right now I'm trying to donate about 10% of my net savings each month to something that I feel is good/worthwhile. Some of this will go to the guaranteed income program I participate in in Baltimore, but I'd also like to give some money to charity whose cause I agree with and has a direct impact on the world (i.e. not just paying a think-tank salary). Some causes I care about are veganism (reducing animal suffering), environmental clean-up in the US, encouraging urban agriculture/local manufacturing in general, and second language education. Would appreciate any advice.

You could donate free meals through Red Emma's which would hit your local/vegan/direct wants ...