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Small-Scale Question Sunday for January 7, 2024

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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I have $92,000 in my Donor-Advised Fund. I haven't made a grant in 30 months, which means I have 6 months to make a grant or the fund will be liquidated and merged into some generic charity fund. I only need to donate $500, but I'm inclined to donate at least half the fund.

Who should I give to?

The first place I went to was GiveWell. Unfortunately, it would appear all their top charities are woke. For instance, here is what Helen Keller International had to say:

"We are overwhelmed with grief and concern over the killing of George Floyd—on the heels of the recent killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. Racism has no place in America, or our world."

Should I just give these people my money anyway? My problem is that I think wokeness makes the world a worse place, so while I think it's probable that the organization does good by preventing blindness, they are also harming the world by propagating a quasi-religious framework which hinders human thriving.

Are there any charities that would meet GiveWell's criteria for effective donations that are non-woke (or ideally even anti-woke)?

If you have any pet causes, now would be a good time to post them. My chance of donating is fairly high in the next week or two. I've been feeling a bit Scroogish lately and would like to turn that around.

I don’t personally think making a statement about Current Thing is inherently destructive, so I wouldn’t consider that a disqualifier. It does put your support firmly in the category of making common cause with people you dislike. I think that’s admirable, assuming it doesn’t actually advance the agenda.

Though maybe this is more flagrant—I couldn’t find the actual statement you were talking about.

That said, HKI is number 3 on the top charities list. What about Malaria Consortium or Against Malaria Fund? Both look remarkably unconcerned with domestic political advocacy, sloganeering, etc.