2014 FACT SHEET
We’re all in the position to make a difference
in the life of someone desperately in need.
Organizational Background
Altruism: leading an ethical life involves using a portion of personal wealth
We spread awareness of what we can all do to end poverty, and we offer
our community resources such as a list of highly effective recommended
charities to help them make a meaningful difference.
TLYCS aims to mass market not only outstanding charities, but also the
underlying beliefs that will motivate people to give to them.
The Life You Can Save’s Recommended Charities
1
Organizational Background
To date
Key Facts and Figures
In 2013, we conservatively estimate that donors gave ~$600,000
to our recommended charities directly through our website,
~$400,000 of which we can directly track.
conservatively estimate our 2013 “multiplier” to be at least 4X. See
our 2013 Impact Report for more details on the methodology
16,901 people have taken The Life You Can Save’s pledge to
The Why and How of Effective Altruism
M:
The Life You Can Save enhances and supports the
Effective Altruism movement.
Through public outreach, we provide information
and promote community participation in activities
that reduce poverty and economic inequality.
V:
We will champion the cause of giving in order to save and
improve the lives of those less fortunate than us, and we will
spread knowledge of what we all can do to reduce poverty.
personal best commitment, and we will support donors in
striving to improve upon their commitment.
You can save a life.
all in the position to make
a difference in the life of someone desperately in need. We aim to help you
decide where to donate in order to best alleviate the suffering of others.
2
Key Facts and Figures
2014 Key Priorities
Pledge Groups
We continue to form strong partnerships with other groups that
raise pledges for charity. These groups can leverage The Life You
Can Save’s marketing materials and charity recommendations to
increase their reach and impact, and their growth will help build a
distribution network for our content. We have conversations under
way with pledge groups including:
The Giving Pledge, which encourages billionaires to
donate more than half their wealth
The Presidents’ Pledge Against Global Poverty,
outside the US.
One For The World, which encourages students and
Giving What We Can, a large and successful effective
altruist organization with strong ties to The Life You Can
income to highly effective charities.
Other Groups
Aside from groups that formally incorporate pledging, we hope to
establish similar relationships with other groups committed to giving
or raising funds for general philanthropic purposes. These include
groups such as donor advised fund holders/administrators, giving
circles, and campus charity fundraisers.
3
Key Priorities
Fundraising
Our 2014 budget is $200,000. Our current headcount is three full-time paid
employees, two part-time paid employees, several contractors on an asunacceptable levels given our current funding. As a result, fundraising is a
top priority.
and the donations that result from our Giving Games program. We hope to
$5
$ 50
$ 225
can support a Giving Games incentive, which each
player will donate to a charity of his or her choosing.
, which helps us
to effectively spread the word about our recommended
charities, the community of effective altruists, and ways
can pay for a custom educational video, which will
what causes it, and effective measures of intervention
that lift needy people out of the cycle of poverty.
poverty and what one can do about it to individuals and groups who are
fact that there are ways to help effectively. These efforts will include, but
not be limited to, direct mail and direct-response print advertising.
Before committing a large amount of money to any form of marketing (e.g.,
test each strategy in each channel in the same way retail companies do.
We will use direct marketing strategies where results can be accurately
measured before committing to strategies that are not easily measured.
We can measure our success by tracking donations and pledges above
baseline and by instituting attitudinal tracking measures, which evaluate
4
Key Priorities
Website Optimization
our recommended charities, sign up for our newsletter, or take our pledge.
Google Adwords budget, A/B testing, social media marketing, and regular
blog content from team members and guest bloggers.
Our team is also working to improve our ability to track donations to our
recommended charities, and helping these organizations develop their
Giving Games
The Life You Can Save uses Giving Games to teach the importance of
a few pre-vetted charities, and given funds to make a real donation to their
favorites. This model pushes information about great charities and donor
criteria they think should guide giving decisions. These sessions provide
valuable feedback about the best ways to communicate effective giving
principles.
Our primary target audience is college students, who have a lifetime of
giving ahead of them and few preconceived notions about giving. The Life
You Can Save partners with faculty and students to run Giving Games
both inside and outside the classroom. Moving forward, we hope to
student orientation program at a prestigious university in Fall 2014.
Nearly one hundred Giving Games
countries on four continents. In 2013 alone we had over 2,000 players, and
5
Key Priorities
“Through thoughtful
and generous action,
each of us can make a difference
- Jon Behar
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110, USA
[email protected]
www.thelifeyoucansave.org
© The Life You Can Save
August 2014
To access the online version, scan this
www.thelifeyoucansave.org
SPREADING THE WORD
CHAPTER 1
TALKING POINTS
Explaining The Life You Can Save
When asked what The Life You Can Save is trying to do, reply:
part of your income to global poverty charities is seen as part of a
“normal” ethical lifestyle, just like, say, recycling. Some people refer
to this kind of giving as “Effective Altruism” (EA). On our website, we
encourage people to make a pledge, we provide information about
the book The Life You Can Save
charities to give to.
When asked about the pledge, reply:
We have 17,000+ pledges and are working on personalized pledge
pages so that people can track their giving and increase their pledge
using the concept of “personal best”.
When asked about the book, you can talk about Peter Singer and
the Child in the Pond story. The book The Life You Can Save goes
into detail supporting the position that giving is a necessary part of
an ethical life.
When asked about effective charities, you should list some of
our recommended charities, which have been rigorously audited by
agencies and organizations such as Give Well.
KEY MESSAGE
Each of us can save human lives at very little cost
to ourselves by donating to aid organizations -those that do the most good for the dollar.
1
Talking Points
Tips for Conversation
Conversation about The Life You Can Save can be tricky; global poverty
can incite passionate debate.
Be positive.
Often, global poverty is discussed in negative terms. This can be quite
demotivating. Focus on the positive aspects: how far we have come and
how much a single person can do towards helping others.
Being enthusiastic about (rather than reluctant towards) charitable giving
turns it into something that other people want to do. It helps to make the
idea seem normal, obvious and inspiring.
Stay on track.
If the conversation is drifting off-topic, it’s okay to let it drift for a bit, but
it’s important to attempt to redirect the conversation before abandoning
with what has been brought up in the meantime. Often, thought-provoking
questions or scenarios will recapture your audience’s attention. However,
the conversation may have started to drift because of time constraints;
keep in mind that often people have places to go. Be respectful of the
other person’s time.
Know when to move on.
Some people simply aren’t interested in the topic, and may not ever be
convinced. It can feel demoralizing to pursue conversation with this type of
person. Don’t judge; move on to a new topic. You never know what people
might think more about later.
ADDRESSING OBJECTIONS
When discussing The Life You Can Save, you are likely to come across
many objections. Try these simple step for overcoming objections:
Acknowledge the truth in the objection
Repeat the objection
Check for comprehension
Address further objections
Redirect the conversation
2
Talking Points
Overcoming Objections
Acknowledge the truth in the objection.
This validates the other person’s opinion. When you go on to explain why
you feel the objection is not strong, the person will feel more like he is
coming up with the conclusion himself.
Repeat the objection.
If you don’t repeat back the person’s point, you risk that person thinking
that you haven’t understood or responded to his objection.
Check for comprehension.
This is a good way to draw out more objections, to get to the heart of what
is preventing someone from moving forward.
Address further objections.
If you get another objection, repeat the process.
Redirect the conversation.
If the person is persuaded, then redirect the conversation to something
useful. Try to redirect using open-ended questions that get the person
thinking about important things.
If you keep getting objections and are not able to engage in
a productive conversation, change the subject. If that fails,
exit the conversation.
You can learn about common objections
and some of the most persuasive replies to
those objections in the book The Life You
Can Save or by reading Giving What We
Can’s Myths About Aid. Practice your skills
with other like-minded people in THINK.
3
Talking Points
The Method in Action
Objection
“Whether or not you and I decide to give 1% or 10% or even 100% of our
income to charity, poverty isn’t going to go away anytime soon.”
Underlying Message
We don’t need to end poverty in one fell swoop. The driving factor should
better than giving nothing.
Pursuasive Response
“I understand how you feel -- many people I talk to feel the same way.
Even if you and I save a few lives each or a few hundred lives each,
we aren’t going to change the fact that 1.2 billion people live on less
than $1.25/day.
Is that what you’re getting at? [Wait for reply.]
Many people at The Life You Can Save felt the same way originally,
including me. Then I thought about it more and I found that, for me, I
didn’t need to be the one to sweep away all the poverty in the world
to make a difference.
I started giving to the Against Malaria Foundation, and I’ve paid for
200 people to receive insecticide-treated bed nets. Human lives have
been saved as a result of my action. I haven’t “changed the world”,
but I feel really good about making a difference to those people.
Do you understand what I mean?” [Wait for reply.]
4
Talking Points
Public Speaking
Talk about your personal reasons for caring about poverty, why you became
Know your material. Know more about it than you include in
your speech. Use humour, personal stories and conversational
language – that way you won’t easily forget what to say.
Practice. Practice. Practice! Rehearse out loud with all equipment you plan on using. Revise as necessary. Work to get rid of
filler words (like ‘um/er/like’); Practice with a timer.
Know the audience. Greet some of the audience members as
they arrive. It’s easier to speak to a group of friends than to
strangers.
Know the room. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area
and practice using the microphone and any visual aids.
Relax. Begin by addressing the audience. This buys you time
and calms your nerves. Pause, smile and count to three before
saying anything. (“One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three
one-thousand. Pause. Begin.) Transform nervous energy into
enthusiasm.
Visualize yourself giving your speech. Imagine yourself
speaking, your voice loud, clear and confident. Visualize the
audience clapping – it will boost your confidence.
Realize that people want you to succeed. Audiences want
you to be interesting, stimulating, informative and entertaining.
They’re rooting for you.
Don’t apologize for any nervousness or problems. The crowd
or audience likely didn’t notice it.
Concentrate on the message – not the medium. Focus your
attention away from your own anxieties and concentrate on
your message and your audience.
You will improve with experience.
Tips provided by Toastmasters
5
Talking Points
CHAPTER 2
Writing to the Media
Writing a Letter to the Editor or an Op-Ed
The purpose of any opinion piece is, of course, to voice your own
opinion. The underlying hope is that you’ll convince your readers
of the same. Keeping this in mind, there are a few tried and true
writing techniques you can use to your advantage.
You’ll want to be convincing without sounding arrogant.
This can be accomplished by writing from personal experience
and explaining how you yourself came to the conclusion you are
discussing. It is also helpful to ask questions of your audience,
such that they might do their own thinking, and voluntarily arrive at
the same conclusion. This is educating without preaching. Humor
may also be used as long as it does not detract from the overall
seriousness of the issue.
Words and phrasing should be chosen carefully to have the
greatest impact possible. By using straightforward and concise
speech, you can both entice and empower your audience. You
might choose to say “You can save a life” rather than “Lives can
be saved with your donations.” You’ll want to keep your language
simple so that it is clearly comprehensible to any reader.
At the beginning of your article, make a powerful statement to
draw the reader in. By the end, make a call for action and give
your readers the tools to act, whether this is referencing The Life
You Can Save (book or website), articles written by Peter Singer, or
other related resources.
When choosing a publication to which to submit your article, it is
guidelines such as word count, formatting, and preferred delivery
method. You will likely be able to submit your article through email
to the editor or directly through the publication’s website. Be sure
to include a short personal bio and your contact information.
For further guidance, contact [email protected].
6
Writing to the Media
CHAPTER 3
SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDE
Spreading the word effectively
Posting on Facebook’s news feed, tweeting or writing blog posts
are the primary avenues of promotion through social media. There
are various types of posts one can make, depending on the type of
information you wish to convey.
Images draw attention to the subject matter and can be a good
way to convey the message at hand. Choose uplifting, inspiring
photographs that focus on the positive message: global extreme
poverty can be solved. Honor the human element of poverty, and
respect the individuals in the photographs.
When posting a video, be sure to choose high-quality videos that
are short, informative and relevant. You might consider making
a video yourself to post on Youtube or Vimeo. Be creative, but
remember to be appropriate and sensitive, and to use common
Often the best way to get people interested in something you care
about is to share your experience or opinion. When writing a post,
an article, or essay on The Life You Can Save, be sure to include
thought-provoking statements, questions and scenarios. Invite
your followers into the ongoing discussion about effective altruism.
Tips for posting social media content:
Adhere to the terms of use of the social network you’re using.
Correct your own mistakes.
Verify information before you post it.
Make sure your links work.
Make sure you’re creating dialog, not just pushing content. Give
your followers something to respond to or act on.
Don’t remove respectfully written comments that are critical.
Thank people for input and feedback, including negative feedback.
Tips provided by University of Washington
7
Social Media Guide
More social media support
You don’t have to write something original for your friends and followers.
Reposting or re-tweeting something published by The Life You Can Save
Don’t forget to like us
Use this space to tout your allegiance to The Life You Can Save. Consider
one of your interests. Even a simple link to The Life You Can Save’s
website will be enough let the world know you support our cause.
Join groups that support effective altruism or address issues such as
global poverty, human rights, activism, etc. These groups are a great place
to edify your convictions and get creative about spreading the world. We
recommend joining Meetup or The High Impact Network to get
started. Connect with like-minded people who will support you as a real
Giving What We Can started as a campus society at Oxford University in 2009
8
Social Media Guide
Resources
National Public Radio interviews Peter Singer : NPR On Point
Peter Singer’s TED Talk: The Why and How of Effective Altruism
Community
The List
“The more we can learn about how
to give most effectively,
and act upon that learning,
the greater our collective impact
on extreme poverty will be.
- Charles Bresler
The Life You Can Save Executive Director
Published by The Life You Can Save
10540 NE Morning Lane
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110, USA
[email protected]
www.thelifeyoucansave.org
© The Life You Can Save
August 2014
To access the online version, scan this
QR code or go to
www.thelifeyoucansave.org
ENDORSED RESOURCES
On a global scale, need is more extreme, more complex.
Recommended
Reading
The Life You Can Save by Peter Singer
What is the ethical case for giving?
What is the difference between poverty and extreme poverty?
What is the seven-point plan outlined by Peter Singer?
What actions can we take based on that plan?
Were there any arguments or hypothetical situations in the
book that troubled you?
Why do you think that is?
What steps do you think you, personally, could take to live a
more ethical life?
What would it mean for you?
What is J-PAL and what do they do?
How is the effectiveness analysis improving development?
Make a list of some of the most effective projects highlighted
in the book.
work.
Look at the
and Give Well websites to discover what
interventions and charities are currently the most highly
recommended.
What is economic disparity and what are the trends of it?
What are some of the positive case studies outlined?
Some of the improvements listed by Kenny are not always
included with typical “poverty alleviation” measurements.
Should they be included? Think about Kenny’s examples of
happiness, peace, and liberty, as well as education and health.
What is Kenny’s suggestion going forward, understanding the
advancements we’ve made and the challenges we face?
The Road to Hell by Michael Maren
Can aid be bad?
What sorts of negative impacts aid can have, as highlighted in
intentions go so wrong?
This book focuses on Somalia and mistakes made in the past.
In the 2011 famine in Somalia NGOs were forced to leave. Why
-
Damned Nations by Samantha Nutt
Who is Dr. Samantha Nutt?
How does war relate to poverty?
What lessons can we take away from this book?
World Poverty and Human Rights by Thomas Pogge
What is Pogge’s argument for giving more? How is it different
than the one presented by Peter Singer in The Life You Can
Save?
What are Human Rights? Research the different conventions,
such as the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the
of Human Rights.
Whose responsibility is it to ensure these rights are met?
ensure all these basic human rights are met. Also consider issues of jurisdiction: Which actors are legally able to enact and
protect rights?
What does Pogge suggest is the best way forward?
Dr. William Easterly argues that aid is ineffective. What is his
argument? What do you think about his ideas on colonialism,
utopianism, and idealism?
. Search the archives, read some of his opinions,
and share a few interesting posts with the group.
How much do governmental policies relate to global poverty?
What are some of examples given with regards to ineffective or
harmful policies?
What are the sorts of activities that the author advocates as
truly poverty alleviating? What does Easterly suggest as the
way forward?
Who is Dr. Paul Farmer? What is Partners in Health? Where do
they work?
What is the difference between protecting Human Rights and
cost-effectiveness? What does Dr. Paul Farmer say about this?
What is resistance? Read about what Partners In Health has
done with regards to treatment for MDR-TB (multi-drug resisWhat is structural poverty? Research the topic and share your
Dr. Farmer, and Partners in Health, focus on social justice. How
does it relate to poverty alleviation? How does social justice
relate to cost-effectiveness and human rights?
What is human irrationality? Do you agree with this premise?
Do you think the problem with aid is the lack of giving or the
ineffectiveness of it? Consider all the books you’ve previously
read as you discuss your opinion.
This book addresses a topic that is also addressed in Poor
Economics: using cost-effectiveness to determine the highest
impact. Are there any drawbacks to this methodology?
Think about the role we, as relatively wealthy people, play in
sustaining the status quo of millions living in poverty and a
mere minority living very well. What role does our lifestyle play
in all this? Does it play any role at all?
Watch
This
Host a screening at your home, the library, or
Born Into Brothels
Documents children in Calcutta whose mothers work as prostitutes
Tells the tale of how crime affects the poor population of Rio de Janeiro
Crude
company dumping waste
A Decent Factory
Documents the Nokia factory in China and its treatment of its workers
Favela Rising
Documents the power of community work in changing a low income
No Impact Man
One Small Act
Documents the life of a Kenyan man who investigates war crimes for the
UN; he would not have become a lawyer were it not for a Swedish
woman who sponsored his secondary school fees
The Singing Revolution
Why Poverty? Project
and be part of the solution to global poverty.
Stay in
The Center for Global Development
Wronging Rights
80,000 Hours
Duncan Green
Giving What We Can
Lawrence Haddad
Beyond Aid
Chris Blattman
The Life You Can Save
Practically Green
UN Wire
International Institute for
Environment and Development
Give Well
Texas In Africa
Environment 360
Owen Barder
Relief Web
If you’re interested in learning more about the environment,
activism, human rights or the developing world, these sites have you covered. From
blogs about how to live a greener lifestyle to articles on human rights to real-time
news feeds reporting global events that affect the international community. Fresh
content is posted regularly, but don’t forget to take some time to explore the archives.
We hope this list will help you take steps to lead a more informed, socially just life.
Social Justice
Widgets & Games
Carbon Footprint Calculator
The Nature Conservatory offers a handy tool to check out what you’re doing
to impact the atmosphere with carbon, and how you can lessen your impact.
Games For Change
This website is dedicated to teaching people of all ages how different social
justice issues come about, and how they can be changed. There are games
about food shortages, pollution, education, and more.
Giving Games
Players get to choose between charities that appeal to them in different ways.
It won’t be a hypothetical exercise - a vote will decide which charity receives a
real donation.
Global Rich List
Find out how rich you are compared to the rest of the world’s population.
Slavery Footprint
From forced underage prostitution to child factory workers, the world relies on
slave and near-slave labor to supply its developed nations with goods. Learn
about what industries might be using slave labor on your behalf and learn to
reduce your impact on the trade.
Spin For Good
Users pay to play casino games, but unlike gambling, they’re not playing for
Survive 125
Test your ability to survuive on $1.25 a day. In this game you are a 26-year-old
woman living in India with your four children earning $1.25 a day. Try to survive
one month with this lifestyle. Across the world 1.2 billion people live on less
than $1.25 per day.
World Without Oil
Imagine what a global oil crisis will look like on this site, which also offers resources for teachers.
“Personal best is about setting
yourself challenging but realistic
targets and increasing those
- Charles Bresler
The Life You Can Save Executive Director
Published by The Life You Can Save
10540 NE Morning Lane
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110, USA
[email protected]
www.thelifeyoucansave.org
© The Life You Can Save
August 2014
To access the online version, scan this
QR code or go to
www.thelifeyoucansave.org