.png){kind=small}
How we work
We make high-impact climate giving easier, for everyone.
THE PROBLEMS
-
Many climate solutions are not actionable
​​Addressing climate change requires collective action across various sectors of society. However, it is not obvious how an individual can contribute to such a complex issue. How can an average person "decarbonize the grid" or "start an agricultural revolution"?
​ -
Many climate actions do not measure up​
Not all climate actions are based on the best available evidence. Studies have shown that even well-intentioned, high-profile projects can fall short of expectations. In the race to restore a healthy planet, we need to focus our resources on what works.
-
Most people lack access to giving advice​
It is hard to find scientific climate giving resources that feel good and do good. We should know: the idea for Giving Green was born after our founder, Dan, spent hours on a fruitless search. While major philanthropists and large companies can afford expert guidance, smaller foundations and businesses, as well as most individuals, lack access to free, open-access, and evidence-based giving advice.
OUR SOLUTION
OUR METHOD
Our process
.png)
Step 1: Identify impact strategies
We start with an evolving list of “impact strategies”—ways that organizations across the world are tackling the climate crisis through systemic change in policy and technology.
​
Step 2: Assess impact strategies
We evaluate our list of impact strategies based on:
-
Scale: How big a problem is it?
-
Feasibility: How hard is the problem to address?
-
Funding need: How much would more donations help?
​
Step 3: Longlist potential organizations
For impact strategies that we find promising, we map the existing universe of funding opportunities.
​
Step 4: Evaluate specific funding opportunities
We then move to evaluating the most promising funding opportunities. We seek to answer the questions like: How well-placed is the organization for implementing the impact strategies we have prioritized? What would the organization do with additional funding?
​
Step 5: Publish recommendations
When we find an organization that meets our criteria for recommendation, we consider it a “recommendation” and add it to our website and donation platform, making it easy to act on our findings. We publish a summary of our research so that anyone can understand our reasoning.
Our evidence sources
Data
1. Emissions
For example, we often use emissions by sector as a quick input into our assessment of scale.
2. Progress
We reference data on climate targets, progress, and policies to inform our understanding of where a given impact strategy fits into broader progress on climate and how feasible future work might be.
3. Funding
We also review data on public, private, and philanthropic spending, since our goal is to help people direct money to underfunded climate solutions.
Research literature
We conduct thorough reviews, considering both academic and non-academic research literature.
External input
We speak to climate researchers, philanthropists, policymakers, and other experts in their fields to seek guidance and feedback.
Our uncertainties and mistakes
Climate research is complex. Our process evolves as we explore new evidence and methodologies. Some of our current key uncertainties include:
​
-
How to best define and estimate human suffering due to climate change
-
How to strike an appropriate balance of research breadth and depth
-
How to avoid false precision
-
How to balance transparency with other considerations
We are committed to Giving Green's organizational values of truth-seeking, humility, transparency, and collaboration. We openly acknowledge and learn from our mistakes, and we value your feedback to improve our research.