Charities optimize for giving donors positive feelings
The direct way of doing this is the way charities actually do good - is by holding balls and galas where good looking, well off people can meet and talk and enjoy themselves
The next most effective way to optimize for donor positive feeling is to figure out how worsen the problem your charity is dedicated to solving. This lets you emphasize how *important* your charity is because after all, the problem is bad and getting worse over time
The iron law that charities are up against that they really have a lot of trouble with is that *people are self-interested* which implies that if there's something they could systemically do that's cost effective to improve their lives, *they simply do it*
The exceptions point to where charities can and cannot do good
If the reason some group of people isn't say, digging a new well in their town - that the group of people isn't smart enough to realize they would benefit from a new well, well then, a well isn't really going to help them, now is it?
If on the other hand some group is self-sufficient but is struck by a hurricane that floods their inland town then emergency disaster relief is actually *extremely* helpful and productive
If you're searching for "hidden talent" in groups that have never produced any great talents but who are favored every step of the way you're not going to find anything useful and are going to create a bunch of resentful people
If you search for hidden talent in groups where past searches have turned up John Nash, you're going to make your civilization better
How odd
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong says donating to charity is net negative
"The common view is that philanthropy is this noble cause, and Bill Gates is like 'I'm going to go rehabilitate my image and do philanthropy.'"
"A lot of charities and philanthropies are actually net negative for the world and they get captured. It's remarkably hard to find a foundation that has not gotten captured by ideology.”
“By trying to do something good, like criminal justice reform, it turns out they just increased crime. I have a donor advised fund and I put money toward things helping civilization advance, but I don't think at this moment I would ever create a foundation."
"If you look at the Ford Foundation, I think Henry Ford would be turning over in his grave if he knew what they were up to.”
“I have a DAF, a donor advised fund, and I just try to put money toward things that I think are helping civilization advance. But I don't think at this moment I would ever create a foundation."