Blog
Who would do your work if you didn't? – Podcast #6
In the #6 episode of our podcast, we talk with Devon Fritz about whether we’re all interchangeable, about neglect, and, of course, about high-impact professionals.
„Offsetting CO2 is morally unambitious“ – #5 Podcast
In our #5 episode of the "Effektiv Spenden" podcast, we talk with Johannes Ackva about carbon offsetting, the blind spots of the climate movement, and much more.
Climate Action for the World We Live In: Trump, Iran, and Navigating This Moment – Podcast #4
In our #4 episode of the “Effektiv Spenden” podcast, we talk with Johannes Ackva about climate protection in a rapidly changing world.
Deducting Donations from Your Taxes: Here's How Much You Actually Save in Switzerland
What do I need to keep in mind if I want to claim my donations as a tax deduction in Switzerland?
This NGO has given away 1 billion in cash! – Podcast #3
In our #3 episode of the “Effektiv Spenden” podcast, we talk with Harris Roberts from GiveDirectly about how we could finally eradicate extreme poverty.
AI Committed its First Crime
700 AI agents escaped from their test environment and hacked Hugging Face. We explain the AI agent cyber attack.
Our Giving Fund: Fighting Poverty in H2/2025
Our Giving Fund: “Fighting Poverty” supports four projects in Africa and India with a total of 5.3 million euros in donations from the second half of 2025.
But What For? Philanthropy and Donation Consulting in Switzerland
Asset Structure, Legal Framework, Impact: In larger philanthropic initiatives, various providers assume different roles. An overview of the Swiss consulting landscape.
Are We Losing Control of AI? – Podcast #2
In our #2 episode of the Effektiv Spenden podcast, we talk with Martin „Milli“ Milbradt from METR about how humanity could lose control over AI.
Why Democracies Fail – Podcast #1
In our #1 episode of the “Effektiv Spenden” podcast, we talk with Markus N. Beeko, the founder of Power for Democracies, about why democracies fail and what we can do about it.
Does your employer match your donation?
Many large companies support their employees' charitable efforts through matching programs. Here's how to find out if your company participates.
Our Donation Fund: Defending Democracy in H2/2025
This update on our fund, “Defending Democracy,” covers both the most recent use of funds and the current state of democracy worldwide.
2025 Year in Review
2025 was the year we surpassed the 100-million mark, expanded into Austria, and saw the global fundraising landscape change dramatically due to USAID funding cuts.
Donation Fund Update: Fighting Poverty (2025, Austria)
Our Austrian Fund to Combat Poverty is supporting a project to reduce child mortality in northern Nigeria.
Update on the Donation Fund: Reducing Animal Suffering (2025, Austria)
Our Austrian Animal Welfare Fund is supporting a project to strengthen animal welfare in the Global South.
746,000 € for Nuclear Safety and Safe AI
We support the Geneva Graduate Institute, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and the Safe AI Forum with donations from the second half of 2025.
Our giving fund: Reducing animal suffering in H2/2025
Our donation fund supports The Humane League and Sinergia Animal in H2/2025.
Donation recommendations for 2025
Do you want your donation to not only reach its destination, but also make a real difference? Then our 2025 donation recommendations are just right for you.
The end of cages? Europe's decisive moment for billions of animals
Today, the EU is on the brink of a historic opportunity to make its animal welfare legislation the most progressive in the world.
Our giving fund: Mitigating climate change in H1/2025
Funding decisions from our donation fund: Protecting the climate from H1/2025
Our donation fund: Fighting poverty in H1/2025
Our Giving Fund: Fighting Poverty supports two projects of the Clinton Health Access Initiative and one project of Helen Keller Intl
Our giving fund: Reducing animal suffering in H1/2025
This time, our donation fund is supporting Humánny Pokrok, the International Council for Animal Welfare, OBRAZ, and the Animal Welfare Observatory.
Our giving fund: Defending democracy in H1/2025
This half-year, the funds again went to the Verfassungsblog, HateAid, the Flow Fund for Eastern Germany and a new addition: Alliance4Europe.
The Code of Practice: A Success for Safe AI?
The Code of Practice of the AI Regulation is in force. Does it represent a success for safe AI?
€270.000 to SaferAI and the RAND Meselsons Center
We support SaferAI, which conducts research into the risk management of AI, and the Meselsons Center, which deals with biorisks, with donations from the 2025 half-year.
What does Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" mean for the climate?
The immediate impact of the BBB on US emissions dominates the headlines - but the potential for positive global progress remains enormous.
Power for Democracies – a new evaluator
Our new partner researches particularly effective measures for the defense of democracy worldwide and makes recommendations for donations.
The good institution
The ZDF satire program "Die Anstalt" takes a cabaret look at effective donations.
AI is ready to blackmail you (and worse)
In a test by Anthropic, all the leading AI models decide to blackmail their user to prevent being replaced.
Climate policy
for conservatives!?Anyone who believes that climate policy can be implemented with no more than left-of-center majorities is misjudging political reality.
Is OpenAI taking the dangers of AI seriously enough?
A failed update to ChatGPT shows that safe AI needs strong civil society initiative
Our Giving Fund: Fighting Poverty in H2/2024
Our donation fund supports Evidence Action's "Safe Water Now" program for life-saving access to safe drinking water.
The End of Development Aid
International development aid is currently being cut at a record pace. What is the background to this and what can you do?
Germany Causes < 2% of Global CO2
This is how a lazy argument beginns. But why is it so weak? Here are five reasons.
Review of the Year 2024
In a world where so many unimaginable things are happening, it is gratifying to know that Effektiv Spenden has continued to grow in 2024.
Our Giving Fund: Defending Democracy in Q4/2024
The Giving Fund: Defending Democracy continued to develop in Q4 2024.
Our Giving Fund: Improving Animal Welfare in H2/2024
This time our giving fund supports Sinergia Animal, The Humane League, & Animal Policy International.
Our Giving Fund: Mitigating Climate Change in H2/2024
Funding decisions from our Giving Fund: Mitigating Climate Change from H2/2024
Effective climate protection in a new political landscape
Under the new Trump administration, climate protection will face enormous challenges in 2025. But even now, all is not lost. We'll show you what you can do.
Ten achievements for livestock from the year 2024
Lewis Bollard from Open Philanthropy describes ten of the biggest successes for farm animals in 2024 in a guest article.
Around €600,000 for safe AI and biotechnology
In the second half of 2024, we had some news in the area of "Safeguarding the future".
Donation recommendations 2024
Do you want your donation not only to be received, but to really make a difference? Then our 2024 donation recommendations are just the thing for you.
Our Giving Fund: Defending Democracy in Q3/2024
Our Giving Fund: Defending Democracy supports the Verfassungsblog with funds from the 3rd quarter.
How to donate effectively for climate action
Effective donations can save a ton of CO2 or more with every euro. But how does this actually work?
8 tips to make your donation do more
Follow these 8 donation tips and make sure that your donation not only arrives, but also makes a real difference.
How much should I donate?
Nothing, 1%, 4% or 10% of your own income or assets? As much as you would pay in church tax? What are the philosophers and religions saying and how much is the author himself donating?
Administrative costs: a bad reason to donate
There is no product comparison in which the administrative costs of the manufacturers are discussed. Why do so many people believe that this should be different for donations?
The (non-)sense of seals of approval for donations
Donation labels only verify compliance with minimum standards, but say nothing about where you can make the most difference with your donation. We want to change that.
The best solutions are many times more effective than others
A donation to a high-impact organization in a relevant issue area easily achieves 100 times or more good than an average donation - great news for donors who want their money to go as far as possible.
The donation market is broken
The market mechanisms of the free economy do not work in the donation market. It is therefore all the more important that aid organizations are professionally evaluated and compared with one another.
Carbon offsetting - a critique
CO2- offsetting sounds good, but it is often used to finance ineffective projects. We explain how you can avoid 100 times more CO2- with every euro.
Why you shouldn't donate to large charities
We are often asked why we do not recommend any large, well-known charities. Here we explain why.
Child sponsorships: Does it make sense to donate?
Many charities promote child sponsorship. Is it serious or just misleading marketing? What is really behind it, and are there better ways to help?
Philanthropy and donor advisory in Germany
Which providers of donation and philanthropy advice are there in the German-speaking world - and what do they offer?
Cash donations are better than donations in kind
Donations in kind usually involve high logistics costs. In addition, they often do not exactly meet the needs of the target group.
Disaster relief: A critical review
Nothing influences donation behavior more than disasters in the media, but couldn't we help many more people if we turned our attention to disasters that are neglected by the media?
Do earmarked donations make sense?
Even with earmarked donations, you rarely have any influence on where the money really goes and in the worst case you force the organization to spend it pointlessly.
What are Giving Funds?
What are donation funds, how exactly do they work and why do we think they are the most effective form of donation?
Our donation fund: Reducing animal suffering in H1/2024
This time our donation fund supports The Humane League, Sinergia Animal & Çiftlik Hayvanlarını Koruma Derneği.
The Zewo-Gütesiegel: a critique
Does the Zewo seal of approval help you decide who to donate to? Not really. There are better alternatives.
The Austrian Donation Seal of Approval: A Critique
The Austrian Donation Seal of Approval claims to stand for "security and transparency in donations", but does it?
How do I deduct my donation in Germany?
What do I have to bear in mind if I want to deduct my donation from tax in Germany?
The urgent case for biodiversity protection
Biodiversity is in crisis. Donations should be geared more towards the highest impact opportunities.
Our Giving Fund: Fighting poverty in H1/2024
Our donation fund supports Helen Keller Intl for vitamin A supplementation against malnutrition.
Our Giving Fund: Safeguarding the future in H1/2024
Money from our donation fund: Preserving the future went to CeSIA, a French think tank that campaigns for safe AI, in the first half of 2024
Our Climate Change Giving Fund in H1/2024
Funding decisions from our donation fund: Protecting the climate from H1/2024
Climate change - A Christian perspective
A detailed climate report from the organization Christians for Impact, which answers the question of why Christians should stand up for climate change and how they can best do so.
You can save a child's life with good data
In this guest post, Max Roser from Our World in Data explains how relying on the best data can save a child's life.
Mieux Donner - a new partner
Effektiv Spenden works together with Mieux Donner, which recommends the most effective organizations to donors in France and French-speaking Switzerland.
Converting privileges into effective donations
Nina talks about what motivated her to donate 10% of her income to effective organizations.
Our donation fund: Defending democracy in Q2/2024
Here we explain to which initiatives we have allocated the funds from our Defending Democracy donation fund.
(More) philanthropy is needed for safe AI
Artificial intelligence poses an existential risk. Philanthropic engagement can help to minimize these risks.
Advanced AI: opportunities, risks and the role of philanthropy
In this guest article, Tom Barnes from Founders Pledge explains the opportunities and risks of advanced AI and the role of philanthropy.
The world is getting better!
Those who read the news every day may find it hard to believe, but the world is actually getting better in many areas. There is even reason for hope when it comes to climate change.
Review of the year 2023
2023 was our best year ever. We have never been able to collect more donations from more people for the aid organizations we recommend than in 2023.
The world is awful. The world is much better. The world can be much better.
It is wrong to believe that these three statements contradict each other. Max Roser from Our World in Data explains why.
Why should you donate to democracy?
Should citizens really "work on" democracy, i.e. donate to its preservation and renewal?
Our Climate Change Giving Fund in H2/2023
Funding decisions from our donation fund: Protecting the climate from H2/2023
Our Giving Fund: Improving Animal Welfare in H2/2023
Funding decisions from our donation fund: Reducing animal suffering from H2/2023.
Our donation fund: Fighting poverty in H2/2023
Our donation fund supports the Malaria Consortium for seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) in Mozambique.
Movement among German foundations?
Foundations among themselves: With elegant momentum and in perfect harmony with themselves and the world, they take one step forward and two steps back
Deductibility of donations in Austria
Since June 2025, donations via our platform are finally tax-deductible in Austria.
Marlene Engelhorn's redistribution as a role model?
The millionaire heiress and tax activist is donating a large part of her fortune via a citizens' council. Should other wealthy people follow her example?
How do we stop climate change?
What will it take to stop climate change and global warming? We provide an overview.
How important is the 1.5°C mark?
What role does the 1.5°C threshold play? What happens if we cross it? A perspective.
Our Giving Fund: Defending democracy in Q1/2024
Our donation fund: Defending Democracy has been successfully launched. We are using the funds from Q1 to support three organizations in Germany.
Ein Tag mit einem mobilen Impfteam in Nigeria
Helping to vaccinate babies in remote villages in Nigeria. In the guest article, New Incentives reports on a day with a mobile vaccination team.
Donate to animal shelters? Are animal sponsorships useful?
Anyone who cares about the welfare of animals first thinks about donations to animal shelters or animal sponsorships. But there is much more that can be achieved.
Understanding welfare
In order to further develop the social sector in Germany, the welfare sector needs to be involved. But who is welfare anyway?
Schweizer Glückskette - Praise and Criticism
Swiss Solidarity mobilizes donations in the millions. But can the quality of the projects really be monitored so well that the donations raised are used as effectively as possible?
Our Giving Fund: Safeguarding the future in H2/2023
Which organizations do we support with the funds from the Giving Fund: Safeguarding the Future from H2/2023? Focus on biosecurity and AI.
Messing up foundations
Foundations in Germany would benefit from a little more professionalism. Hope rests on the next generation of foundation managers.
A personal take on donor advisory
What does donor advisory look from the inside? What are lessons learned?
What is impact?
Why do non-profit organizations in Germany continue to find it so difficult to determine their impact?
How do I find the best donation cause area?
Four questions can help you to narrow down your donation topics in order to maximize the impact of your donation.
How to defend our democracies effectively
What we know about measures to defend democracy and why recommendations for effective giving are so difficult.
Safeguarding the future: 2023 Review
With our Donation Fund: Preserving the Future, we have supported a number of initiatives in its first year to minimize global disaster risks.
Reducing animal suffering: review 2023
Effective animal welfare in 2023: a review of the work and successes of our top recommendations in the area of improving animal welfare
Mitigating Climate Change: 2023 Review
Effective climate protection in 2023: a review of the work and successes of our top recommendations in the area of climate protection.
