Christmas, they say, is a time for giving. And I for one enjoy giving presents just as much as receiving them. But would you consider giving on such a substantial scale all year round?
One do-gooder who does just this is Oxford philosopher Toby Ord, who gives one third of what he earns to charity, donating all his income over £20,000. Ord founded the charitable society Giving What We Can a year ago, and to celebrate its anniversary has pledged to lower his threshold to £18,000. And before you ask, his wife gives away everything she earns over £25,000 — so he’s not sneakily living off a high-earning spouse.
The society, which believes 10% is a suitable proportion of income to give, has so far amassed £13m in pledges from people of all walks of life. Over 60 people have pledged to donate a percentage of their income for life, including student Will Couch who will give away any earnings over £20,000.
While the aim of the society is purely altruistic, the likelihood is that the members are inadvertently upping their levels of wellbeing. The benefits of giving — both psychological and physical — are widely reported. But beyond that, there’s something to be said for mindful donating. When giving such a significant proportion of your income, you will invest more time thinking about where your money goes and how it can be most efficiently spent. GWWC helps members do just this — they have calculated which charities deliver the most cost-effective services. ‘Some organisations can achieve 10 times as much as others, some 100 times as much, for a given donation,’ says Ord. Mindful donating, rather than the £10 standing order you set up with Oxfam ten years ago, is surely going to have a greater effect on your wellbeing.
Of course, while Ord says that giving away anything over £18,000 is ‘eminently do-able’, it’s not always a realistic goal. All members of GWWC have pledged to give at least 10% of their income. But if you can’t afford this, you can still make a difference. Guidestar is a brilliant website that tells you what 163,000 charities in England and Wales get up to, and which charities reflect your personal beliefs, so you can make a more informed decision about your giving.
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