The Case for Ineffective Altruism

In recent weeks, a philanthropic movement called effective altruism has found itself tangentially in the news cycle. To read this post, you need not understand the depths of the movement and you don't need to familiarize yourself with why this has been in the news. As a further disclaimer, I'm not writing to perform some kind of "take down" of effective altruism, really this is more of a response from someone who has spent thirteen-plus years now in the non-profit space professionally, but also living alongside neighbors who many altruists would see as "clientele". Lastly, I'll acknowledge up front, much of this is more-or-less a philosophical disagreement that starts with definition of terms. What I mean by "good" and "impact" is simply coming from a different starting point than most effective altruism proponents.

Those caveats stated . . . let's dive in.

Effective altruism is a movement that seeks to use "evidence and reason to figure out how to benefit others as much as possible, and taking action on that basis." It advocates ideas such as: 

• "Earn to give" that encourages individuals to seek as much wealth as they can so they can donate a much greater proportion than they could from a lower-earning career path. I heard a similar strategy suggested when I was in campus ministry, but those talks seemed directed at the folks in the room with more upward-bound career paths than those of us rocking Political Science/Religious Studies double majors.
• Impartiality, whereby, giving is encouraged to rely on doing good rather than geographic or personal interests and
• Maximizing impact, where evidence-based approaches and measurable results are prioritized.

These are admirable goals, but my concern largely lies with that last framing of "maximizing impact". For this goal can lead down unintended roads.

First, when one says "evidence-based" this means relying on metrics and all their weaknesses. Don't get me wrong, I personally collect data and do analysis on it to observe effectiveness. But also, I could spend my time doing better things. And I'm 100% certain all those kids filling out pre-test bubbles could be doing more effective things with their time. But, more concerning, this also opens a wide door for all sorts of disinformation to enter the picture. When funding and planning are tied to specific metrics, an incentive for deception and hyperbole is inevitably created. I've been asked to review enough funding proposals for other organizations that I can say with confidence that all "metrics" are not created equal or necessarily truthful.

Second, life is complicated. If we use my neighborhood as an example, the challenges and causes of generational poverty are multifaceted, so too are the solutions. And any examination of this requires an extreme amount of nuance. As an example, let's take a student of ours (renamed) Tariq. He was a student around when I first moved to Jacksonville. He's doing great today. He finished high school , then later got a degree and is progressing towards multiple advanced degrees. He's happily married and raising two kids with his wife. From his starting point this is a great outcome, but how do we assign the impact? He had an amazing mentor with our organization. That no doubt left an impact. But he also was part of ROTC in high school, surely they would claim some credit. His mother got a job that provided greater stability to the family in the midst of his adolescence, this too plays a role. He joined the military after high school, which is what made college-possible. He had entrepreneurial mentors who worked with him on considering career paths. And I could go on and on. Who most "maximized the impact" on him? 

I thank God for every single one of those people and circumstances, but it would be foolish to assign one as the "evidentiary champion". 

And all of this is not to mention the reality of systemic and institutional structures around all of this and how they play a role. Even with the best research, methods, and efforts prying apart impact is going to be a challenge!

Finally, and my primary impetus for writing here, not to make this a personal essay, but so much of what I spend my time on is terribly inefficient, terribly ineffective, and terribly unmeasurable, but I still believe its valuable. I still think it has a tremendous impact. 

A former co-worker of mine frequently said, "Step one for one person is step twenty for another person" and honestly, it took me a long time to understand what he meant by it. But then I thought of two people in our organization's "success story" column. One of them, finished high school and stepped into a full-ride college scholarship. Another, dropped out of high school and took until he was 27 to finish his GED and get a full-time job. And I would unequivocally say that both are tremendous examples of "maximized impact". 

That won't show up in a data set. I have no pie chart to demonstrate it. But I can say it, with confidence, without a hint of emotion or "pulling on heartstrings", that's impact. 

I run a program for senior citizens in our community. We do all kinds of activities (and have metrics for some to them), but also I frequently answer phone calls or chat with these seniors apart from the program requirements. From people who have no future earning potential. Who won't be increasing the GDP. Will start no small businesses. And may or may not lower their own blood pressures. But answering the phone when they call and talking, even just for 90 seconds is absolutely creating an impact on their lives.

So, as I laid out at the start, primarily there is a disagreement between me and the effective altruists about the definition of terms. I think it is very admirable for one to intentionally pursue a seven figure salary with the goal of donating 65% of it. Go for it. 

But as we, more broadly, go forward let us consider how impact is so often slow and full of stops-and-starts. And, honestly, sometimes, it never comes. Some stories end in tragedy. Even the happy endings all-too-often had close calls with utter disaster. But, if each person, and I do believe this, is made in the image of God as uniquely valuable and beloved, it is never a waste. It is never a bad investment to seek out that person. To spend time and resources on them. And to be present with them.

Even if the metrics don't like it. It's effective.