Does it cost anything to join?
Nope. Participation is completely free-of-charge.
What is the expected time commitment?
About an hour per week. Each session is scheduled for 50 minutes and the required pre-reading is typically 15 minutes or less.
When and where do these groups typically meet?
Because they are often global in attendance, each cohort will work out a weekly meeting time that works for all participants. All meetings will be held online.
What is the average size of a group?
We aim for 3-5 participants per group (not including the facilitator).
How can I sign up?
Leave your email on the Welcome to Insightful Giving page and we'll send you more details.
What topics are covered?
The full syllabus is below.
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Insightful Giving Discussion Group Syllabus:
Week One: Why We Give
This week we explore the complex motivations behind why we choose to help others.
Reading: On Caring (15 minutes)
Week Two: A Fresh Approach to Improving the World
This week we explore some unique ways to assess social impact and discuss where they converge with, and diverge from, how we typically think about philanthropy in general.
Reading: Swipe right (and up) for social impact (7 minutes)
Week Three: Optimism, Pessimism, and Possibilism
This week we investigate the various worldviews on offer and discuss which ones, if any, lead to preferable outcomes.
Reading: The World is Much Better, Awful, Can Be Better (5 minutes) / Screw Optimists and Pessimists, Be a Possibilist (10 minutes)
Week Four: Is There Room for Passion?
This week we ask ourselves if there is any room for passion in a highly rational approach to philanthropy.
Reading: Excited Altruism (10 minutes)
Week Five: The Value of a Life
This week we probe for blind spots and biases that lurk in our ethical machinery.
Reading: One World Now Excerpt, p. 174 - 178 (10 minutes)
Week Six: Exploring Criticisms of Evidence-based Philanthropy
This week we talk through various criticisms of the Effective Giving mindset and embrace the uncertainty that many of them raise.
Reading: Criticism of Criticism of Criticism (10 minutes)