EA Giving Tuesday donation matching initiative 2019 retrospective

Abstract

This report reviews the 2019 Effective Altruism (EA) Giving Tuesday donation matching initiative, a campaign to direct Facebook’s matching funds to EA-aligned organizations. The authors detail their strategy to maximize donations within the first few seconds of the matching period, including providing donors with detailed instructions and utilizing technology to facilitate quick donations. While the initiative achieved a 52% match rate, with $563,000 USD matched, the authors highlight several challenges encountered, including last-minute changes to Facebook’s payment system, unexpected delays in donation processing, and difficulties in receiving funds from Network for Good. Despite these challenges, the authors note improvements in their systems since 2018, including collaboration with Rethink Charity and improved outreach and communication with donors. The authors conclude by raising questions for future initiatives, such as the unpredictable behavior of Facebook’s payment system, the potential for donating a few seconds early, mitigating risks associated with receiving funds, and the feasibility of including CEA’s donor lotteries. – AI-generated abstract