Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Matt Coleman @matt--coleman.bsky.social · 1d

New research from Janek Kretschmer & Paul Smeets: separating donation decisions into two stages (1. how much to give, 2. which charity to support) increases charitable impact.

Paper: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

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Reposted by Matt Coleman

Peter Singer @petersinger.info · 6d

A hen spends her life in a cage no bigger than an iPad, unable to spread her wings.

This #WorldFarmAnimalsDay, let's change that. For less than a dollar, you can help free a hen, and your donation gets a 50% boost all week long. With your help, we can free 100,000 hens.

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Matt Coleman @matt--coleman.bsky.social · 9d

New article I wrote at Behavioral Scientist (@behscientist.bsky.social): I share the psychological research on "drop-in-the-bucket" thinking, how this tendency shows up when trying to make an impact, and what we can do about it.

Article: behavioralscientist.org/how-proporti...

How ‘Proportion Dominance’ Gets in the Way of Effective Giving - by Matthew Coleman - Behavioral Scientist

When it comes to helping others, it’s important to remember that it’s the size of the drop that matters, not the size of the bucket.

behavioralscientist.org

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Reposted by Matt Coleman

Giving Multiplier @givingmultiplier.bsky.social · 29d

ICYMI: Three weeks ago, we were featured on the "Trolleyology" episode of @ologies.bsky.social.

Since then, hundreds of Ologites have collectively directed an astounding $445,000 toward combating extreme poverty and climate change, supporting 230+ of their favorite nonprofits, and much more. Bravo!

Ologies with Alie Ward @ologies.bsky.social · Aug 20

The Trolley Problem! A hot philosophical debate.

Who gets spared? Where should you donate? What is "harm?" What would a monk do? W/ Dr. Josh Greene of @givingmultiplier.bsky.social.

Also: neurodivergence & moral decisions, religion + your new fave skeleton.

www.alieward.com/ologies/trol...

Trolleyology (MORAL DILEMMAS + THE TROLLEY PROBLEM) with Dr. Joshua Greene — alie ward

Train tracks. Split decisions. And a philosophy humdinger worth debating. Dr. Joshua Greene is a Harvard Psychology professor, neuroscientist, and *actual* Trolleyologist. This thought experiment pop...

www.alieward.com

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Reposted by Matt Coleman

Bastian Jaeger @bxjaeger.bsky.social · 29d

Nice review of recent research showing that younger children start out with a more expansive moral circle than older children and adults
@juliamarshall.bsky.social, @mattiwilks.bsky.social, @karrineldner.bsky.social

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

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Matt Coleman @matt--coleman.bsky.social · Aug 26

Wow! Huge congrats, Dave!

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Matt Coleman @matt--coleman.bsky.social · Aug 20

Fantastic new episode of @ologies.bsky.social! An insightful (and often hilarious) discussion on navigating difficult moral decisions and Josh's applied research projects for expanding the circle of "us".

Podcast: pod.link/1278815517/e...

Giving Multiplier @givingmultiplier.bsky.social · Aug 20

Joshua Greene, Professor of Psychology @harvard.edu and GM co-founder, was interviewed for the latest @ologies.bsky.social podcast with Alie Ward.

In this "Trolleyology" episode, they discuss:

🚎 Trolley dilemmas
💝 Smart & meaningful generosity
🌉 Building bridges across political divides

(1/2)

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Reposted by Matt Coleman

Giving Multiplier @givingmultiplier.bsky.social · Aug 13

♻️ Giving Multiplier powers a virtuous circle of giving.

Matching funds inspire donations to highly effective charities. In turn, those donations encourage others to provide more matching funds.

This "supply-and-demand" cycle creates impact today, while sustaining our platform for the future.

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Matt Coleman @matt--coleman.bsky.social · Aug 4

People in rich countries often underestimate how wealthy they are globally.

A new study finds that a simple nudge correcting this misperception increases generosity:

escholarship.org/uc/item/0wm7...

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Reposted by Matt Coleman

Giving Multiplier @givingmultiplier.bsky.social · Jul 31

🌍 Featured super-effective charity: Clean Air Task Force (@cleanaircatf.bsky.social)

CATF works in 40+ countries driving tech & policy solutions to fight climate change, including advanced nuclear energy and next-gen geothermal.

🔗 Read their mid-year impact report: catf.us/2025/06/2025...

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Matt Coleman @matt--coleman.bsky.social · Jul 29

People see giving time (volunteering) as more impactful than giving money (donating), in part because it feels more personal and connected to the self.

New paper by Samantha Kassirer and Maferima Touré-Tillery: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

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Matt Coleman @matt--coleman.bsky.social · Jul 16

"Maybe we are born with a surprisingly inclusive capacity to care, and over time, we learn to direct that concern more selectively."

New research on moral development, summarized on Substack by Lucius Caviola:

When development constricts our moral circle

While we often assume that growing up makes us more morally inclusive, our research suggests that young children may start out with broader concern—and become more selective with age.

outpaced.substack.com

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Reposted by Matt Coleman

Peter Singer @petersinger.info · Jun 19

I’ve long believed that good reasoning can lead to better behaviour. But as Josh Greene and I discuss in this episode of “Lives Well Lived”, reason alone is often not enough.

Josh describes how his thinking has evolved from the hope that moral philosophy informed by psychology could change...

Josh Greene on Good Reasoning

YouTube video by Peter Singer

youtube.com

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Matt Coleman @matt--coleman.bsky.social · May 23

Really cool new preprint: charity effectiveness information can boost donations. But framing matters.

When cost-effectiveness falls below expectations, it can backfire and actually reduce giving.

📃 papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

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Matt Coleman @matt--coleman.bsky.social · May 6

Important new paper for charitable giving: the preference for charities with lower overhead ratios (i.e., "overhead aversion") can be reduced when both: a) explaining the importance of overhead and b) prompting the donor to deliberate about their choice

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Reposted by Matt Coleman

Giving Multiplier @givingmultiplier.bsky.social · Apr 18

🎉 New feature alert: monthly donations are here!

You asked, we listened.

With recurring donations on #GivingMultiplier, you can earn matching funds each month to both your favorite charity and a super-effective charity.

👉 Set up your monthly donation: GivingMultiplier.org

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Matt Coleman @matt--coleman.bsky.social · Apr 3

"Saving a child’s life is certainly something that everybody can be extremely proud of. Guided by research on differences in cost-effectiveness, many people can do this."

ourworldindata.org/cost-effecti...

(@ourworldindata.org)

Giving Multiplier @givingmultiplier.bsky.social · Apr 3

"Many of us can save a child’s life, if we rely on the best data"

@maxroser.bsky.social from @ourworldindata.org highlights research by our co-founder Lucius Caviola showing how everyday donors can have extraordinary impact by giving effectively.

🔗 ourworldindata.org/cost-effecti...

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Matt Coleman @matt--coleman.bsky.social · Mar 25

Very cool new paper: simply providing multiple donation options (vs. just one) increases charitable giving by ~20%, without reducing the number of donors.

📰 doi.org/10.1037/xap0...

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Reposted by Matt Coleman

Giving Multiplier @givingmultiplier.bsky.social · Mar 10

Featured super-effective charity: @helenkellerintl.org 💊

For under $2, their Vitamin A program can avert blindness, prevent malnutrition, & reduce mortality. Last year, Helen Keller Intl provided life-changing supplements to 43 million children in sub-Saharan Africa.

#GlobalHealth #ImpactfulGiving

Supporting Children's Health with Vitamin A in Senegal

Vitamin A strengthens vision, prevents blindness, and builds children's immune systems to fight off illness. In Senegal, vitamin A deficiency is incredibly high. Helen Keller Intl has been working to deliver this lifesaving micronutrient to young children, allowing them to grow healthy, strong, and reach their true potential

bit.ly

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Reposted by Matt Coleman

Giving Multiplier @givingmultiplier.bsky.social · Feb 21

Our Winter newsletter is out! ❄️

In this edition, we feature one of our super-effective charities (@helenkellerintl.bsky.social), one of our trusted expert charity evaluators (@animalcharityev.bsky.social), and provide engaging resources for learning more about high-impact charitable giving.

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Matt Coleman @matt--coleman.bsky.social · Feb 7

Very proud of @givingmultiplier.bsky.social's impact last year!

Giving Multiplier @givingmultiplier.bsky.social · Feb 7

We surpassed $1 million in donations in 2024! 🎉

Last year, nearly 1,000 Giving Multiplier donors collectively accomplished a lot, such as providing disease-preventing treatments to tens of thousands of children, mitigating animal cruelty, and combatting extreme climate change.

Thank you!

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Reposted by Matt Coleman

Max Roser @maxroser.bsky.social · Dec 24

What is an important fact about the world that you wish more people would know?

Here is my answer: If we rely on the best data, many of us can save a child's life.

And here is my article about it.
ourworldindata.org/cost-effecti...

Many of us can save a child’s life, if we rely on the best data

There are many ways to improve the world, but their cost-effectiveness varies immensely. You can achieve a lot more if you rely on the best data on where to donate.

ourworldindata.org

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Matt Coleman @matt--coleman.bsky.social · Dec 26

Giving is now a deep source of meaning in my life. It’s never been easier in human history to help others most in need around the world. What an amazing opportunity for enriching both our own and others’ lives!

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Matt Coleman @matt--coleman.bsky.social · Dec 26

I felt empowered that I could so easily make an outsized difference for other people living thousands of miles away—providing life-saving nutrients, preventing deadly infectious diseases, and removing debilitating parasitic worms.

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Matt Coleman @matt--coleman.bsky.social · Dec 26

By relying on experts, I could do exactly that, without much sacrifice or effort—just a few button clicks from the comfort of my home.

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