The study was carried out in collaboration with the Doneer Effectief (Dutch-language website) Foundation. The foundation selects effective charities based on independent scientific reviews. This helps donors to create as much impact as possible with every euro donated. As Smeets points out: ‘Donating to a carefully chosen charity means your donation can easily have 100 times more impact.’

Smeets, professor at the UvA’s Amsterdam Business School, and Doneer Effectief announced the top 3 on Wednesday afternoon in Amsterdam. This is the third year the researchers have carried out this assessment. ‘There is an increasing amount of scientific research available on the actual performance of charities. Thanks to the work of independent research organisations that evaluate charities worldwide, we can now inform Dutch donors about where each euro donated does the most good.’

Areas of concern

Independent research organisations such as GiveWell, GivingGreen and Animal Charity Evaluators assess charities active in a range of problem areas. They do so using four key criteria: proven effectiveness of the intervention, cost-effectiveness, transparency and room for additional funding. All outcomes are publicly available. A jury of Dutch and Flemish academics reviews the quality of the research reports and then selects one top recommendation per category. Doneer Effectief provides guidance on the effectiveness of charities and enables donors to support these organisations easily.

‘For example, we look at whether the action taken by a charity to address a problem is demonstrably the best approach. In terms of costs, we consider which organisation delivers the most per euro donated, and transparency concerns the publication of positive results but also the mistakes that are made,’ Smeets explains. ‘Finally, we assess whether there is sufficient room for additional donations without reducing impact.’

Major societal implications

‘The 3 categories deliberately reflect the major global challenges of our time,’ Smeets says. ‘Every hour, 650 children die from easily preventable diseases, 4.5 million tonnes of CO₂ are emitted and more than 18 million animals die in intensive livestock farming.’ According to Smeets, there are charities achieving meaningful results on these issues while maximising impact per euro donated. ANSH, for instance, combats child mortality in India through Kangaroo Care, which involves skin-to-skin contact between baby and caregiver, at a cost of €73 per baby. Future Cleantech Architects accelerates sustainability innovations in industrial sectors such as cement, steel and aviation to help meet Europe’s climate targets. Animal Welfare Observatory investigates abuses in livestock farming and encourages companies to improve animal welfare. ‘According to our jury, donations to these 3 organisations make the biggest difference this month.’

Growing interest in effective giving

Seventy-six per cent of households donate to at least one charitable organisation each year, according to last year’s Giving in the Netherlands report. Bram Schaper, director of Doneer Effectief, notes a growing interest in charities that demonstrate impact based on scientific research: ‘Since our start in 2022, we have already raised more than €14 million, and the number of donations increases every quarter. It has exceeded all our expectations. I believe our guidance offers something unique for Dutch donors who want to help solve major global challenges in a demonstrably effective way.’