GiveWell
GiveWell is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2007 that researches and recommends the most cost-effective global health and development charities, routing donations from over 150,000 donors through its Top Charities, All Grants, and Unrestricted funds with zero fees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What GiveWell does
GiveWell (legally The Clear Fund) is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2007 and headquartered in Oakland, California, with an affiliated UK Charitable Incorporated Organisation. The organization conducts intensive, independent research to identify the charities that save or improve lives most cost-effectively per dollar donated, and publishes the full methodology, including a publicly accessible 'Our Mistakes' section, so donors can scrutinize its reasoning.
Its core product surface consists of three giving funds — the Top Charities Fund (highest-confidence, extensively vetted charities), the All Grants Fund (higher-risk, potentially higher-expected-impact programs across all grantmaking), and the Unrestricted Fund (discretionary, including operations). These funds sit on top of a research platform that produces intervention-level reviews (e.g., vitamin A supplementation, malaria chemoprevention, deworming), cost-effectiveness models (e.g., ~$4,500 per life saved via Malaria Consortium's SMC program), site-visit reports, and grant lookbacks. Donations flow through a self-serve web portal supporting ACH, wire, check, securities, cryptocurrency, qualified charitable distributions, and integrations with donor-advised funds at Vanguard, Fidelity, and Schwab.
GiveWell's business model is donation-funded: it takes zero fees on donations directed to recommended charities, so >$2.6B has been routed to grantees since 2011 without fee extraction. Operations are funded separately by donors who explicitly choose to support GiveWell's mission, including via the Unrestricted Fund. Customer segments span individual impact-oriented donors (the dominant base of 150,000+ donors), high-net-worth donors giving over $10,000, and international donors in the US, UK, Germany, Canada, and Australia. Customer acquisition runs through content marketing (research reports, blog, podcast), earned media (NYT, NPR/Planet Money, The Atlantic, WSJ, Ezra Klein podcast), and community ties to the effective altruism movement.
GiveWell firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GiveWell
- Legal name
- The Clear Fund
- Website
- https://givewell.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- GiveWell is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2007 that researches and recommends the most cost-effective global health and development charities, routing donations from over 150,000 donors through its Top Charities, All Grants, and Unrestricted funds with zero fees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
GiveWell industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Research and Charity Advisory
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Health Services (8000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations (HLAJAKAN), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB), Charitable Giving & Philanthropic Trust Advisory (FSAEAKAH)
Keywords
Where GiveWell is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
GiveWell business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Donor-Supported Operations: GiveWell is a nonprofit funded by donors who choose to support their mission. They do not take fees from donations directed to charities they recommend. 100% of donations (minus standard bank/credit card fees) go to the fund or organization of the donor's choice.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Others | Free service for all donors - no fees for research or recommendations |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
GiveWell product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GiveWell conducts in-depth research to identify charities with the highest demonstrated cost-effectiveness in improving lives. It directs donations through three funds—the Top Charities Fund, All Grants Fund, and Unrestricted Fund—to support vetted global health and poverty alleviation programs in low-income regions.
Product overview
GiveWell is an independent nonprofit charity evaluation platform that produces research to identify the most cost-effective charitable giving opportunities. The core offering consists of three donation funds—Top Charities Fund, All Grants Fund, and Unrestricted Fund—that route donor contributions to vetted global health and poverty alleviation programs. Supporting these funds is a portfolio of published research outputs including detailed charity reviews, intervention reports, cost-effectiveness models, and transparency documentation. The platform's value proposition centers on rigorous, evidence-based analysis that quantifies charitable impact (e.g., cost per life saved) and makes all research publicly accessible.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Top Charities Fund: A giving fund where donations are granted to one of GiveWell's Top Charities, representing the most reliably high-impact and cost-effective charities identified through extensive evaluation.
- All Grants Fund
- Unrestricted Fund
Products and services
- Top Charities Fund
- All Grants Fund
- Unrestricted Fund
- Charity Reviews
- Cost-Effectiveness Models
Quantifiable outcome
- Malaria Consortium SMC costs approximately $4,500 per life saved on average (as of 2020)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use GiveWell
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
GiveWell technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
GiveWell partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- IRC (International Rescue Committee)coreGiveWell partnered with IRC (International Rescue Committee) to deliver safe water to 1.7 million people in Chad, Nigeria, and Somalia. The initiative aims to use a cost-effective approach to improve water access in these regions, combining IRC's operational expertise with GiveWell's funding and research capabilities.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
GiveWell competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
GiveWell social profiles
Digital presenceGiveWell compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
GiveWell financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GiveWell leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
GiveWell funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GiveWell M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about GiveWell
What does GiveWell do?
GiveWell conducts in-depth research to identify charities with the highest demonstrated cost-effectiveness in improving lives. It directs donations through three funds—the Top Charities Fund, All Grants Fund, and Unrestricted Fund—to support vetted global health and poverty alleviation programs in low-income regions.
Is GiveWell a public or private company?
GiveWell is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was GiveWell founded?
GiveWell was founded in 2007. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is GiveWell based?
GiveWell is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does GiveWell make money?
One revenue line is on record: donor-Supported Operations.
Does GiveWell have an API?
No public API is recorded for GiveWell.
What industry is GiveWell in?
GiveWell's product category is Nonprofit Research and Charity Advisory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAL, Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of HLAJAKAN, Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8300.