At SkyWater Search Partners, we believe that vibrant communities are built through strong community partnerships. One way we live by that value is through our Employee of the Quarter Award. Each quarter, we honor a top-performing team member with the gift of a substantial financial donation, in their name, to a nonprofit organization of their choosing, whether they serve a local neighborhood or a world community in need of support.
When Brian learned that he had won the Employee of the Quarter award, he drew on his economics knowledge to select his nonprofit beneficiary. “I’m an economics major and I think a lot about the cost of things, the costs to deliver services,” he explains. “So I did some research to find where this very generous SkyWater donation could do the most good for the most people.”
“I’m a big believer in supporting local organizations, and I do that,” says Brian. But for this gift, it felt important to choose an organization that addressed serious global problems, and that did so with great efficiency, allowing most of its donations to flow directly to the people they serve. For Brian, “it’s not enough to have good intentions. It’s being able to measure and track and adjust as needed.”
To begin his own search, Brian turned to a few economics subreddits he follows. They suggested going to the Givewell and Charity Navigator sites to find the nonprofit that best met his criteria. He found an organization that was the perfect fit:
Malaria Consortium is a highly rated organization whose mission is dedicated to “saving lives and improving health in Africa and Asia, through evidence-based programs that combat targeted diseases and promote universal health coverage.”
According to GiveWell, Malaria Consortium is able to deliver four months of Seasonal malaria chemoprevention (a highly effective intervention that prevents malaria infection during peak transmission seasons) to one child “for less than $7” and, among children under age five, rates of malaria have fallen by “as much as 75% when SMC is used alongside other interventions such as indoor residual spraying and sleeping under insecticide-treated nets.” So far, SMC treatments have saved an estimated 700,000 young lives.
“Frankly, I personally didn’t have any experience with this organization in the past,” says Brian. But now, “the reason I feel excited about making a donation to them is that I feel very excited about learning more and advocating for them.” He plans to use his extensive networking skills to spread the word. “I have a big circle,” he says. “I can monetarily support Malaria Consortium but I can also communicate the need and organization.
“Sometimes, it’s easy to feel so powerless to improve the world,” says Brian. “But really, it’s amazing how much we can with so little.”
Congratulations, Brian, and thank you for sharing your inspiring (and informative) perspective on giving. We’re proud to have you on our team!
Brian’s tips on using GiveWell and Charity Navigator
While similar, each organization has key differences in how they research and recommend nonprofits. Charity Navigator reviews as many charities as possible. According to their, site they use “data from the IRS, partners, and the charities themselves” to determine “unbiased ratings so that you can give with confidence.” Just type a nonprofit name into their search bar and review their data and Charity Navigator rating.
Givewell, on the other hand, provides a shorter list of what they call “outstanding giving opportunities” top charities” they recommend. According to their site, in addition to pulling financials and assessing administrative and fundraising costs, they conduct additional, “in-depth research to determine how much good a given program accomplishes (in terms of lives saved, lives improved, etc.) per dollar spent.”
Brian also strongly recommends listening to a recent talk by Elie Hassenfeld of Givewell, for more information.