The first video from Giving What We Can's new channel is out now!
By JustinPortela @ 2026-07-07T18:37 (+238)
Hello! I'm Justin Portela. I got hired by GWWC to make YouTube videos after AI in Context did such a kickass job.
My channel is using that same cinematic, high-production value beauty to talk about everything in the EA universe that isn't AI.
My first video is out now. It's about an obscure and unknown World Health Organization Meeting in 1955 that helped shape the conditions that have left up to 40 million people dead of malaria in sub-saharan Africa.
I think it's pretty dope. I hope you do too.
What you can do
Watch it, subscribe to it, share it, do anything to help us reach more people. I made this channel to appeal to people who have never heard of EA. I want to be people's first introduction to the principles of EA and effective giving, so the more people that this reaches the better.
Feedback?
If you have thoughts, let me know! Either comment here or email me at Justin.Portela@GivingWhatWeCan.org
NickLaing @ 2026-07-08T19:01 (+10)
This is incredible, the best Global Health vid I've seen in ages so stoked! I know a vid is good when I feel comfortable imediately recommending it to non-EA friends.
I'm surprised it has so few hits, is there any marketing for this? Also is there a reason it isn't on an official GWWC channel rather than a personal one?
Max Klijnstra 🔶 @ 2026-07-09T07:50 (+7)
Amazing Nick! That's part of we're trying to achieve with this video (and future ones); creating well made "entry-point" assets that EAs feel excited about sharing with non-EA friends.
We've been helped by some people with relevant followings share and recommend this on launch (Rutger Bregman, Sam Harris), and we'll continue to reach out to people with relevant followings (hey Bentham 👋) over the next days.
But most importantly, Justin is constantly testing new thumbnail / title combinations to optimize for the YouTube algorithm, as that is what can really drive massive viewership, and we're already seeing that the majority of views comes from this!
There are several reasons for a separate channel; slightly more liberty in use of language etc than we're comfortable with on a GWWC main channel and "people follow people", so our hypothesis is this will help also generate more enthusiasm and following from new people. We've embeded a lot of "breadcrumbs" leading further into Giving What We Can; with this one even a fundraiser (on which we are already seeing a lot of "first time donors") although we'll likely won't do that for every video.
Dillon Grannis @ 2026-07-18T02:45 (+1)
Good idea re having a separate channel. For example it allows Justin to insert some personal style/opinion that isn't intrinsic to GWWC (e.g. a politically liberal vibe) which connects with a large segment of potential donors.
Dillon Grannis @ 2026-07-18T02:38 (+6)
Great video.
One suggestion to keep in mind for your next vid:
I came away a little confused on what you were advocating for me to do individually, seemingly to try to help eradicate miliaria or reduce transmissions through donations. But you should be more explicit. I recommend having included something like this right after your comment about how most issues reqiure someone else (e.g. the president) to take action:
"But you personally can do something about miliaria. Distributing bed nets in high miliaria regions is one of the most cost effective ways to save lives. Only ~4,000 dollars to save one human life. You can join me and thosands of others by making a one time or recoccuring donation through GWWC through the first link in the description."
Bella @ 2026-07-08T10:55 (+5)
Just finished watching!! Great concept for a video, and really well executed :) Thanks for all your hard work and can't wait to see more from this channel!
(Not sure if you've got time to answer questions here, but if you do: would love to know more about your process for the animated segments? Who did those, and how long did it take?)
Rory Fenton @ 2026-07-09T16:40 (+4)
Wow this is so well done. I'm really excited to see what else you have in the pipeline, and more generally for high quality EA content!
WilliamKiely🔸 @ 2026-07-08T03:42 (+4)
Fantastic job, Justin! I was very surprised by the quality of the video. FWIW I initially skipped watching it when I saw the title and thumbnail here because I assumed it wouldn't contain much information that was new to me or be particularly enjoyable to watch. (My assumption was wrong on both counts!) I suspect this means more experimentation with titles and thumbnails is warranted.
Toby Tremlett🔹 @ 2026-07-08T09:17 (+5)
FWIW thumbnails and titles on YouTube are generally in a constant A/B test, and my guess is it'd be better to just let that algorithm run than to take individual opinions into account. I.e. I'd be surprised if GWWC wasn't already experimenting with the thumbnails and titles.
WilliamKiely🔸 @ 2026-07-08T03:58 (+2)
This thumbnail is much better IMO:
Yet if I go to share the video on Reddit currently the thumbnail of you sitting on the floor still shows up as the only option.
Vaidehi Agarwalla 🔸 @ 2026-07-07T23:51 (+4)
This is really awesome! Gives me glucose goddess meets veritasium vibes. Loved the hook too.
Michelle_Hutchinson @ 2026-07-09T19:41 (+2)
What a great video! Really moving.
Bentham's Bulldog @ 2026-07-08T14:19 (+2)
It's so good!
Jack White 🔹 @ 2026-07-13T15:19 (+1)
Wow! Awesome stuff. I really think these videos can fill an important gap in EA communication!
abu0 @ 2026-07-11T12:41 (+1)
Hell yeah!!! You're talented, and I'm glad you're letting EA leech off of your talent. Soar high!
Paula González Carracedo @ 2026-07-10T09:18 (+1)
This is a great way of changing the narrative around EA content and making it much more compelling. I love the style, the storytelling, the design, and the fonts you have used. The various resources, infographics, examples, and quotes from those interviewed were excellent, and it was remarkably engaging for a 'longer' YouTube video. Even the punchy headline for the video was fantastic. The fashion style also reminded me a bit of C. Tangana, a Spanish singer, and I think it suits the story in a very coherent way. It is certainly making the branding of Effective Altruism charities much more appealing indeed. Congratulations, @Max Klijnstra 🔶 @JustinPortela and the rest of the GWWC team.