Stepping down from GWWC: So long, and thanks for all the shrimp

By Luke Freeman 🔸 @ 2024-09-10T21:02 (+417)

This is a linkpost to https://www.lukefreeman.com.au/blog/stepping-down-gwwc/

It’s a rare privilege to lead an organisation that embodies the very ideals that shaped your life. I’ve been fortunate to have been given that opportunity for the last four years.

My journey with Giving What We Can began long before I became its CEO. Like many members, I started as a curious onlooker, lurking for many years after first googling something along the lines of “what’s the best charity?” and slowly being drawn to the idea of effective giving. I vividly remember the day I first hovered over the ‘donate’ button on the Against Malaria Foundation’s website after getting my first raise. My heart was racing, wondering if a decent chunk of my small paycheck would truly make a difference… only to go back and read a report on malaria “just one more time.”

Finally, I found the courage to act. I started giving more effectively and significantly, and a few years later, (after seeing so many others do so before me) I got serious and took the 10% Pledge. It started to feel like I was making good on some promises I’d made to myself back when I was a kid and first struck by the injustices of the world, our collective inaction, and our inability to stop such extreme levels of preventable suffering.

Fast forward to 2020, and just as a global pandemic was tearing through the world, I found myself stepping in to lead the team at Giving What We Can. To say I was humbled would be an understatement. Here I was, entrusted with leading an organisation that had inspired my own giving journey. It was a responsibility I didn’t take lightly.

Over the past four years, I’ve had the immense honour of working alongside an incredible team and a passionate community of givers. I’ve been incredibly lucky to get to contribute to a variety of causes I care about, simply by driving more funding to all of them in the form of inspiring pledges and donations to high-impact causes.

Together, we’ve achieved things that that wide-eyed kid donating pennies from his paper route (aka my younger self) could scarcely have imagined, for instance:

• We’ve roughly doubled the number of 10% Pledges;
• Revitalised our community, website, brand, and research;
• Integrated and improved the donation platform;
• Pulled off fantastic partnerships and campaigns;
• Built an exceptional team, with strong retention and a positive work culture, which operates effectively even in my absence (demonstrated recently when I was on parental leave);
• Spun out of our fiscal sponsor (EV) and established GWWC as an independent multi-entity organisation with a global presence.

But as proud as I am of what we’ve accomplished together and as much as I have loved leading the team at GWWC, I’ve come to a crossroads. The past 18 months have been challenging, both for GWWC and for me personally. We’ve navigated significant changes and overcome substantial obstacles. While I’m incredibly proud of how we’ve handled these challenges, I’ve found my reserves depleting. Life has thrown a lot my way recently – from deeply painful personal losses to the joyous arrival of our first child. These experiences have led me to reassess my priorities and recognise the need for a change.

And so, after careful consideration, I have made the difficult decision to step down as CEO of Giving What We Can. The timing aligns with the completion of our spin-out from Effective Ventures, a major project that has set GWWC up for its next phase of growth. I felt that the decision in front of me was to either redouble my efforts for another 3-5 years or to pass the baton. I believe it’s the right time for new leadership to bring fresh energy and perspectives to drive the organisation forward.

I’ll be staying on until October 3rd to ensure a smooth transition and available as needed after that. Sjir Hoeijmakers, who has been with GWWC for several years and successfully led the organisation during my recent parental leave, has stepped in as Interim CEO from September 2nd. The board has initiated the process for appointing a permanent CEO, and I’m confident they’ll appoint an exceptional leader to take GWWC to new heights. If you’re interested in applying or know someone who might be, please check out the job description.

For those curious about what’s next for me, I have some leave planned from October to mid-November to spend time with family. After that, I’ll start thinking more seriously about my next steps. Until then, I’m open to ideas and will be focusing on exploring, learning, and potentially upskilling in relevant areas. I remain committed to creating impact, though I want to ensure I do so in a sustainable way that allows me to be an involved father and maintain a supportive community around me. I’ll be reassessing the causes I’ll focus on and the types of roles I’m best suited to, while addressing some important matters at home.

As I prepare to turn the page on this chapter of my life, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for the countless individuals and organisations that have made this work possible and will continue to do so long after I leave. The work that any of us do isn’t in isolation, as such the GWWC team and I have been part of a remarkable collective effort, and before I wrap up my time here, I want to express my heartfelt thanks:

• To our incredible members – I love your dedication to living out your values, challenging norms, and humbly putting your money where your mouth is. Your compassion, commitment, and generosity are truly remarkable. You inspire me every day.
• To the GWWC team — some of the most capable, kind, compassionate, and fun people I’ve had the privilege to work with — and our dedicated boards, thank you for your tireless efforts, unwavering commitment, and helping us navigate this period gracefully.
• To Toby Ord and Will MacAskill, the visionaries who founded GWWC, and to Peter Singer, whose work inspired it all — thank you for laying the groundwork for a movement that’s changing the world and for the applied philosophical work you’ve done which has forever changed me.
• To Julia Wise and Michelle Hutchinson, my predecessors at GWWC, and to all the team members who’ve come and gone over the years — staff, contractors, advisors, and volunteers — thank you for paving the way and contributing your talents to our mission.
• To the brilliant minds at GiveWell, Animal Charity Evaluators, Founders Pledge, Longview, EA Funds, Giving Green, Happier Lives Institute who evaluate charities and grants, and other applied research organisations like Rethink Priorities — your rigour, dedication, and expertise in evaluating and identifying opportunities for impact form the bedrock of effective giving.
• To Holden Karnofsky and Elie Hassenfeld, not only for GiveWell (which was one of my first exposures also, and a resource that directs a lot of our efforts at GWWC) but for their vision in creating GiveWell Labs, which evolved into the transformative Open Philanthropy.
• To our supported programs and other high-impact charities (from the Against Malaria Foundation saving lives with bednets, to The Humane League improving animal welfare, to GovAI tackling existential risks and dozens more): you are doing the concrete work that makes countless lives better for all the world’s inhabitants for generations to come; we literally could not do what we do without you.
• To our funders, from institutional funders like Open Philanthropy, to giving circles like Meta Charity Funders, or the individual donors earning to give or those simply opting to “add 10% to support our work” — your trust in us to multiply your funding has been both humbling and motivating, plus the advice and guidance many of you have  given us along the way has also helped us grow (in many dimensions).
• To Dustin Moskovitz and the extremely small number of other exceptionally large donors putting their money where their mouth is, following in the footsteps of effectiveness-minded philanthropists like Bill Gates and then running even further with the idea — thank you for demonstrating that billionaire philanthropy can be far more than tax avoidance, vanity projects or parochialism, but instead a transformative force for good.
• To our GWWC groups, the Centre for Effective Altruism, 80,000 Hours, Probably Good, local and national and other varieties of EA groups, as well as workplace and professional impact-focused groups like High Impact Professionals — thank you for investing in curiosity & compassion, and building a movement of people who don’t just nerd out about doing good but actually follow through to take action.
• To the boards of Effective Ventures, GWWC’s founders, Max Dalton and Julia Wise who all took a chance on me for this role back in 2020 — thank you for trusting me and giving me this opportunity to be the custodian of a globally trusted brand that means so much to so many people (including myself).
• To the teams at EV Ops and Impact Ops for all your incredible support during our recent spin-out process, I cannot emphasise enough how impressed I’ve been throughout the process.
• To the EA Good Governance Project and the many individuals who made referrals, references, and reviews to build out our new boards  — your input has been crucial in preparing GWWC for this next chapter.
• To our community of effective giving fundraising organisations and pledge partners that I’ve loved to see growing and thriving over the past few years — Lucas, Sjir, James, Anne, Basti, Pablo, Bram, Jack, Joey, Jacintha, and SO many others — your collaboration and passion for growing our ecosystem has been a joy to witness and be part of.
• To our high profile members who’ve helped us reach many more people and used their audiences to drive good — Sam Harris, Rutger Bregman, Ali Abdaal, Peter Singer, Marcus Daniell, Chris Anderson, Liv Boeree, Kelsey Piper, Dylan Matthews, Hannah Ritchie, AJ Jacobs, and many others — your compassion and willingness to speak up and be an example for others makes a world of difference.
• To people I know well in the EA community (y’all know who you are) who’ve supported GWWC and me personally – especially those friends who’ve guided me and sparred with me on my impact journey. In particular, to my dearly departed best friend: your influence continues to shape my path in profound and frankly poignant ways. I’ll always cherish our conversations about life, the universe, and everything.
• To the broader EA community (many of whom I’ve never met or barely know personally) who continue to inspire me, challenge my views, and expand my horizons – from Eliezer Yudkowsky, who challenged me to fear an AI apocalypse, right through to Cameron Meyer Shorb (possibly the kindest person on the planet), who helped me learn to love shrimp.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Questions

Feel free to leave any questions in the comments, but just to pre-empt a few (some of which is restated from above, but easier to scan):

Q: Why are you leaving now?
A: It’s a combination of personal factors and feeling that GWWC is ready for new leadership. I’ve been through some challenging personal experiences recently, and I also want to spend more time with my new son. Additionally, with the completion of our spin-out from Effective Ventures, it felt like a natural juncture for a leadership transition. I also realised I’m ready for a change of scenery, potentially something more object-level or a chance to go deeper on a specific topic if I stay in philanthropy.

Q: What’s next for you?
A: In the short term, I’ll be focusing on my family and taking some time to recharge. Long-term, I remain committed to creating impact and will be exploring new ways to contribute effectively. I’ll be reassessing the causes I want to focus on and the types of roles that best suit my skills and circumstances.

Q: Will you stay involved with GWWC?
A: While I’m stepping back from day-to-day operations, GWWC will always hold a special place in my heart. I’ll continue to be a proud member of the community and will support the organisation in whatever way is most helpful (e.g., advising, ensuring continuity of institutional knowledge, making introductions, or contributing to specific projects).

Q: How can we stay in touch?
A: I’ll still be around in EA spaces, and you can reach me here. I may write more about my experiences and reflections in the future, so stay tuned if you’re interested.

Q: Should we be worried about GWWC during this transition period?
A: Not at all. I have the utmost confidence in Sjir, the team, and the board. They’re an incredibly talented and dedicated group who have consistently demonstrated their ability to navigate challenges and drive GWWC forward. Part of the timing comes from seeing just how smoothly things went while I was on parental leave. I’m certain they’ll not just maintain GWWC’s growth but take it to new heights in the years to come. However, support is always appreciated in all the usual ways, especially with our ambitious target to hit 10,000 10% Pledges this year.

Q: How can I learn more about the CEO search?
A: GWWC has formed a search committee for the new CEO, which includes members from each of our boards from the new entities in the US, UK, and Canada. They can be reached at ceo-search@givingwhatwecan.org . The job description for the CEO position is available on the GWWC website, and I strongly encourage qualified candidates to apply.