ClaimsPeople

GiveWell

GiveWell is a US-based nonprofit charity evaluator that researches and recommends high-impact giving opportunities, mainly in global health and poverty reduction.

190 claims collected, 76 researched, 23 resolved. Report of 10 October 2026, method 0.1.0+7831dd9d.

Scores by kind of claim

Each kind of claim is scored on its own, out of 100: the share that held up, with the range it likely falls in. Fewer resolved claims give a wider range.

  • Factual claims

    Statements about the present or the past, checked against the record: did they hold up?

    76 63 88

    Medium confidence, 15 factual claims resolved. From 7 documents, 2010 to 2026; 8 documents sampled from 34 candidates found.

    Not scored: 13 unresolvable, 25 checkable only against their own records.

  • Predictions

    Statements about events outside the person's control, checked once they fell due: did they come true?

    Insufficient record: 1 prediction resolved, 5 needed for a score.

    Not scored: 5 unresolvable, 2 checkable only against their own records. 2 more fall due later.

    Does not yet allow for how likely each prediction was when made.

  • Promises

    Commitments to the person's or organisation's own future action, with something to deliver: was it delivered?

    70 52 87

    Low confidence, 7 promises resolved. From 3 documents, 2010 to 2022; 8 documents sampled from 34 candidates found.

    Not scored: 4 unresolvable, 2 checkable only against their own records.

All types combined: 74 (likely 64 to 84, medium confidence), from 22 claims: 15 factual claims, 7 promises. It mixes kinds of claim in different proportions for different people, so compare people kind by kind.

GiveWell's claims

23 claims, sorted by newest said. Choose a claim to read it in full.
VerdictKindSaidClaimTopic
Mostly true Factual 30 Sep 2026 GiveWell's Cross-Cutting research subteam investigates the impact of funded programs, works to resolve the largest uncertainties, and strengthens data collection and analysis. Factual · 30 Sep 2026 Their own work or organisation
Resolved true Factual 30 Sep 2026 GiveWell's 2025 fundraising of $616 million was its largest fundraising year to date. Factual · 30 Sep 2026 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Factual 30 Sep 2026 More than four million children under five die each year in low- and middle-income countries, and most of those deaths are preventable. Factual · 30 Sep 2026 Biosecurity
Resolved true Factual 31 Aug 2026 GiveWell responded in 2025 to urgent needs generated by foreign aid cuts. Factual · 31 Aug 2026 Economics and markets
Resolved true Factual 31 Aug 2026 Around $124 million (29% of funds directed) in 2025 went to GiveWell's four Top Charities. Factual · 31 Aug 2026 Their own work or organisation
Resolved true Factual 31 Aug 2026 In 2025 GiveWell directed around $427 million to high-impact programs and organizations, an 8% increase in funds directed compared to 2024. Factual · 31 Aug 2026 Their own work or organisation
Resolved true Prediction 6 Apr 2022 GiveWell likely will not be able to share a full response to all contest entries, due to limited research capacity. Prediction · 6 Apr 2022 Their own work or organisation
Delivered on time Promise 6 Apr 2022 GiveWell will announce contest winners by December 15, 2022. Promise · 6 Apr 2022 Their own work or organisation
Resolved false Factual 6 Apr 2022 GiveWell is launching a contest for critiques of its cost-effectiveness analyses. Factual · 6 Apr 2022 Science and research methods
Mostly true Factual 6 Apr 2022 GiveWell makes its cost-effectiveness analyses publicly available. Factual · 6 Apr 2022 Science and research methods
Delivered on time Promise 6 Apr 2022 GiveWell will award $20,000 to the first-place entry, $10,000 to the runner-up and $5,000 to the honorable mention in its contest. Promise · 6 Apr 2022 Science and research methods
Mostly true Factual 28 May 2020 GiveWell shares its plans for the year each spring. Factual · 28 May 2020 Their own work or organisation
Mostly false Promise 28 May 2020 GiveWell hopes to conduct in-depth reviews of one to two other charities in 2020, most likely Precision Agriculture for Development and/or Sanku, but may have limited capacity due to COVID-19 work. Promise · 28 May 2020 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Promise 28 May 2020 GiveWell will make additional COVID-19 response grants if it believes they are more cost-effective than the opportunities to which it would otherwise direct funds. Promise · 28 May 2020 Their own work or organisation
Resolved true Factual 28 May 2020 As of 28 May 2020, GiveWell had made three grants for COVID-19 mitigation. Factual · 28 May 2020 Their own work or organisation
Resolved true Factual 28 May 2020 Dispensers for Safe Water is a GiveWell standout charity. Factual · 28 May 2020 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Promise 28 May 2020 In 2020 GiveWell will complete its review of the New Incentives RCT results and decide whether to direct additional funding to New Incentives. Promise · 28 May 2020 Their own work or organisation
Resolved true Factual 2018 In 2016 GiveWell saw growth in the number of donors and amount donated in every donor size category reviewed, except donors giving $1 million or more per year. Factual · 2018 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Factual 2015 In 2014, GiveWell tracked $27.8 million in money moved to its recommended charities. Factual · 2015 Their own work or organisation
Resolved true Factual 2015 In 2014, GiveWell recommended and Good Ventures made two grants: $250,000 to Evidence Action and about $34,000 to IDinsight. Factual · 2015 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Factual 7 Jan 2010 GiveWell last laid out a business plan in November 2008. Factual · 7 Jan 2010 Their own work or organisation
Resolved true Promise 7 Jan 2010 GiveWell will examine itself critically over the coming weeks and share its self-review in near real time on its blog. Promise · 7 Jan 2010 Their own work or organisation
Resolved true Promise 7 Jan 2010 GiveWell intends to discuss, for each of its self-review questions, its progress since November 2008, where it stands today relative to success, and what it can do to improve. Promise · 7 Jan 2010 Their own work or organisation
Back to the list

GiveWell

Open its page

Promise Their own work or organisation

“We hope to conduct in-depth reviews of one to two other charities (most likely Precision Agriculture for Development and/or Sanku, though possibly others) as well, but may have limited capacity to do so due to COVID-19-responsive work.”

GiveWell, unsigned blog post 28 May 2020 GiveWell's plans for 2020 (The GiveWell Blog)

GiveWell hopes to conduct in-depth reviews of one to two other charities in 2020, most likely Precision Agriculture for Development and/or Sanku, but may have limited capacity due to COVID-19 work.

Mostly false False in substance, right in a detail.

The second judge would not resolve this claim; the verdict shown is the first judge's.

What would count as true or false

True: during 2020 GiveWell conducted in-depth reviews of at least one and up to two charities other than New Incentives (Precision Agriculture for Development, Sanku or others), as shown by published review pages or dated reports. Mostly true: one or two such reviews were substantially carried out in 2020 though publication came in early 2021, with dated evidence that the work was done in 2020. Mostly false: only preliminary or shallow investigations were done in 2020, or in-depth reviews happened only after 2020. False: GiveWell's later updates state no such in-depth reviews were done in 2020 (e.g., deprioritised due to COVID-19 work). The hedging means a shortfall is not a broken promise, but the verdict reflects whether the reviews happened.

Evidence

  1. Precision Development - November 2020 Version GiveWell · November 2020 Own record
    “We have not conducted an in-depth review of the information PAD collects from its users on engagement, knowledge, and reported behavior change.”
  2. Precision Development - November 2020 Version GiveWell · November 2020 Own record
    “To date, our investigation process has consisted of:”
  3. Intervention Reports - March 2021 Version GiveWell · March 2021 Own record
    “Precision Agriculture for Development (mobile-based agricultural advice) | Yes, but at a shallow level”
  4. Our recommendations for giving in 2020 - The GiveWell Blog GiveWell · 19 November 2020 Own record
    “We spent several months in 2020 assessing potential giving opportunities that could mitigate the effects of COVID-19.”

Reasoning

GiveWell published a November 2020 page on Precision Agriculture for Development, but that page describes its investigation to date as limited to conversations and document review, and says some aspects had not been reviewed in depth (E1, E2). GiveWell's March 2021 intervention table classifies the PAD evidence review as done only at a shallow level (E3). GiveWell's November 2020 summary of its 2020 work notes months spent on COVID-19 work and does not name PAD or Sanku among completed research (E4). Under the criteria, this fits only preliminary or shallow investigation in 2020, though all of the evidence comes from GiveWell itself.

Cite this claim

GiveWell, “GiveWell hopes to conduct in-depth reviews of one to two other charities in 2020, most likely Precision Agriculture for Development and/or Sanku, but may have limited capacity due to COVID-19 work.” (said 28 May 2020). Verdict: mostly false. Reliability API, claim c_2c34a5cbd66e, method 0.1.0+7831dd9d. https://epistacklabs.com/claims/c_2c34a5cbd66e

Claims without a verdict

Is a verdict here wrong, or do you speak for GiveWell? Reply on the claim's own page, with the form at its foot (how replies work). Verdicts are made automatically; how verdicts and scores are made.