Pillar four

Give money, well

How can you donate to charity with certainty of impact? Where your money goes matters as much as how much you give. A little research turns a good intention into lives saved.

£4protects a child from malaria for a year
£30can provide urgent medical treatment in an emergency
£50/moto top-rated charities could save 10 lives in a year

Save50’s chosen cause: Kentish Town Food Bank

After months researching charities across the UK, one stopped Rich in his tracks. Kentish Town Food Bank takes referrals only from GPs, social workers and Citizens Advice — no self-referral, no duplication. It reaches Camden’s most vulnerable families with remarkable efficiency: 57 volunteers, two part-time staff, and around 90% of donations directly benefiting clients.

But demand has grown 170% in three years. Child poverty in Camden runs above 40% — among the highest in London — and over 40% of the families coming through the door have children aged 5 to 12. These aren’t abstract statistics; they are children in one postcode, going without.

The Save50 goal: keep KTFB operational through this year and give it the runway to become financially stable for the long term. Every pound donated goes directly to the food bank.

Save50 illustration — a hand dropping a pound coin into a donation box, with a globe marking global impact

Think before you give — five things that matter

Effectiveness beats familiarity

The best charities save lives for pounds, not hundreds of pounds. Independent researchers such as GiveWell identify the causes where money demonstrably goes furthest — malaria prevention is a standout example.

Check where the money lands

Ask what proportion of donations reaches beneficiaries. KTFB’s ~90% is exceptional; many mainstream charities run far lower.

Prefer referral-based, low-duplication models

Organisations that reach people through GPs, social workers and advice services put help exactly where it’s needed.

Small and regular beats large and once

A modest monthly gift gives charities the predictability to plan — and quietly accumulates into a life-count you can be proud of.

Give locally and globally

Global health giving saves the most lives per pound; local giving strengthens your own community. Save50 does both.

Want to go deeper on effective giving? Listen to GiveWell’s conversation on malaria funding — it shaped this campaign’s thinking.

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