[Giving What We Can](https://www.givingwhatwecan.org) created [The 10% Pledge](https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/pledge) in 2009, which I took as #10,600 in December 2025. The 10% Pledge is a public commitment to give at least 10% of income to the organisations you believe can most effectively use it to improve the lives of others. Especially as I work on [[Preventing existential catastrophe seems the most impactful work|existential risk]], there's so much uncertainty in if I'm actually doing good. Donating to effective charities seems a good way to hedge my bets. The 10% Pledge is a commitment device - even though giving at least 10% makes sense for me, I doubt I would reach that amount by default, especially early in my career. Giving is private by default. People tend to underestimate how much others give. Public pledges make others giving more visible, which can create positive social pressure.