Penn students are 'Giving What We Can' to the fight against global poverty

Although it has long been recognized as an issue, poverty remains a hardship for many across the globe. Later this month, a new student group will expand its efforts to help Penn contribute to the fight to end this age-old struggle.

An international society committed to providing resources to impoverished countries, Giving What We Can has an emerging local chapter on Penn’s campus set to officially launch on Oct. 22. Most members of the organization take the “Pledge to Give” and commit to donating 10% (1% for students) of their incomes to relieve the struggles caused by poverty across the world. The organization researches and recommends charities for these funds that provide the most effective interventions of poverty in the developing world.

The Penn chapter was founded in March 2013 by President and third-year School of Arts and Sciences graduate student Rossa O’Keeffe-O’Donovan and Vice President and Engineering sophomore Peter Buckley. In order to spread the word about the organization and its mission, the group partnered with Impact Magazine to host a “Giving Game” in March , at which a large audience was educated about several charities. Each audience member was then given $10 to deliberate and make a donation to one of the charities.

“It’s important that students can get in the habit of giving some money but also thinking of where it goes,” O’Keeffe-O’Donovan said. “Don’t just give money to charity because of an ad campaign, but actually research its impact.”

The group’s launch event will feature philosopher Peter Singer, a professor at Princeton University. Singer spurred the Effective Altruism Movement throughout the United States and United Kingdom with his 2009 book “The Life You Can Save” .

The movement is growing, with chapters of Giving What We Can springing up at universities like Harvard, Princeton and Rutgers. One for the World, the counterpart of Giving What We Can for MBA students, was introduced to Penn’s campus earlier this year by two Wharton graduate students.

Buckley is pleased with his own efforts to continue the momentum in starting the Penn chapter of Giving What We Can. “It’s easily the thing I’m proudest of at Penn,” he said.

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