Course curriculum

  • 1

    Day 1: Introduction

    • Video 1: Welcome

    • Reading: Handbook Introduction

    • Video 2: The impact of foundations

    • Video 3: The History of CE

    • Introduction to projects

    • Project 1 (Core): Cause Exploration

    • Project 2 (Optional): Source of Foundation Impact

    • Group discussion

    • Extra reading/viewing (Optional)
  • 2

    Day 2: Decision making tools

    • Reading: Metatools

    • Video 1: The importance of decision making skills

    • Video 2: Meta decision making

    • Video 3: Tools of decision making

    • Project 3 (Core): Cause Exploration Peer Review

    • Project 4 (Core): Participant Consensus

    • Group discussion

    • Extra reading/viewing (Optional)
  • 3

    Day 3: Tools - Multi-factor decision making, Science

    • Reading: Multi-factor decision making, Science

    • Video 1: Spreadsheets (theory)

    • Video 2: Spreadsheets (application)

    • Video 3: Science theory

    • Project 5 (Core): Geographic prioritization WFM

    • Project 6 (Optional): Philosophical Scenarios

    • Group discussion

    • Extra reading/viewing (Optional)
  • 4

    Day 4: Tools - Rationality

    • Reading: Rationality

    • Video 1: Rationality (theory)

    • Video 2: Rationality (practice)

    • Video 3: Getting constructive feedback as a foundation

    • Project 7 (Core): Interpreting and summarizing scientific studies

    • Project 8 (Optional): Review and Summarize CE Research Process

    • Group discussion

    • Extra viewing/reading (Optional)
  • 5

    Day 5: Tools - Effective Altruism

    • Reading: Effective Altruism

    • Video 1: EA theory

    • Video 2: EA examples

    • Project 9 (Core): Effective Altruism heuristics and considerations

    • Project 10 (Optional): Crucial Considerations

    • Group discussion: Scientific method

    • Extra reading/viewing (Optional)
  • 6

    Day 6: Tools - Long-term planning, Problem solving

    • Announcement: A pivot

    • Reading: Long-term planning and creative problem solving

    • Video 1: Long-term planning (theory)

    • Video 2: Long-term planning (application)

    • Video 3: Theory of Change

    • Project 11: Theory of Change

    • Group discussion: Effective altruism
  • 7

    Day 6 (Optional)

    • Project 12 (Optional): Scaling non-profits (‘What’s your endgame?’)

    • Project 13 (Optional): Back of the envelope calculations, aka 'Fermi estimates'

    • Extra reading/viewing (Optional)
  • 8

    Day 7: Tools - Measurement and Evaluation

    • Reading: Measurement and evaluation

    • Video 1: Intro to Measurement and Evaluation

    • Video 2: M&E for Foundations

    • Project 14: Create an M&E approach

    • Group Discussion: Theory of change
  • 9

    Day 7 (Optional)

    • Extra reading/viewing (Optional)
  • 10

    Day 8: Tools - Expert Interviews

    • Reading: Independent Experts

    • Video 1: Experts (Theory)

    • Video 2: Experts (In Practice)

    • Video 3: The importance of advice

    • Video 4: Getting advice from different stakeholder types

    • Group discussion: M&E
  • 11

    Day 8 (Optional)

    • Project 15 (Optional): Expert Consensus

    • Project 16 (Optional): Review an M&E approach

    • Extra reading/viewing (Optional)
  • 12

    Day 9: Tools - Cost-effectiveness Analysis

    • Reading: Cost effectiveness analysis

    • Video 1: Intro to CEAs

    • Project 17: Cost-effectiveness analysis

    • Group discussion: Expert interviews
  • 13

    Day 9 (Optional)

    • Project 18 (Optional): Org values and culture
  • 14

    Day 10: Key decisions - Scope (part 1)

    • Reading: Introducing the key decisions + Scope: Values & cause area

    • Video 1: Introducing your key decisions

    • Video 2: Scope

    • Video 3: Comparing cause areas - Ethics

    • Group discussion: CEAs
  • 15

    Day 10 (Optional)

    • Project 19 (Optional): Moral parliament

    • Project 20 (Optional): Assess someone else’s CEA

    • Extra reading/viewing (Optional)
  • 16

    Day 11: Key decisions - Scope (part 2)

    • Reading: Scope - Geographic focus and org size

    • Video 1: Open ethical questions

    • Video 2: Comparing different cause areas (epistemology)

    • Video 3: Current gaps to consider focusing on

    • Project 21: Cause area comparison multi-factor model

    • Group discussion: Moral parliament
  • 17

    Day 11 (Optional)

    • Project 22 (Optional): Sub-cause area / intervention multi-factor model

    • Extra reading/viewing (Optional)
  • 18

    Day 12: Key decisions - Structure (how involved to be in your grants?)

    • Reading: Structure - How involved to be in your grants

    • Video 1: Getting advice from other organizations

    • Video 2: Talking to beneficiaries

    • Group discussion: Cause area selection
  • 19

    Day 12 (Optional)

    • Video 3 (Optional): Comparing Cause Areas (Logistics)

    • Project 23 (Optional): Cause area stakeholder maps

    • Project 24 (Optional): How involved to be in your grants?

    • Extra reading/viewing (Optional)
  • 20

    Day 13: Key decisions - Structure (Wealth, Work, Wisdom)

    • Reading: Structure - Work, Wealth, Wisdom

    • Video 1: Importance of people

    • Video 2: Caution when it comes to people

    • Video 3: Structuring your board

    • Video 4: Feedback

    • Project 25: Key scope decisions

    • Group discussion: Structure and scope
  • 21

    Day 13 (Optional)

    • Project 26 (Optional): Choosing your board

    • Extra reading/viewing (Optional)
  • 22

    Day 14: Key decisions - Strategy (part 1)

    • Reading: Strategy (part 1)

    • Video 1: Leverage

    • Video 2: Innovation

    • Video 3: Marginal cost-effectiveness

    • Video 4: Differentiating factor

    • Project 27: Key grantmaking strategy decisions

    • Group discussion: Correlation between key decisions; Strategic considerations (part 1)
  • 23

    Day 14 (Optional)

    • Extra reading/viewing (optional)
  • 24

    Day 15: Key decisions - Strategy (part 2)

    • Reading: Strategy (part 2)

    • Video 1: Counterfactuals

    • Video 2: Funding circles

    • Group discussion: Strategic considerations (part 2)
  • 25

    Day 15 (Optional)

    • Project 28 (Optional): Five year plan

    • Extra reading/viewing (optional)
  • 26

    Weekend/plane reading

    • Weekend/plane reading
  • 27

    Week 4

    • Week 4 structure