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Michael Thatcher's career has been guided by a simple formula: "Follow your heart, use your head, and then go make a difference." This has taken him from professional musician and dancer, to oceanographic researcher, to tech executive. Today, Michael is the President and CEO of Charity Navigator.
Michael sees Charity Navigator as the "top of the funnel" for the effective giving journey, helping millions of donors move beyond the "warm glow" of emotional giving toward smarter, more effective philanthropy. It's a role he's deeply passionate about: "I love what I do. I love the chance to make things more effective for others!"
In this video, Michael explores trends reshaping philanthropy, from the shift away from overhead ratios toward measuring real impact, to the growth of donor-advised funds and alternative giving platforms. He also highlights two key tension points in the giving space: first, getting people to give more, and then helping them give more effectively. "Figuring out where you can have the highest level of impact with the resources that you have is actually the smartest thing you can do." Michael shares how the effective altruism movement plays an important role in that second piece, helping donors find where their giving can do the most good.
• See more impact stories like this one: effectivealtruism.org/stories
• Learn more about Charity Navigator and Effective Giving: https://www.charitynavigator.org/donor-basics/giving-101/introduction-to-effective-giving/
• Learn more about effective altruism: effectivealtruism.org
• Inspired? Take Action: effectivealtruism.org/take-action
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction: The Challenge of Rating Impact
00:28 - Michael Thatcher’s Unconventional Career Path
01:11 - The Giving Journey Starts with the Heart
02:19 - Charity Navigator’s Role: The Top of the Funnel
02:53 - Focusing on Impact Over Overhead
03:14 - Giving Trends: Crypto, Donor-Advised Funds, Direct Giving
04:37 - Moving Donors from Safe Giving to Effective Giving
05:08 - How Effective Altruism Increases Impact
#EffectiveAltruism #EffectiveAltruismStories