Episode Details
Back to Episodes“300 Pledges: Pitching Effective Giving at Middlebury College” by stark.ler
Description
TL;DR. Quantity over quality; table consistently; prioritize a friendly tone based on shared values; pitch the pledge as an accountability mechanism; don't spend too much time on the specifics of effectiveness; maintain a sense of agency and informed decision making; your mileage may vary but give it a try.
Since January 2025, the Middlebury EA contingent has secured 300 Giving What We Can (GWWC) 1% Trial Pledges from students interested in giving to highly effective charities. I estimate that we have tabled no more than 30 hours cumulatively. This is how we did it, and more importantly, why it's not that hard.
Our Theory of Change
- Quantity over quality. It is much easier to get 300 1% pledges than 30 10% pledges. We would also rather make the pledge feel as accessible as possible—and risk some pledgers slipping through the cracks—rather than overstate the commitment and get fewer sign-ups. To understand this post, you must understand that we are under no illusions that all 300 students will follow through, or how many of those would donate in the absence of a pledge. However, if even 10% of them donate to better charities—and I believe that the percentage is far higher—our [...]
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Outline:
(00:56) Our Theory of Change
(02:45) Breakdown of the Pitch
(08:23) Other Notes
(12:11) A Critical Note
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First published:
April 23rd, 2026
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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.