Help grow effective altruism

Organise a one-off event or start your own EA group

The purpose of this page

We are always looking for more organisers who are excited about effective altruism and want it to grow.

On this page, we’ll give a sneak preview of:

  1. What organising looks like
  2. Why become an organiser
  3. Steps to become an organiser
  4. FAQ

TL;DR: We think it is much easier than it looks and that almost everyone can start organising EA events.

What organising looks like

Organising within EA can be many different things. A few (but not complete) examples are:

  • Being excited about an EA-relevant book and organising a one-off reading group (e.g. What We Owe The Future)
  • Organising fellowships and events during a year-long board membership at an EA student association (e.g. EA Delft)
  • Organising periodic events as a co-organiser of a city or cause area group (e.g. EA Amsterdam or EAAN: Effective Animal Advocacy Netherlands)
  • Setting up a subcommunity for impact-minded people in a similar career path (e.g. Policy and Politics)
  • Start an EA group at your company, where you discuss EA projects and donations with like-minded individuals (e.g. ASML has an EA group)

Why become an organiser? 

Starting or running an EA group or a one-off event isn’t just about having an impact; it can also be very fulfilling. Here are three reasons to dive in:

  1. Multiply Your Impact: Picture this: you introduce one person to EA who becomes as passionate and committed as you are. That’s akin to doubling your lifetime impact! This “multiplier effect” means the more people you inspire to donate to effective charities or pivot their careers towards high-impact causes, the greater the overall impact.
  2. Foster Deeper Engagement: While only a small percentage of EAs first hear about the movement through a group, those who do are significantly more likely to become deeply involved. Group members are more likely to take the Giving What We Can pledge or change their career paths for EA. Regular in-person meetups provide the structure, resources, and social bonds necessary for potential EAs to get more involved and amplify their impact.
  3. Refine Your Skills: Interested in a career with an EA organisation, especially in operations or event planning? Running an EA group is a good way to develop and showcase your organisational skills. It’s a hands-on experience that looks great on any CV.

For more insights on how EA groups and events generate impact, check out this “How do EA groups produce impact?“.

Further Reading

80,000 Hours has an insightful article weighing the pros and cons of working in community building for EA. Aimed at those considering it as a career, this article can help you decide whether to jump into community building or explore other ways to make a difference.

Go to the groups resources centreGet in touch!

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How to start organising?

Step 1

Get familiar with effective altruism

We recommend organisers to have a level of EA knowledge equivalent to that of an EA introductory course (or have spent >10 hours engaging with EA resources) and are in the process of learning more in-depth EA ideas.

Step 2

Get inspired by these practical resources

The EA resources centre has all the information you need to (1) start a new EA group, (2) become an organiser at an existing group or (3) organise a one-off event like a reading group or discussion event. Feeling especially motivated? Explore this recommended list of resources for organisers!

Step 3

Get in touch with EA Netherlands

Are you excited about building a welcoming, altruistic, and effective community? Do not hesitate to contact us via our contact form or you can plan a virtual coffee with us. This step is optional, but we do recommend it. Note that most students can connect with a group at their uni.

Step 4

Get organised for your first event!

Put your ideas together and start organising! And no worries, you do not have to do it alone. If you’d like, we can help or get you in contact with an experienced EA group organiser to share ideas and talk about their experiences and lessons.

Some resources readily available are:

View all steps

FAQ

Of course! You can decide to do it alone or with others. If you prefer to do it with others, you can look for (a) diverse co-organiser(s) to collaborate with.

Definitely, we will provide you with various resources to prepare becoming an organiser. Additionally, we share as much pre-made content as possible along the different EA groups to give inspiration and avoid double work. 

If you prefer, we can also get you in contact with an experienced EA group organiser to share ideas and talk about their experiences and lessons.

Some resources readily available are:

The work of organisers is fully dependent on their preferences and it depends if you organise one event or if you want to start organising a group. Some projects involve learning (e.g. organising a workshop) and some projects can already have a direct impact (e.g. Impact Makers). Examples of things organisers have done in the past can be found in this group resources directory. But if you have different ideas to maximise your social impact, feel free to propose or experiment with them!

You are fully autonomous and can thus decide that for yourself. Most important is that you can find a sustainable way of working. The way you decide to organise the EA group will determine the amount of time to invest.

Effective altruism is a research field and practical community that aims to find the best ways to help others, and put them into practice. We do this by building a community that helps others maximise their social impact by for example providing resources and connections. 

Here you can find principles that unite effective altruism.

Feedback is highly encouraged through periodical one-on-ones with your EAN contact person, via our quarterly anonymous form or by just filling in our contact form.

During your time organising, you will receive continuous support from your contact person at Effective Altruism Netherlands. This mainly consists of one-on-ones to discuss progress and share learning and quarterly collaboration sessions with other organisers with e.g. workshops or intervision.

The work is done on a voluntary basis. There is however the possibility to apply for funding, this money can then help you in your activities to organise for example events. To learn more about applying for funding, you can follow this link. EAN can help you with your application.

There are a lot of opportunities to get in contact with others. You can get in touch with other groups or we can get you in contact with others.

You can become an organiser at any given moment in time. See when it works for you and get in contact with us to talk about the time to come.

For questions not addressed in the FAQ, you can contact us directly via our contact form or you can plan a virtual coffee with us.

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