Frequently Asked Questions

About Maximum Impact

Maximum Impact is a program that aims to help Israelis donate in a way that generates the greatest possible benefit. We strive to assist in answering the straightforward question “Where should I contribute to have the strongest positive impact?” By publishing cost-effectiveness studies of nonprofits and donation guidance. You can hear more about us in Hayot Kiss podcast.

Maximum Impact was established as a project of Effective Altruism Israel, an independent social organization that collaborates with the international Effective Altruism community and key players in Israeli social and business sectors. Effective Altruism Israel’s goal is to help Israelis maximize the effects of their social actions and contributions.

 

We aim for the project to lead to a more effective and impactful social sector, where non-profits understand the true extent of their world-changing success, and donors make decisions grounded in research and cost-effectiveness considerations. You can read about the impacts and performance of our pilot year in the detailed report we published following our comprehensive research on this topic.

Compared to Midos or Guidestar, which ensure non-profits are credible and meet standards for proper management, Maximum Impact seeks to measure what we believe is most important – how much social influence an organization achieves and what it costs to do so – and encourages research, recognizing outstanding organizations based on these criteria.

While Midot and Guidestar certify nonprofit credentials, Maximum Impact aims to quantify social outcomes and cost-effectiveness to help donors and funders direct resources toward programs that will create the greatest positive change.

Donations via Maximum Impact portal

Yes, absolutely. Donations made through the Maximum Impact website are eligible for tax deductions as Maximum Impact is a project by Effective Altruism Israel – a registered non-profit in Israel. We partner with JGive to facilitate donations, so all donations will appear in your JGive account records. Your donation will then be transferred in full to the designated charity with no commissions taken.

All money received by charities through Maximum Impact supports our research efforts to evaluate and publish impact analyses. Your donation signals that effectiveness metrics are as important to funders as they are to us. This encouragement helps motivate charities’ ongoing assessment and transparency.

Not at all. Donations specified for a certain program are provided entirely to the listed recipient. You may also choose to donate directly to Maximum Impact to cover operational expenses and to support our research efforts.

Absolutely, and that’s something we hope for. Our work is just beginning – we’ve so far engaged over 160 charities at a preliminary level and dug deep into 21 cases. Continuing expansion and refinement of our research will undoubtedly lead to updated insights. We aim to iteratively reassess findings and share reasoning periodically.

Getting Involved with Maximum Impact

The tentative launch date for the next round of our research program is mid-2024.

You can express interest in joining the next cohort on this page, and we’ll contact you once registration opens officially.

There are several ways to support the Maximum Impact project:

  • Support our research – additional organizations can be encouraged to join the program or start an independent measurement and research process of their own impact.
  • Financial support – Maximum Impact is a nonprofit program that does not take commissions from the use of its platform or payments from participating organizations. If you value the service and wish to see our work continue, please consider donating to support our work financially. Donates can be made here.
  • Promoting awareness – Donations and evidence-based donations have yet to become a widely accepted social norm. We’re working to change that, but need your help. Sharing your donation on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Tiktok and tagging Maximum Impact can help more donors embrace optimizing their giving. Together we can support the creation of a third sector in Israel able to achieve far greater impact from existing resources.
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