AI Use Note: Main body text entirely human written. Claude (Opus 4.8) helped develop models of animal life histories in the appendix.
Cross-posted from Good Structures.
Executive Summary
* Animal advocates sometimes make claims like “there are X of this animal...
“How long have you been v*g*n?”
This is one of the most common icebreakers at animal protection events. It’s a baseline assumption, and it mostly holds true: if you’re out advocating for animals not to be tortured or abused, realistically these days you are v**n, or close. And it makes for good conversation. It seems fairly safe to assume when you meet strangers.
But this assumption is hurting the movement in a way which we don’t always notice: someone new comes into the sp...
Summary
Back in November 2023 I posted here to launch Spiro and raise our first $198k. Two and a half years later this is an update and a fundraiser for the next step.
The short version: we've now reached over-5,900 people with TB preventive medicine, including over 3,000 children under five years old. Our early results have held up well an...
Looking for a way to skill-build as a student or young graduate? Consider charity trusteeship!
EAs are often good at maths/technology and less good at leadership and governance skills. This is an excellent match for (non-EA) trustee governance boards, that often have committed older people with good leadership and governance but who struggle with use of tech and maths. There are a lot of trustee vacancies around - highly absorbable - and it's an easy way to get started on tackling real issues with charities big and small!
You can help your charity act more effectively in the world using EA principles and frameworks about effective use of charitable resources, and learn experientially about practical issues than arise with those frameworks when they are implemented. Organisations like the Young Trustees Movement (UK) can mentor and support you, and the other trustees will probably have a lot of sage advice. And while trusteeship is unpaid, it also doesn't *cost* money either, so it's a fairly cheap way to do "EA as a hobby".
The EA community needs more people aged 30+ with genuine commitment and leadership skills, and should encourage people looking for principles-first EA to consider this as a life path in their 20s.
Good shout! And right now at EA Netherlands we're looking for new trustees!