Wave 2 of Pulse: US attitudes and awareness regarding effective cause areas in 2025

Rethink Priorities’ Pulse project seeks to understand and track US public perceptions of Effective Altruism, charitable giving, and effective cause areas. This report presents results from the second wave of Pulse, fielded between February and April 2025, and is based on the responses of approximately 5,600 US adults.

Areas covered in this wave of Pulse include:

• awareness of effective altruism and a range of related public figures and organizations
• attitudes towards ten major philanthropic cause areas, from global health and development, to farmed animal welfare, to existential risk
• concerns about artificial intelligence
• donation-related behavior and potential changes in donation intentions since USAID cuts
• views of a charitable ‘giving pledge’
• how people respond to different types of messaging related to animal welfare donations