Benjamin Todd

So here's one way of doing more good that's not normally put on the table.

Earning to give.

We often meet people who are interested in taking a higher earning job, like software engineering, but are worried they won't make a difference.

Part of the reason is we don't usually think of earning more money as a path for people who want to do good.

However, there are many effective organizations that have no problems finding enthusiastic staff, but don't have the funds to hire.

People who are a good fit for a higher earning option can donate to these organizations, making a large indirect contribution.

We define earning to give as working in a job with a neutral or positive direct impact, which pays more than what someone would have done otherwise, and while donating a large fraction of the extra earnings, typically 20-50% of the total salary, to organisations they think are highly effective.

Earning to give is not just for people who want to work in the highest paying industries.

Anyone who aims to earn more in order to give more is on this path.

But if you're a good fit for a higher earning path, it could be one of your higher impact options.

Consider the story of Julia and Jeff, a couple from Boston with three children.

Through his relationship with Julia, Jeff became interested in using his career for good.

Jeff used to work as a research technician.

He decided to train up to become a software engineer and eventually got a job at Google.

The couple were able to earn more than twice as much, so started to donate about half their income to charity each year.

By doing this, they may have had more impact than they could by working directly in a non-profit.

Compare Jeff's impact to that of the CEO of a non-profit.

Here's a table comparing a Google software engineer to a non-profit CEO.

The engineer's salary is $250,000, the CEO's $65,000.

Donations, $125,000 from the software engineer and zero from the non-profit CEO.