JD Bauman, Director of Effective Altruism for Christians, on Effective Giving and Strategic Career Choice (Ep. 105)

The Finish Line Podcast

JD Bauman is the Director of Effective Altruism for Christians (EACH) and founder of Christians for Impact. Born to missionary parents, JD was rooted in a Christian upbringing that emphasized the importance of generosity to see real change throughout the world for the Kingdom of God.

JD provides insightful perspectives on the principles of effective giving and the practical implications for believers who seek to harness their resources for maximum impact, emphasizing data-driven decision-making and how the ITN (Importance, Tractability, Neglectedness) framework can help individuals prioritize their charitable efforts, guiding them to tackle the most pressing issues in society effectively.

Major topics include:

• Understanding effective altruism
• Christian perspectives on altruism
• Core frameworks for effective giving
• Balancing physical and spiritual needs
• Practical steps for giving effectively
• The role of spontaneous giving
• Considering the local church, global Church, and future Church in effective giving
• Thinking about global problems with the ITN framework (importance, tractability, and neglectedness)
• Recommended charity evaluators
• Influencing others through generosity
• Helping people pursue meaningful careers through Christian for Impact

QUOTES TO REMEMBER

• “I didn’t love economics, but I studied economics because I thought I could earn more money with an economics degree and give more money away.”
• “Effective Altruism is this idea: Use evidence and reason to find the best ways to do good, and then to take action on the basis.”
• “I want to love those God loves and I think God loves everyone, and when we’re more effective, we can help more people made in God’s image.”
• “Outcomes matter, good intentions aren’t enough.”
• “Jesus cares about the body and the soul. And we should too.”
• “I think we have really good reasons for thinking that a dollar goes a lot further globally. And if people gathering in Jesus’ name in West Bengal is just as important as them gathering in North Bethesda, then I think we should honor those faith communities equally. And I think we can, on average, promote a lot more growth in church communities globally than locally for the same dollar.”
• “All problems can be categorized by Importance, tractability, and neglectedness.”
• “If we want our charity to make a real impact in the real world, we need to be giving in ways that create a world that’s better than it otherwise would have been, that bring the kingdom of God into this world where otherwise it might have been broken.”
• “Let’s make it a new normal in the Church to give radically and effectively.”

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

• Effective Altruism for Christians
• Christians for Impact
• Operation Mobilization
• Wycliffe Bible Translators (see our interview with CEO John Chesnut)
• Society of Christian Philosophers
• BlessBig.org (see our interview with founder Jay Dykstra)
• When Helping Hurts (see our interview with coauthor Brian Fikkert)
• GiveWell
• Happier Lives Institutes
• Animal Charity Evaluators
• Charity Navigator
• ROI Ministry (see our interview with founder, Tim Barker)
• All Access International (see our interview with founder, Lane Kipp)
• The Finish Line Community Facebook Group
• The Finish Line Community LinkedIn Group

BIBLE REFERENCES FROM THE SHOW

Matthew 6:28-30 | God Will Take Care of You

And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Matthew 25:14-30 | Parable of the Talents

Matthew 13:23 | Bearing Fruit

As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.

John 10:10 | Abundant Life

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

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