Vote for a charity, and tell us a bit about your choice

We'll give you information about these charities to help you make your choice.  Each player will be given a choice of charities that should appeal to them in different ways, and for different reasons.

Bowdoin College Financial Aid Fund

The Opportunity:

By supporting Bowdoin’s financial aid program, you will enable a student to live the Offer of the College.   You will make an investment with a potential multiplier effect because it provides boundless opportunity for the talented and ambitious student you support.

The Case for Support:

There is a cost crisis in higher education. A Bowdoin education is expensive, but preserving access to that education has never been more critical. Bowdoin has long believed that the very best students should have the opportunity to study, learn, and grow here, regardless of their ability to pay our fees. That’s why raising money for financial aid is so important. The revenue generated by the College’s endowment does not yet meet the calculated need of the 43% of students who qualify for financial aid. If Bowdoin is to remain committed to need-blind admissions and its “no-loan” policy, the College must raise an additional $6 million in spendable scholarship funds.

Key Facts:

• It costs more than $84,000 per student, per year, to provide the education and resources available to each and every Bowdoin student. All students, even if their families are paying 100% of the comprehensive fee ($54,470 for 2011–2012), receive substantial financial support from Bowdoin— support made possible from the draw on the College’s endowment and from gifts to the College from alumni, parents, and friends.
• Our peer institutions with greater financial aid resources offer grants to a greater proportion of their students, and in some cases, their grants are larger.

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Against Malaria Foundation

The Opportunity:

Malaria is one of the leading causes of child deaths in Africa.1 It is transmitted from person to person by infected mosquitoes.  It's a disease that mostly affects children, and it's easily treatable. 

Malaria prevention is one of the greatest humanitarian opportunities available today.  Insecticide treated bednets have been proven effective in fighting malaria and other insect-borne diseases, and cost only $5 each. 

The Case for Support:

The Against Malaria Foundation (AMF) focuses on bednet distribution, a program with a strong track record and excellent cost-effectiveness, while providing donors with standout transparency and accountability.  AMF needs additional funding to expand its programs, and new donations are spent on to acquire more bednets for distribution to the needy.

For these reasons, independent charity evaluator GiveWell.org has made AMF its top recommended charity. 

Key Facts:

• Malaria prevention is one of the most cost-effective ways of preventing human suffering, but current efforts are woefully underfunded.  Malaria prevention receives less funding than baldness research.
• Fighting malaria doesn’t just save lives, it improves them.  As Melinda Gates explains: “We’ve learned that in addition to causing some children to die, infectious diseases take a massive toll on those who get sick but survive. For instance, some studies have shown that children who suffer from cerebral malaria have more trouble paying attention and remembering information. The same holds for children suffering from diarrhea and for those who are undernourished, especially newborns and infants. Over 80 percent of calories in the first year of a baby’s life goes towards brain development. If that energy is used instead to fight malaria or diarrhea, the brain may not develop properly. And then children can’t live up to their full potential, no matter how good a primary education they receive. Good health is fundamental to breaking the cycle of poverty.
• GiveWell’s recommendation of AMF is a significant endorsement.  GiveWell’s research has been called “the gold standard of giving” (Boston Globe) and has been recommended by everyone by people ranging from  ethicist Peter Singer to 74-time Jeopardy champion Ken Jennings.

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