Join me to help end extreme poverty
I’m José González. A few years ago, I decided to take the 🔸10% Pledge, a public commitment to give 10% of my income to effective charities. I invite you to explore this with me.
Join me and a community of people committed to creating a better world.
My story
I grew up in a refugee family. My parents fled Argentina during the 1976 coup and built a new life in Sweden. As a child, our home was filled with the voices of protest musicians like Mercedes Sosa and Silvio Rodríguez, artists who named injustice and were unafraid to point out what was broken in the world. Coming from this economically disadvantaged background, I often thought about inequality. I knew early on that I wanted to help change things.
Over time, I found my way into music, and I'm grateful to have built a career doing something I love. But the question of how best to contribute to a better world stayed with me. When I learned about effective giving, the idea immediately felt obvious. It combines the natural desire to help others with the insight that we should do so in ways that help as much as possible. Like so many great ideas in history, you wonder why it didn't become widespread earlier. I mean, if one charity can be 100 times more effective than another, why not choose to help 100 times more?
But life as a musician was often uncertain. With all the ups and downs, I wasn't always in the most financially secure position and I was nervous about giving money away. In 2011, I decided to just give it a try. I was earning around $3,500 a month after tax, but giving $350 a month to the most cost-effective charities was enough to save a person's life every year. I was deeply moved thinking about this, and still am when I reflect on it today. In 2017, I formalised my commitment by taking the 10% Pledge with Giving What We Can. It's still one of the decisions I'm most proud to have made.
In an ideal world with endless resources, we could solve all global problems at the same time. But that's not the world we live in, so we have to prioritise. There are only so many things we can dedicate our resources to in any given year. That's why I believe it's so important to think about how far those resources can stretch and why I hope more people decide to give what they can.
Being public about giving doesn't come naturally to me. It feels awkward, to be honest. But I've learned that when people share their giving, it can be contagious. If an idea has truth in it – if it genuinely helps – it's worth passing on. I've been touched whenever anyone else has cared about this as well, and if any of what I've shared resonates with you, I hope you'll give pledging a try too.
Why I give like this
Some charities can do a lot more good
Not all charities are equally effective at helping people. Research shows that some charities can be 100 times more impactful than others. By choosing where we give carefully, we can help 100 times more. Because of this, even a modest income provides an incredible opportunity. This means a big difference to the lives of others and the world at large.
We have more power than we often realise
I started giving when I was living on roughly $3,500 a month after tax, or $42,000 a year. But I found out that I was still in the top 10% of income earners worldwide. The scale of global inequality is just so huge. Those of us in the western world have comparatively more money than we often think. Look up your own income here. Even small portions of that money go much further than we often realise.
What is the pledge?
A few years ago, I decided to take the 🔸10% Pledge. This is a public commitment to give 10% of my income to the charities that help the most.
The idea comes from Giving What We Can, a non-profit that helps people give effectively. But it’s also a much older tradition. For centuries, people have set aside a part of what they earn to support those in need. I find that deeply moving.
Since 2009, more than 10,000 people in over 100 countries have taken the 🔸10% Pledge. Together, we've donated over $500 million to some of the world's most effective charities.
You can take a 🔹Trial Pledge and choose any percentage of income and commit as long as you like, to see how it goes.
While accepting with all honesty
That we can't know for sure what's next
No, we can't know for sure what's next
But that we're in this together
We are here together
We are here together
From Visions, Local Valley
Where I give
These are some of the highly effective charities I give to. Each has been scientifically evaluated and shown to help others at a very low cost.
Frequently asked questions
You might have some questions about how all this works. Here are some answers to the most common ones.
The pledge is a public commitment to give a part of your income to the most effective charities in the world. You can choose the percentage of income and commit as long as you like. It’s fine to give less in some years and more in others.
Have more questions? You’ll receive more information after requesting an invite.