> This typically happens when someone multiplies a tiny probability by an infinite value like "time till the heath death of the universe". This is absolutely n

> This typically happens when someone multiplies a tiny probability by an infinite value like "time till the heath death of the universe". This is absolutely not what they are doing. Most of their charities are working on immediate problems and are evaluated on their short term impact. The obvious exceptions are the Long-Term Future category and the Climate Change category, which are looking at around 50-100 years from now. They are not multiplying some tiny utilitarian value by an extreme number of years. Their top 4 charities by total donation amount are Against Malaria Foundation, GiveWell, Global Health and Development Fund, and GiveDirectly. All are fighting immediate problems. There are different categories of charities because people will never agree on which categories are most important. Does animal suffering matter? Is preventing a life of extreme poverty better or worse than preventing an early death? Everyone has different answers to these questions, so the site gives donors a variety of suggestions. They suggest charities that are well evaluated for their category. E.g. Climate change charities are evaluated on their climate impact per dollar donated, and human health charities are evaluated by lives saved and disease prevented.