“Probably the most effective places for your money are third world health and sanitation charities. For short term impact that is charities focused on malaria and other parasitic disease, and for medium term impact look at sanitation and water provision. Long term, perhaps education and equality in the third world. Personally, I tend towards a medium and long term outlook, and put quite a lot towards Oxfam and similar organisations, though they do run the risk of being wasteful in a way the more narrow short term charities can avoid.”