Before we created the Funds, we had begun to see increased interest in systems which helped donors pool their resources to give more effectively. Examples include donor lotteries, and the EA Giving Group donor-advised fund (DAF).
In addition, a sizable portion of the effective altruism community donates in accordance with expert recommendations. GiveWell’s charity recommendations move considerable amounts of money from donors who follow their recommendations. We were hearing from donors who wanted to get recommendations for a wider range of causes than charity evaluators could provide.
The Effective Altruism Funds meet both of these needs by allowing donors to pool their resources together, to be used for grantmaking by experts in a variety of areas.