Helen Keller Intl
Gives children under five regular vitamin A supplements, which help prevent deaths from common childhood infections.
Very strong
Strength of evidence, as rated by GiveWell
Side by side · Saving lives
Helen Keller Intl or Malaria Consortium?
Both are GiveWell Top Charities. Both figures come from GiveWell, in the same unit and for the same period (2022–2024 average). We put them side by side so you can compare like with like. We don’t pick a winner.
Malaria Consortium
Gives young children preventive malaria medicine during the rainy months, when malaria spreads most.
Exceptionally strong
Strength of evidence, as rated by GiveWell
Modeled, not guaranteed. This is the evaluator's best estimate of the average, built from studies and assumptions. Your gift could do more or less. How to read these figures
The details, side by side
Everything here is copied from the evaluator, with a link to the source.
| Measure | Helen Keller Intl | Malaria Consortium |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluator's designation | GiveWell Top Charity | GiveWell Top Charity |
| Approach | Vitamin A supplements | Seasonal malaria medicine |
| Strength of evidence | Very strong rated by GiveWell | Exceptionally strong rated by GiveWell |
| Works in | sub-Saharan Africa, several countries | Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Togo, sub-Saharan Africa |
| Funding gap | GiveWell doesn't publish a current figure | GiveWell doesn't publish a current figure |
| Other published figures |
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| Our follow-up record | Re-check after (Helen Keller Intl) | Re-check after (Malaria Consortium) |
What the numbers can’t tell you
- Both numbers are the evaluator's modeled estimates of the average, with real uncertainty. A gap between two estimates is not a measured difference in results.
- Each estimate comes from its own model, with its own places, years and assumptions, so small gaps may not mean much.
- The strength of the evidence, and whether a charity can put more money to good use right now, matter as much as the headline figure.
- Can't decide? GiveWell Top Charities Fund lets GiveWell spread your gift across its recommended charities.
Questions donors ask
- Which is better, Helen Keller Intl or Malaria Consortium?
We don't pick a winner. Both are GiveWell Top Charities. Both figures come from GiveWell, in the same unit and for the same period (2022–2024 average). Both are modeled estimates, so read them together with the strength of the evidence and the charity's funding needs.
- Is a lower cost per life saved always better?
Not on its own. A lower cost per life saved means the evaluator's model expects each dollar to go further. It is an average across the charity's whole program, not a price for one life. Estimates are uncertain, so a modest gap between two charities may not reflect a real difference.
- Can I give to both?
Yes. Many donors split a gift, or give to an evaluator's fund, which spreads money across several recommended charities.
- Are these figures guaranteed?
No. They are modeled, not guaranteed: the evaluator's best estimate of the average, built from studies and assumptions. Your gift could do more or less.