A Standout Development!

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We are thrilled and grateful to share the news that Precision Agriculture for Development has been designated as a “standout charity” by GiveWell, a research nonprofit dedicated to finding outstanding giving opportunities. 

PAD was the ONLY new organization designated as a ‘standout charity’ in 2020.

We join eight other organizations in sharing this accolade. Taken together with the additional nine organizations on GiveWell’s list of ‘top charities’, PAD now ranks among the world’s eighteen most cost-effective not-for-profit development entities. This is an astonishing achievement! 

It has been an unprecedented year: with the recent news of a large grant from an anonymous donor that will generously support multi-year plans to invest in research capabilities and practice, the breaking of ground on a multi-country collaboration with IFAD, and the addition of Nigeria as PAD’s 9th country of operations – PAD has already achieved a great deal this year; all in the crosshairs of an unprecedented public health emergency. 

GiveWell is the world’s top research organization assessing non-profit cost-effectiveness, and is highly regarded for the rigor of their practice. Their endorsement of PAD is premised on a thorough evaluation of our work, and many hours of interaction with PAD’s development and leadership teams. 

GiveWell concluded, based on their cost-effectiveness analysis, that their “best guess is that PAD’s program is approximately 6 times as cost-effective as GiveDirectly’s program, which provides unconditional cash transfers to poor households in low-income countries.” Moreover, the summary of their evaluation cites PAD’s “Unusually strong self-analysis, particularly in supporting RCTs on its program” and “Standout transparency. It has shared significant, detailed information about its program with us”.

GiveWell also highlighted that PAD needs to do more to demonstrate impact with rigorous evidence. The citation states that “New information could plausibly lead us [GiveWell] to believe that this program is as cost-effective as our top charities [the strongest designation GiveWell makes].” 

This year has been challenging for all of us, in ways that were unimaginable less than a year ago. PAD has not only managed to largely take these challenges in stride, but has harnessed the disruptions unleashed by the COVID-19 pandemic to expand our scope and the depth of our programming. 

Precision Development (!) will commence 2021 doing more, in more places, with more capacity and expertise, and more recognition. 

We applaud the work of our colleagues! Carry on!