After looking more extensively into GiveDirectly, I have found barely any areas that stick out as a red flag. Research indicates that there are skeptics mulling over the fact that GiveDirectly is nothing more than an experiment and not a charity and therefore should be treated as such. Supporters of the organization respond by saying it is a vastly successful experiment and checks the boxes of both the test of time and actual tangible influences in the lives of those who benefit. Another potential issue that is tied into the fact that GiveDirectly is actually an experiment is the question of longevity. A cash supplement boost can and does have an immediate effect, as the website boasts with pride. However, the issue of what happens in the long term in a place that receives cash benefits is still not definite. The organization was founded in 2008 and has less than a decade of proof of success to rely on. But, the counter to this point is the project GiveDirectly announced in April 2016, detailing a $30 million initiative to test universal basic income in certain areas of East Africa in an attempt to create a permanent solution and end poverty in highly affected areas for good.

However, in terms of our class considering where our donation will create the greatest benefit, a long term scenario contains very little importance. With the amount and time frame that we have, an immediate cash payment (or one that can be traced throughout the course of a year) not only creates potentially the highest aggregate benefit for each dollar we donate but also most likely provides us, as a class, with the most tangible donation method possible. With the system GiveDirectly uses, we can track where our money is going and can eventually hear back about the individuals and community the money is affecting. With this method, even if you believe people only make donations to feel better internally, you are still creating the greatest good possible. The easier it is to see the influence your donation has, the more you feel the money you gave has an actual tangible affect. Therefore, you are creating the greatest good not only for those receiving the money, but for those donating it as well. As of now, I still fully believe that GiveDirectly deserves our classroom donation.