It just really depends on what the project is. If there were some generic way to evaluate all $500 donations, then some centralized organization would be doing that already. You have to use your own personal, human judgment.
Let’s look at the example of your local rationality community wanting to host a big event. It seems like there’s no room easily available for that size but you could spend $500 for room rent for the event.
Given that you have a better understanding of your local community and the value the event would provide them someone who evaluates grants at LTFF it would be a very inefficient process if such a project would be funded by you giving money to LTFF and then LTFF reading a grant review for the project and deciding based on the grant review without knowledge of the local community that the project is worth funding.
How would you go about using your judgment in that case?
I’ll bite. One thing I’d look at is who’s organizing the event, what their track record is, and what their reputation is. I’d also get a feeling for the community’s trajectory and importance. I’d also check if there’s a way to get the entire community to chip in to pay for the event (for example by buying tickets).
I would not spend $500 on such an event because an event held by my local rationality community doesn’t seem very important to me. You may have a different opinion about your $500 and your local rationality community and that’s fine.
It just really depends on what the project is. If there were some generic way to evaluate all $500 donations, then some centralized organization would be doing that already. You have to use your own personal, human judgment.
This seems like a cop out answer, but I wholeheartedly agree.
Let’s look at the example of your local rationality community wanting to host a big event. It seems like there’s no room easily available for that size but you could spend $500 for room rent for the event.
Given that you have a better understanding of your local community and the value the event would provide them someone who evaluates grants at LTFF it would be a very inefficient process if such a project would be funded by you giving money to LTFF and then LTFF reading a grant review for the project and deciding based on the grant review without knowledge of the local community that the project is worth funding.
How would you go about using your judgment in that case?
I’ll bite. One thing I’d look at is who’s organizing the event, what their track record is, and what their reputation is. I’d also get a feeling for the community’s trajectory and importance. I’d also check if there’s a way to get the entire community to chip in to pay for the event (for example by buying tickets).
I would not spend $500 on such an event because an event held by my local rationality community doesn’t seem very important to me. You may have a different opinion about your $500 and your local rationality community and that’s fine.