(a) The domestic vs. international issue is not clear cut—see, e.g. GiveWell research message board posts by Elie Hassenfeld and by Jason Fehr. More generally, I think that at least at present it’s quite unclear which philanthropic efforts are most cost-effective.
(b) In regards to
However, I know that my local food pantry is an organization that feeds people who really need food, that it has virtually no overhead, and that there are children who would be malnourished without it. I also know that there are people all over the world who will contribute to malaria nets, but it is highly unlikely that anyone outside my community will contribute to my local food pantry.
My purpose in donating money to public radio is to keep my favorite shows on the air, and my donations do that very efficiently. Yes, the money could go to save children, but so could the money I use to pay my cable bill. I should perhaps not consider it as charity the way I do a donation that saves children, but I should not feel guilty.
Late response, but:
(a) The domestic vs. international issue is not clear cut—see, e.g. GiveWell research message board posts by Elie Hassenfeld and by Jason Fehr. More generally, I think that at least at present it’s quite unclear which philanthropic efforts are most cost-effective.
(b) In regards to
see Holden Karnofsky’s post Hunger Here vs. Hunger There.
(c) In regards to:
You might be interested by komponisto’s comments to a post that I made which are in similar spirit.
See also Holden Karnofsky’s Nothing wrong with selfish giving—just don’t call it philanthropy and the comments to it.