Tatiana: How much money that we start with winds up in the hands of the recipient is such a hard question for the secta to answer. We all look essentially like we're being 99 % efficient, when in fact, all we're each doing is pocketing a dollar in the chain. And ha makes it very hard to trace beginning to end and give directly. In theory, giving cash should always be relatively efficient compared to more complex things. At least money into the people's hands. It may not be as effective.
Economic theory teaches that people make choices that provide them with the greatest benefit. So why not extend this idea to the realm of charity? Economists and social entrepreneurs Michael Faye and Paul Niehaus of GiveDirectly argue that giving people cash with no strings attached is the most cost-effective means of helping the poorest people in the world and their communities.