Christians for Impact

Should Christians earn as much money as possible in order to give it to the poor? How much good could you do? Is this path dangerous? JD explores this theme with Tommy Kumpf, a quantitative trader at Susquehanna International Group in Philadelphia. 🔗 Full-Transcript-And-Links: http://christiansforimpact.org/episodes/tommy-kumpf 🔗 Earning to Give Profile: www.christiansforimpact.org/earning-to-give-profile

Samuel Dupret, Research Manager at the Happier Lives Institute, discusses why improving wellbeing in global development can be a highly effective career choice, and why using evidence-based research to measure impact is key. He also talks about how pursuing a career in this field can lead to both personal fulfillment and global impact. 🔗 *Links/Transcript* All Links: https://www.christiansforimpact.org/episodes/samuel-dupret Samuel's Org: https://www.happierlivesinstitute.org/ World Happiness Report: https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2025/giving-to-others-how-to-convert-your-money-into-greater-happiness-for-others/ ⏳ *Topics* 00:00 – Intro 02:30 – Does Money Actually Buy Happiness? 04:50 – The Science of Measuring Happiness: Meet the "Welby" 21:20 – Should Christians Care About Happiness—or Embrace Misery? 34:20 – The World's Best (and Worst) Charities for Your Dollar 43:20 – Critiques of Measuring Happiness (HLI's Methodology Under Fire) 44:20 – Can We Really Compare Happiness Across Cultures? 47:20 – Spillovers: Is Happiness Contagious? 48:50 – GiveWell vs. Happier Lives Institute: Who's Right? 52:10 – Are Happiness Units Really Created Equal? 56:20 – What Did Jesus Mean by "Blessed Are the Poor"?  58:05 – Does Measuring Happiness Mean Some Lives Are Worth More? 1:02:50 – Why Christians Might View Happiness Differently 1:05:05 – Careers That Actually Make the World Happier  1:07:40 – Why "Follow Your Passion" Is Terrible Advice

Henry Kaestner, co-founder of Sovereigns Capital and the Faith Driven movements, discusses his transformation from Wall Street to a mission of faith-driven generosity. He dives into the role of impact investing in alleviating global poverty, particularly in Africa, and questions the balance between local and global outreach. The conversation touches on whether God truly needs our financial contributions, the urgency of caring for the poor, and the call for Christians to engage boldly in entrepreneurship while maintaining a heart for generosity.

Why donating £23+/month to effective animal charities does even more good than going vegan, and why you might consider doing both. Thom also shares the challenges and rewards of starting a charity (FarmKind), how to maximize your impact for animals, and career advice.  🔗See here for a full transcript with links. See here for FarmKind's Compassion Calculator Highlights include: 00:00 Intro to FarmKind 1:30 Thom's Journey 3:05 Why Thom went Vegetarian 05:48 The Role of Scripture and Jesus 07:44 Good Stewardship of Creation 08:40 Henry the Pig 11:13 "Aren't Animals Treated Well?" 13:20 Hens 13:50 Pigs 16:00 Chicks 18:33 "But what about Jesus eating fish? Peter told 'Kill and eat'" 20:52 People vs. Animals 22:38 "Offset" Meat-Eating By Donating £23 Monthly 26:08 How to help 50,000 Animals a Year 32:52 Most Effective Animal Charities 34:55 Farmkind's $300m Goal 40:00 Charity Entrepreneurship 43:10 Who should found a charity? 43:57 Earning to give for animals? 44:46 Policy work for helping animals? 46:00 Career advice for lawyers 46:57 General career advice for helping animals 48:03 General impact-minded career advice

Development economist Colin Aitken unpacks the freezing of PEPFAR, whether aid programmes are effective, balancing radical altruism and concern for others with mental health, and how to think about money. See here for a full transcript with links. Highlights include: 00:00 Introduction 01:17 Colin’s Story 04:48 How retrovirals work 07:30 How people get HIV 9:27 How bad is untreated HIV? 11:05 How PEPFAR stopped 13:14 Critiques of Aid 16:14 Effectiveness 18:44 PEPFAR’s Future 20:48 How do we know it works? 26:47 How many millions may die? 33:05 Coping with Suffering 42:09 The Church 45:11 Personal Spending 53:58 Money 58:52 Effective Giving

Caroline Oliveira is the Finance and Development Director at Sinergia Animal, one of the world’s top-rated animal charities. Caroline shares her journey from a corporate career at Nestlé to becoming a leading advocate and fundraiser for animal welfare.  See here for a full transcript with links. Highlights include: 03:42 Career Transition: From Nestle to Synergia Animal 05:21 The Awakening: Realizing Animal Suffering 08:22 The Journey to Vegetarianism and Veganism 11:20 Faith and Compassion: A Christian Perspective 13:31 Cultural Context: Christianity in Brazil 16:14 The Role of the Church in Animal Advocacy 19:29 Balancing Human and Animal Welfare 22:08 Conclusion: A Call for Compassion 26:43 Biblical Perspectives on Animal Welfare 32:44 Compassion Over Law: A New Approach 39:12 The Vision of Eden: A Call for Change 42:40 Sinergia Animal: Fighting for Animal Rights 53:11 Impact and Future of Animal Advocacy 59:41 Exploring Synergia Animal's Impact 01:10:54 The Unique Position of Synergia Animal 01:14:28 Insights into Fundraising for Nonprofits 01:21:19 Challenges and Opportunities in Animal Welfare Funding 01:25:19 The Balance of Numbers and Individual Impact 01:26:40 Creative Fundraising Strategies 01:30:39 Measuring Fundraising Success 01:35:57 Qualities of a Successful Fundraiser 01:38:14 Daily Life of a Nonprofit Fundraiser 01:46:48 Career Pathways in Fundraising

Summary: We speak to Nicolas Laing, a doctor from New Zealand. Nick has managed rural Health Centers for 10 years in Northern Uganda through his charity, OneDay Health. He first became passionate about unreached areas after seeing the huge numbers of rural citizens in Northern Uganda not covered by either the private or public healthcare system. Nicolas initiated and managed the first 15 One Day Health centers launched, which have grown to 40+. Some things we touch on in this episode: Healthcare black holes — what they are, how Nick finds them and supports those living in them. OneDay Health and cost-effectiveness estimates (see here for Nick’s excellent EA forum BOTEC calculations on this). Nick’s dream for Oneday Health. How Nick’s faith has influenced Nick’s decision to pursue medicine. Radical stewardship of money and how Nick lives that out. Effective Altruism and what both Christianity and Effective Altruism can learn from each other. Nick’s career advice for young Christians who want to have an impact.

Summary: In this episode, we speak to Liz Hixson. Liz works at New Incentives, a GiveWell top-rated charity that provides small cash incentives to caregivers in order to increase childhood vaccination rates. And it works. In Nothern Nigeria, New Incentives has saved thousands of lives from preventable diseases like whooping cough, measles, and pneumonia. She works as a Senior Communications and Development associate. Some things we touch on in this episode: What it’s like being an Eastern Orthodox Christian working in a secular public health charity. The significance of addressing easily preventable diseases. The kinds of soft skills needed to excel in Communications well. Liz’s career advice for Christians who want to have an impact.

Summary: In this episode, we speak to Rose Gottemoeller, the first woman to hold the position of Deputy Secretary General of NATO, the highest-ranking international civil servant role within the organization. Rose is known especially for her role in negotiating the 2010 New START Treaty, which led to a significant reduction in deployed nuclear weapons held by both Russia and the United States. Some things we touch on in this episode: Rose’s career path and how it has evolved over the years. The role of faith in Rose’s career. Why Christians should care about the use of nuclear weapons. Negotiating the new START treaty & advice on diplomacy careers. General career advice for Christians keen to work in foreign policy and nuclear security.

Jason Dykstra, a medical doctor and founder of Blessbig charity evaluator, discusses impactful charity giving and career choices aligned with Christian principles. Topics include evaluating charity effectiveness, maximizing impact in healthcare, and planning careers for kingdom impact.