Hey guys, it’s Sarah. It’s easy to complain about the state of the world, and bemoan the fact that everything is terrible. And we do a lot of that. But today, on Giving Tuesday, we’re going to try and do something to make a direct, material change. I expect your mailboxes—like mine—are filling up with appeals for your support. And while there are a lot of worthy causes out there, I want to tell you about one in particular: GiveDirectly. GiveDirectly is a charity with a pretty straightforward approach: They transfer cash directly to some of the world’s poorest people. In the past year, they’ve given nearly $119 million to more than 143,000 people living in extreme poverty across the developing world. This year, along with other Substackers, we’re helping raise funds for GiveDirectly because we believe it’s one of the best ways to have a real, tangible impact on people’s lives. If you’re able, we hope you’ll lend your support today: We spend a lot of time around here arguing about politics, policy, messaging, and the fate of our democracy. This stuff is important—it’s why you ride with us. But around this time of year, it’s also important to pull back and ask ourselves a few questions.
This feels especially important since all of us, as Americans, are currently engaged in one of the most cruel and unnecessary acts of humanitarian sabotage we’ve seen in our lifetimes. Donald Trump and Elon Musk effectively ended U.S. foreign aid, slashing lifesaving support to developing nations that will cost millions of lives over the coming years. This is being done in our name, right now. The least we can do is offer some support to help offset this senseless, man-made catastrophe. If you’ve been riding with us for a while, you know The Bulwark community is no stranger to this kind of thing. At various points, you’ve opened your hearts and your pockets to support Afghan translators under imminent threat from the Taliban; migrants working to withstand ICE’s deportation campaign; and critical care patients fighting for their lives. So here’s our ask: This Giving Tuesday, choose to help some of the poorest people in the world. Give to GiveDirectly. You’ll be making a real, immediate difference in someone’s life—even if you never see that person. From our Bulwark family to yours, thank you. Sarah You’re a free subscriber to The Bulwark—the largest pro-democracy news and analysis bundle on Substack. For unfettered access to all our newsletters and to access ad-free and member-only shows, become a paying subscriber.We’re going to send you a lot of content—newsletters and alerts for shows so you can read and watch on your schedule. Don’t care for so much email? You can update your personal email preferences as often as you like. To update the list of newsletter or alerts you received from The Bulwark, click here. Having trouble with something related to your account? Check out our constantly-updated FAQ, which likely has an answer for you. |