You may be anchoring based on the total amount of money needed to save everybody who needs to be saved in the developing world or something like that, and consequently forgetting that there are real people who are affected by donations.
You seem mighty quick to accuse me of bias. A thousand dollars is a lot higher than I imagined the number to be. Surely, you can be charitable enough for me to express that simple fact without declaring me an anchor-er.
Meh. I was unpleasantly surprised by how un-cost-effective GiveWell’s programs are. According to their cost-effectiveness page:
I find that a dishearteningly large number. At this point in my life, giving $1,000 would require a significant life change.
Also, I think the Peter Singer v. Tyler Cowen video should be mentioned. Their interesting discussion mentions this book.