Frequently Asked Questions

Why did economists make the selection?

When it comes to setting economic priorities among such options, the best people to turn to are economists. They focus on where limited funds could achieve the most good, by examining the costs and benefits of each proposed investment.

Why are some recommendations 'missing'?

You will note, when you look at the raw list of Copenhagen Consensus 2008 results, that we have not included two of the highly-recommended investments: the implementation of the Doha Round (ranked second) or the management of heart attack victims in underdeveloped nations (ranked eleventh). The reason for these omissions is that we believe that these interventions are more relevant to policy-makers than to philanthropists and donors.

Which organization should I donate money to?

As well as summarizing each challenge and its solutions, and explaining where you can find the original research, the Copenhagen Consensus Guide to Giving provides a brief list of some inspiring organizations that are actively working in the area that we describe.

The Copenhagen Consensus Center does not intend to endorse any particular organization. We have not closely vetted the work that they do. We do think, however, that it is sensible to point to reputable organizations working in the areas where small donations could make a big difference.

In some cases, the Copenhagen Consensus Center has cooperated in different ways with these organizations.

In every case, we recommend that you conduct your own research before deciding where to make a donation.