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Our Approach

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Our Approach

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THE ++ WAY

A few principles for how we put our full toolkit to work.

Start with the problem.

We don’t begin with an ideology, political camp, or favorite solution. Sometimes the answer is a grant. Sometimes it’s an investment. Sometimes it’s one party’s politician, sometimes another’s. Sometimes it’s introducing people who should’ve met six months ago. Sometimes, often, it’s something we haven’t thought of yet. We have causes we tend to focus on, but we’re open to anything we’re convinced will make the world significantly better based on the problem at hand.

Think independently.

We don’t belong to any one school of thought, in giving any more than in politics. We use good ideas from across the ideological spectrum and leave behind what doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. We’re not trying to split the difference between competing camps. We are trying to find a better answer. Sometimes that means changing our minds. Or it may mean agreeing with people we usually don’t, and disagreeing with people we usually do. Good.

Think independently.

We don’t belong to any one school of thought, in giving any more than in politics. We use good ideas from across the ideological spectrum and leave behind what doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. We’re not trying to split the difference between competing camps. We are trying to find a better answer. Sometimes that means changing our minds. Or it may mean agreeing with people we usually don’t, and disagreeing with people we usually do. Good.

Move before perfect.

The discipline of asking how far a dollar actually goes, and being honest about the answer, shapes a lot of how we think. We want to do as much good as we can with what we have, we want the solutions we back to hold up over time, and we want the total amount of giving in the world to keep growing.

But, perfect information rarely arrives. We know the limits of quantitative analysis. We’d rather make an 80% good decision today than spend another year chasing certainty that probably isn’t coming. We count the cost of waiting. Being wrong occasionally, and admitting it, is part of doing ambitious things. Standing still is a decision, too. Usually, a bad one.

Move before perfect.

The discipline of asking how far a dollar actually goes, and being honest about the answer, shapes a lot of how we think. We want to do as much good as we can with what we have, we want the solutions we back to hold up over time, and we want the total amount of giving in the world to keep growing.

But, perfect information rarely arrives. We know the limits of quantitative analysis. We’d rather make an 80% good decision today than spend another year chasing certainty that probably isn’t coming. We count the cost of waiting. Being wrong occasionally, and admitting it, is part of doing ambitious things. Standing still is a decision, too. Usually, a bad one.

Bet on people

Exceptional people outperform exceptional plans, projects, and organizations. That’s as true in a grantee’s office as it is in an agency or congressional office, which is part of why getting capable people into public service matters to us as much as who we fund. We give good people room to do good work: we prefer unrestricted support, and we’re happy to roll up our sleeves alongside the organizations we back when it helps. Trust replaces friction, not accountability.

Exceptional people outperform exceptional plans, projects, and organizations. That’s as true in a grantee’s office as it is in an agency or congressional office, which is part of why getting capable people into public service matters to us as much as who we fund. We give good people room to do good work: we prefer unrestricted support, and we’re happy to roll up our sleeves alongside the organizations we back when it helps. Trust replaces friction, not accountability.

Say it directly

Complicated writing isn’t proof of complicated thinking. We write to be understood, using the fewest words that are still true. If we can say it in eight words, we should. With that said, some of what we do has to stay complicated to stay true: real diligence and analysis doesn’t always compress. When it can’t, our job is to translate to then shorten the distance between reading something and being able to act on it.

Complicated writing isn’t proof of complicated thinking. We write to be understood, using the fewest words that are still true. If we can say it in eight words, we should. With that said, some of what we do has to stay complicated to stay true: real diligence and analysis doesn’t always compress. When it can’t, our job is to translate to then shorten the distance between reading something and being able to act on it.

Stay curious

Nothing here is permanent except the willingness, openness, and humility to learn. Evidence changes, the world changes, we should too. Most of what’s broken comes down to ordinary things: competence gaps, waste, too little honesty about what’s working and what isn’t. We’d rather improve than defend yesterday’s conclusions.

Nothing here is permanent except the willingness, openness, and humility to learn. Evidence changes, the world changes, we should too. Most of what’s broken comes down to ordinary things: competence gaps, waste, too little honesty about what’s working and what isn’t. We’d rather improve than defend yesterday’s conclusions.

Make it easier for the next person.

One good decision is helpful. A better way of making good decisions? Even better. When we learn something useful, we share it. When a process is unnecessarily confusing, we simplify it. We help the organizations we back find other funders. We help other donors find opportunities we’ve already vetted. The point is to make good decisions easier, so that bold, big, and effective giving keeps growing. The best outcome is a world where more people can give well without needing a roadmap that only few can read.

DoublePlus

Better giving, multiplied.

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Contact: hello@doubleplus.org

DoublePlus

Better giving, multiplied.

Privacy

Terms

Contact: hello@doubleplus.org