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Chapter 8 - Each year, we should try to contribute a respectable amount of money. How much should a single person contribute? On the surface, it appears to be a straightforward question. Yet, throughout millennia, it has elicited a wide range of responses. Judaism has always required its followers to pay a tithe of 10% of their annual income. For Muslims, one-fortieth of their whole income should be donated. Certain Catholic societies require practically everything from its members. Finally, more contemporary secular pledge organizations promote annual donations ranging from 1 to 50%. So, with all of these criteria, which one should you pick? A decent starting point for Singer is 5% of your yearly salary. Naturally, if you earn more, you should also donate more. Most of us would have to give up practically all of our comforts to really fulfill our moral commitment to reduce human suffering. Of course, such a commitment is tough and surely goes against our usual way of living. As a result, while Singer realizes that giving a lot is ethically appropriate, he publicly pushes for a far lower criterion. Singer recommends that everybody who is financially secure — that is, most people living in affluent nations – set aside 5% of their yearly salary to donate. This criterion, obviously, is altered on a sliding scale. If you're short on cash, you should contribute less, and as your income grows, you should increase your donation. Take a look at how this works. It's fair to contribute 1% of your wealth annually if you live in the United States and earn $40,000 per year. If you're in the top 0.001% of incomes - that is, if you make more than $53 million per year – you should pledge to donate at least half of your earnings. Giving at this level should not have a significant impact on the donors' lifestyle. All of that money, though, adds up. Adopting this standard would raise $1.3 trillion globally, according to conservative estimates. This money would be sufficient to end severe poverty and support broader programs that would significantly reduce overall human suffering in the future. While you may experience a little financial hardship, the number of lives saved will be well worth it in the end. And, if you genuinely embrace this truth, you may discover that giving brings you more joy, significance, and fulfillment than any monetary good. The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty by Peter Singer Book Review Innocent people are suffering and dying all around the world as a result of poverty-related reasons such as a lack of food, shelter, and medical treatment. Meanwhile, millions of people live in relative comfort. We are ethically required to contribute money to productive altruistic groups if we follow some straightforward moral reasoning. While it is morally correct to contribute a significant share of our existing riches, even tiny improvements can have a significant impact. Begin with little donations and work your way up. Even when you've internalized your moral need to provide, changing your lifestyle might be challenging. Try contributing a small amount of money here and there and see how you react. You could discover that saving lives is just as rewarding as it sounds. For instance, go to thelifeyoucansave.org to find a variety of free resources to help you become a more successful contributor, such as a curated list of effective organizations, an Influence Calculator to quantify your impact, and information on tax deductibility in various countries.