Give Well - Astroturfing Incident

Astroturfing Incident

In late 2007, GiveWell's founders promoted the organization on several internet blogs and forums, including MetaFilter, using astroturfing.

GiveWell's board of directors investigated and found that an "inappropriate promotion" had occurred involving the founders Karnofsky and Hassenfeld; as a result, both were fined $5000, and Karnofsky was relieved of his executive director role. GiveWell issued a public apology and, as part of its transparency policy, included the incident on its website at a page called "Shortcomings" with the stated purpose: "This page logs mistakes we've made, strategies we should have planned and executed differently, and lessons we've learned." Karnofsky was later reinstated as Board Secretary and Co-Executive Director.