Here you’ll find eight high impact opportunities analyzed for evidence of impact and cost-effectiveness. With each opportunity, we provide background on a specific cause, an organization working effectively in that space, ways to contribute to the charity, and additional organizations doing similar work. This year our analysts focused on organizations working with society’s most vulnerable — and arguably forgotten — people: those recovering from substance abuse, hard-to-reach communities lacking access to basic healthcare, and students at various stages of life at risk of being left behind.

In the wake of major disasters, the human spirit mobilizes many of us to do something. The images of the devastation can be heartbreaking, prompting us to ask, “How Can I Help?” Since needs remain long after the media camera crews pack up, we discuss how you can support both immediate relief and rebuilding. We’ve updated our Disaster Relief guide, highlighting how to help in the wake of multiple recent disasters.

Here we profile noteworthy models that focus on two separate stages in a student’s career: reading literacy and real-world experiences. In addition to supporting strong programs, high impact philanthropy can also include advocacy, awareness raising, and providing support to public systems. The two models profiled here — while vastly different in who they serve — are examples of how donors can get involved in creating larger, systemic change at a population level. They both have a large geographical scope and allow donors to engage in coalition-building.