The Effective Altruism (EA) community attracts many high-potential members—people with resources, skills, or influence who could significantly advance its goals. However, some disengage after initial exposure, creating a missed opportunity for impact. This project suggests investigating why this happens, especially among high-value individuals, and how their retention could be improved.

Understanding the Problem

High-value members often face unique barriers to sustained involvement, such as unclear pathways for contribution or lack of local support. Without systematic data on why they disengage, EA organizations struggle to address these issues. A targeted survey could identify common reasons for attrition—whether logistical (e.g., no local community), structural (e.g., mismatched expectations), or personal (e.g., lack of mentorship). Follow-up interviews might reveal deeper insights, like regional gaps (e.g., Singapore’s limited follow-up infrastructure) or career-stage-specific hurdles.

Execution Strategy

One way this could be done is through a phased approach:

• Design: Create a concise survey with input from EA groups, tested on a small pilot group for refinement.
• Distribution: Partner with EA organizations to reach disengaged members via email lists or forums, supplemented by snowball sampling.
• Analysis: Combine quantitative survey data with qualitative interview findings to highlight actionable patterns.
• Dissemination: Share results through EA Forum reports and direct outreach to organizations for implementation.

An MVP might start with a lightweight survey distributed through existing networks, scaling up based on response rates and insights.

Collaboration and Impact

EA organizations could use the findings to refine onboarding, mentorship programs, or local community building. Incentives for participants, like charity donations, might boost engagement. The project could complement existing efforts—such as EA Forum surveys—by focusing specifically on the underrepresented "lost" demographic. Funding might come from EA-aligned grants or organizational partnerships.

By systematically studying disengagement, this idea could help turn initial interest into long-term, high-impact involvement.