With a six-figure salary from a London private equity firm, it could be expected that Grayden Reece-Smith would be living it up on eye-wateringly expensive holidays or driving a suitably flash sports car around south London, where he lives. Instead, the 28-year-old lives a very different existence to his peers and gives away everything he earns over £42,000 — a figure he calculated he could comfortably live on.

Over the past five years, Reece-Smith has handed over more than £250,000 to organisations such as International Care Ministries, which helps poverty stricken families in the Philippines, and the Against Malaria Foundation. He is part of a growing number of young professionals described as “effective altruists” who claim to use evidence and analysis to accomplish good.

The Australian moral philosopher and author Peter Singer says many millennials have become interested and want their donations of time and money to have the most impact possible. After leaving Oxford University in 1971, Singer started to donate 10% of his income. As his earnings increased, so did his level of donations, and today he and his wife, a writer, give away 40%. He recommends 10% as an amount many people could afford.

Read the full article about millennials embracing effective altruism at theguardian.com.