Join the democracy preservation group for a relaxed social mixer. Food and drinks provided! Multiple EAs professionally working on democracy protection will be in attendance and available to talk with folks.

Meet other newer EA DC members, connect with cause areas and people you're interested in, and chat with one of the group organizers.

For this month’s animal welfare cause area meetup, we encourage folks to attend the ‘Revolutionist Night’ discussion at The Wonderland Ballroom in Columbia Heights. This gathering will bring together animal activists of different backgrounds to discuss this study by Pax Fauna.

Please RSVP here and check the description for more details.

UPDATE: Due to scheduling issues, we have made a last-minute call to change the format of this event to virtual only. Please keep an eye out for an email from Abhi with the meeting link.

For this month's International Security and Foreign Policy Meetup, we will be discussing the US-China relationship, how EAs should be thinking about the possibility of great power war, and different perspectives on US-China policy.

We will meet at the Venture X coworking office, in the meeting room located downstairs and to the left of the entrance. Please RSVP for the event to receive contact information for our host, Abhishek Garg (who will be available to let people into the building).

Join other people interested in, thinking about, and working on EA-related topics in DC for a general meetup at The Admiral in Dupont Circle. Drink vouchers, vegan tacos, guacamole, and salad will be provided.

We will be in the private bar space at the back of the building.

Join us for a casual hike through Rock Creek Park! We’ll meet outside the Nature Center and Planetarium here at 1 PM and walk the Boulder Bridge Loop trail, which is a 4 mile hike around most of the park. We’ll hang out after and snacks will be provided. Please be sure to bring water and sunscreen!

Toby Ord recently had two podcast appearances, on 80,000 Hours and ForeCast. Both were incredibly info-dense and have more conservative takes on AI progress than a lot of recent EA and EA-related media, and made a splash in a lot of conversations about AI in EA spaces in DC. Ord also recently posted some writing on scaling laws here. We’ll be meeting to discuss arguments made in the podcast and how to think about timelines to when AI can automate significant numbers of jobs or increase existential risk, and also just meet other people interested in AI governance and technical safety from an EA perspective. All are welcome!

We’ll meet outside in Meridian Hill Park at the Joan of Arc statue!

For this month's animal welfare meetup, we will be discussing a thought-provoking (and ahead of its time) article on wild animal welfare: "Policing Nature" by Tyler Cowen (2003).

Before the meeting, please take the time to read the article and come prepared to discuss it! If you don't find the time but are keen to discuss this topic, you are still welcome to attend.

If you have any questions or suggested discussion prompts, please email Arthur@EffectiveAltruismDC.org

This will be the first in a series of structured international security discussions following our well-attended international security dinner last month. Whether you're a professional in the field or a curious outsider, feel free to join us to learn from others and share your perspective!

Join the AI cause area meetup group to discuss all things AI safety and governance over vegan Asian-fusion food!

Join other people interested in, thinking about, and working on EA-related topics in DC for a general meetup at The Admiral in Dupont Circle. Drink vouchers, vegan tacos, guacamole, and salad will be provided.

Note: Like May's happy hour, we will be in the private bar space at the back of the building.

We will meet on the patio of our host, Abhishek Garg's, apartment building in Courthouse. Vegan burgers, condiments, toppings, refreshments, and some grilled veggies will be provided, but feel free to bring additional side dishes and drinks for the group!

Details about building access will be provided by email before the event, so make sure to RSVP.

We are thrilled to announce that our new cause area group, International Security, will have an inaugural dinner at DC Vegan.

Given our location, this cause area is naturally of interest to many in our community. We are delighted to be giving it more attention and hope you will join us to discuss topics such as risks from great power conflict (antagonistic superpowers), nuclear weapons, and military brinkmanship.

Dinner will be provided by EA DC funding, and we hope you will attend if you are interested in these topics or work on related issues in your career! We will meet in the restaurant's upstairs dining area.

Please RSVP below so we have an accurate headcount!

If you are interested in attending, please RSVP on Partiful here.

A gathering for parents to discuss issues on their minds, like: preparing kids for emerging tech, approaches to present-day tech (screens, etc.), experiences with "low effort" / free range parenting, and anything else you’d feel like talking about!

The location has lots of parking, a small playground, a bathroom, and a gazebo area. Our host Ben Schifman will bring a few snacks.

The alternative, bad weather location is his house a few blocks away. If the group needs to move, Ben will post a message on Partiful—so make sure to RSVP!

Join us for an evening of meaningful connection at our upcoming EA DC women’s meetup!

Enjoy delicious vegan food (on us!) in a welcoming space where women interested in effective altruism can come together, share ideas, and build lasting relationships.

Whether you’re new to EA or a seasoned advocate, you’l leave enriched with new friendships, expanded knowledge, and renewed motivation to create a positive impact.

This event is open to women (non-binary and trans welcome!)

Description

Join us at Workshop House for a conversation with Parth Ahya, Chief of Staff at Renaissance Philanthropy and co-founder of Taimaka, an organization combating pediatric malnutrition in Nigeria.

Parth was previously a Program Lead at Schmidt Futures and is currently an advisor to Talent Mobility Fund and Interact.

During the meetup, Parth will discuss several topics in development that he thinks are worthy of increased attention:

• Migration

• Planned urban expansion

• Economic and industrial policy

• Aid policy advocacy in the US and other high-income countries

A short Q&A and open discussion will follow.

Details

We will gather at Workshop House, 1717 15th St NW, on May 29th at 5:30 pm. A light dinner will be provided from Shouk.

Join other people interested in, thinking about, and working on EA-related topics in DC for a general meetup at The Admiral in Dupont Circle. Drink vouchers, vegan tacos, guacamole, and salad will be provided.

Note: For those who have attended these in the past, we're happy to share that we'll have an entirely private space this time, so it should be quieter and less packed.

Are you curious about effective altruism? Would you like to learn more about what EAs in DC are doing with their careers, time, and donations? Then come by the West End Library to chat and ask any questions about the group or EA in general!

This is our quarterly event for new members. If you're new and want to meet other new members and more established members, this is a great opportunity. The event will be a relaxed but professional meetup led by one of the EA DC organizers.

Join the AI cause area meetup group for lunch at Pow Pow in Franklin Square. All are welcome! Discuss AI progress, technical safety, and governance with other EA DC members.

This will be the monthly meetup for Effective Altruism DC's animal welfare group. All are welcome!

NOTE: The location of this event has been changed to Busboys and Poets, 450 K St NW.

Busboys and Poets is participating in DC Veg Restaurant Week this weekend, so they'll have a vegan special.

Join other people interested in, thinking about, and working on EA-related topics in DC for a general meetup at The Admiral in Dupont Circle. Drink vouchers, vegan tacos, guacamole, and salad will be provided.

Join EA DC for a large, general professional networking event. Whether you're considering a career change and exploring new options, looking for ways to connect with people in other fields to collaborate on EA work, or just excited to meet many cool people doing important work, this event is for you!

Location: Three Whistles in Clarendon, 2719 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201

Structure of the event:

The event space will have stations for conversations about the following cause areas:

• AI

• Animal Welfare

• Biosecurity

• Climate change

• Democracy preservation

• Global health and development

Members are encouraged to network with others with similar interests and are free to discuss and meet people outside of these specific cause areas.

Food: Vegan catering from Shouk will be provided!

Dress: If you’re unsure how you’d like to dress for the event, we suggest business casual, but anything you’re comfortable with is fine!

Goals for the event:

We want you to use this event to connect with lots of other EA DC members who can help you:

• Be more effective in the career you currently have

• Prioritize what to work on and where to work on it

• Learn about EA activity in each cause area and professional field

• Connect professionally and socially to the EA community in DC in general

You should aim to have many conversations with different people and make yourself available to talk to people about what you do and what you’re interested in. Some attendees will have extensive high-level experience in their cause area, while others will be new or still studying for a degree.

You can decide for yourself how you would like to keep in touch with members after the event. We encourage you to connect on LinkedIn and share other contact info with everyone you have a valuable conversation with.

Rules and Expectations:

• Please keep all conversations professional and on-topic. Be polite and welcoming to everyone.

• Try to avoid EA buzzwords and extensive technical language unless you know that the other person knows what you’re talking about. Expect to speak with EAs at very different career stages.

Animal advocates are testing out ballot initiatives, with limited success. Are these a worthy intervention, and are there metrics of success beyond passage of the measure? Check out the December 17, 2024 podcast episode from How I Learned to Love Shrimp or article on Animal Charity Evaluators, or just show up to mingle over burgers and shakes with EA friends!

NOTE: PLNT Burger is located inside Whole Foods. There is a food court and patio with plenty of space to hang out and chat, though!

Last fall, this group did some scenario planning around how a change in administration would affect our work. Now that this change has come to pass, how do we move forward? If policy changes and international coordination are less likely, how can we work on changing people, companies, and systems that impact climate? Come to listen and share ideas - all perspectives and viewpoints are welcome.

This meeting will NOT be recorded.

Join the global health and development group for lunch at Shouk on K Street. All are welcome!

NOTE: Unfortunately, this event has been canceled due to a scheduling error. Please check out our other global health and development meetup this weekend.

Join the global health and development meetup group for a social at Franklin Beer Hall. All are welcome! EA DC will provide appetizers. No experience in global health is required, all are welcome!

Join the AI cause area meetup group for lunch at Pow Pow in Franklin Square! All are welcome! We’ll discuss new updates in AI governance and safety over amazing vegan Chinese food.

Join the biosecurity cause area meetup group for a happy hour on the rooftop @ TAKODA Shaw. The first drink is on us!

Since taking office in January 2025, the new U.S. administration has launched an aggressive campaign to reshape the federal government at its core. From dismantling USAID to mass layoffs of tens of thousands of civil servants, from eliminating DEI policies to overhauling immigration laws, the nation is experiencing a transformation unlike anything in recent history.

For many, this moment is deeply unsettling—whether grieving the loss of a job, fearing the erosion of civil rights, or simply struggling to make sense of the relentless flood of news and policy shifts. The sheer volume of change is disorienting, making it difficult to grasp what is happening, let alone how to respond.

In times like these, connection is vital. We must remind ourselves that we are not alone. To support those concerned about the future of democracy, the Democracy Preservation Group of Effective Altruism DC is hosting a gathering to reconnect, process, and explore ways forward together.

Join the AI cause area group for lunch at Pow Pow! Come discuss AI safety and governance with other EAs. All are welcome.