Deadweight: price your generosity before you ship it

Deadweight: price your generosity before you ship it

Between your hands and the recipient's, a coat or other aid takes a journey filled with costs and obstacles. An air waybill, customs broker, sorting line, warehouse, and sometimes even an incinerator all play a role in the process. Each step has a published rate, but none of them are typically included in the box that arrives. This phenomenon has been dubbed the "second disaster" in the humanitarian sector and has been a concern for four decades.

Various organizations, such as the Logistics Cluster, OCHA, and the IFRC, have attempted to address the issue through guidance and reviews. However, the problem persists because the impulse behind sending unrequested goods is often correct: someone is cold and you have a coat. The challenge lies in making the costs transparent, as currently, donors are not shown the invoice detailing the expenses involved in getting the aid to its destination.

To address this issue, the author created a tool called Deadweight. Deadweight is a ledger that calculates the gap between giving something and it arriving at its destination. Users can input the details of their consignment, such as winter jackets, bottled water, used shoes, soft toys, and other items. They can then choose a route for shipping, such as air, road, or sea, and the tool will price the entire journey in USD, line by line.

The tool reads every source at its most favorable end by default, assuming the best-case scenario for costs and usefulness. Users can flip the calculation to a midpoint or harshest scenario, which shows how the delivered value can change. The tool also explicitly states which cells are assumptions, providing transparency about the calculations involved.

Ultimately, Deadweight encourages donors to think about what they should send instead of just sending unrequested goods. The tool compares the declared value of the donated items with the actual value delivered, allowing users to see the net value delivered and the burdens associated with the shipment. By providing a transparent and deterministic calculation, Deadweight empowers donors to make informed decisions about their contributions, ensuring that their generosity is used effectively.