GiveBetter

The top four across cities

Each city’s four lowest positive modeled $/DALY estimates, on shared linear axes. Color identifies the city; rectangle width represents annual expenses or an explicitly labeled budget estimate.

Area is an illustrative annual DALY extrapolation. It applies a report’s modeled cost-effectiveness to the annual size figure, even where that model covers a specific program. Reported years, accounting boundaries and estimate quality differ; these are not measured whole-organization outcomes or verified funding offers.

Top four nonprofits in each city, with annual-size widths and DALYs-per-dollar heightsAll cities share linear axes. Each rectangle width is an annual expense figure or explicitly labeled estimate. Its area is an illustrative annual DALY extrapolation, not a measured organization outcome. Asterisks identify estimated or historical proxy widths. The table below lists every nonprofit, source basis and fiscal period.010203040San Francisco Bay Area — The ReCARES Network: $26.4K/DALY; $88.8K/year, Three-year average. Three consecutive full fiscal years. Reported organization expenses.Denver — Harm Reduction Action Center: $36.4K/DALY; $1.88M/year, FY2025 reported project expenses. FY2025. HRAC project combining schedule in CNDC’s audited statements, with in-relation-to coverage; not a separate HRAC audit. Includes recorded intercompany support and recognized in-kind resources. Sponsor-wide expenses and extra fee gross-ups are excluded. Not a three-year mean.Houston — Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star: $60.5K/DALY; $13.3M/year, Three-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.San Francisco Bay Area — Self-Help for the Elderly — tai chi: $64.3K/DALY; $3.33M/year, Estimated tai chi allocation (10%). Hypothetical annual allocation based on FY2025 expenses. Tai chi only: 10% × $33,282,597 FY2025 organization expenses. This existing model assumption is not verified program spending, delivery capacity or funding room. The ~$32.38M three-year whole-organization average is financial context only and must not be multiplied by the course rate. Current six-week Sun-style classes differ from the modeled 24-week therapeutic course.New York City — Per Scholas: $90.3K/DALY; $51.1M/year, Three-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.San Francisco Bay Area — HOPE Pacifica: $93.2K/DALY; $40K/year, Estimated annual cash budget. Planning assumption; not a filed fiscal year. No verified whole-organization annual total was located. Uses the existing report’s $40K cash-expense assumption; $20K–$100K is a planning sensitivity range, not a confidence interval. A one-time $10K county grant is not the annual budget. Free state-provided naloxone is not priced at retail.Chicago — Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago: $99.7K/DALY; $5.33M/year, Three-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.Chicago — Saga Education: $102K/DALY; $27.4M/year, Three-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.San Francisco Bay Area — Project Homeless Connect: $150K/DALY; $1.46M/year, Historical annual budget proxy. FY2024–25 city-program budget; current total unverified. Historical city-program budget, not verified current whole-project expenses. The city contract was reported terminated June 30, 2025; replacement funding and the current whole-project budget remain unknown. Sponsor-wide expenses are excluded. This is an illustrative chart-width proxy.New York City — Bottom Line: $183K/DALY; $23.2M/year, Three-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.Chicago — Chicago Recovery Alliance: $264K/DALY; $3.91M/year, FY2024 audited expenses. FY2024. All-in audited total includes a material settlement. The audit and older Form990 differ; the reconciliation gap and donor HOLD remain unresolved. Not a recurring operating-budget forecast or a comparable three-year mean.Chicago — Tri City Health Partnership: $330K/DALY; $1.38M/year, FY2024 audited expenses. FY2024. ScheduleD reports audited expenses/losses including $441,010 of donated services and facilities excluded from the Form990 expense total. Only one comparable year is available; not a three-year average.New York City — Harlem Children's Zone: $336K/DALY; $125M/year, Three-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.Denver — Cultivando: $360K/DALY; $1.59M/year, Three-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.Denver — Hunger Free Colorado: $484K/DALY; $5.63M/year, Three-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.New York City — St. Nicks Alliance: $527K/DALY; $41.5M/year, Three-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.Denver — Rebuilding Together Colorado: $586K/DALY; $433K/year, Three-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.Los Angeles — Lestonnac Free Clinic: $802K/DALY; $7.07M/year, Three-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.Los Angeles — Coalition for Clean Air: $1M/DALY; $2.04M/year, Three-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.Los Angeles — Hunger Action Los Angeles: $1.01M/DALY; $2.15M/year, Three-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.Houston — AVDA: $1.31M/DALY; $3.76M/year, Three-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.Houston — Crisis Intervention of Houston: $1.54M/DALY; $197K/year, Three-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.Houston — Christ Clinic: $1.93M/DALY; $1.98M/year, Three-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.Los Angeles — Vital Access Care Foundation (Vietnamese American Cancer Foundation): $2.06M/DALY; $1.53M/year, Three-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.$0$65M$130M$195M$260M$325MCumulative annual expenses / budget ($/year)Modeled DALYs per $1M

San Francisco Bay Area — The ReCARES Network
$88.8K/year · Three-year average · Three consecutive full fiscal years · 3.37 illustrative DALYs/year

All 24 picks, ordered by modeled $/DALY. ~ marks a planning estimate or historical proxy.
City / nonprofitAnnual size figure$/DALYBasis and period
San Francisco Bay AreaThe ReCARES Network$88.8K$26.4KThree-year average. Three consecutive full fiscal years. Reported organization expenses.
DenverHarm Reduction Action Center$1.88M$36.4KFY2025 reported project expenses. FY2025. HRAC project combining schedule in CNDC’s audited statements, with in-relation-to coverage; not a separate HRAC audit. Includes recorded intercompany support and recognized in-kind resources. Sponsor-wide expenses and extra fee gross-ups are excluded. Not a three-year mean.
HoustonBig Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star$13.3M$60.5KThree-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.
San Francisco Bay AreaSelf-Help for the Elderly — tai chi~$3.33M$64.3KEstimated tai chi allocation (10%). Hypothetical annual allocation based on FY2025 expenses. Tai chi only: 10% × $33,282,597 FY2025 organization expenses. This existing model assumption is not verified program spending, delivery capacity or funding room. The ~$32.38M three-year whole-organization average is financial context only and must not be multiplied by the course rate. Current six-week Sun-style classes differ from the modeled 24-week therapeutic course.
New York CityPer Scholas$51.1M$90.3KThree-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.
San Francisco Bay AreaHOPE Pacifica~$40K$93.2KEstimated annual cash budget. Planning assumption; not a filed fiscal year. No verified whole-organization annual total was located. Uses the existing report’s $40K cash-expense assumption; $20K–$100K is a planning sensitivity range, not a confidence interval. A one-time $10K county grant is not the annual budget. Free state-provided naloxone is not priced at retail.
ChicagoBig Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago$5.33M$99.7KThree-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.
ChicagoSaga Education$27.4M$102KThree-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.
San Francisco Bay AreaProject Homeless Connect~$1.46M$150KHistorical annual budget proxy. FY2024–25 city-program budget; current total unverified. Historical city-program budget, not verified current whole-project expenses. The city contract was reported terminated June 30, 2025; replacement funding and the current whole-project budget remain unknown. Sponsor-wide expenses are excluded. This is an illustrative chart-width proxy.
New York CityBottom Line$23.2M$183KThree-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.
ChicagoChicago Recovery Alliance$3.91M$264KFY2024 audited expenses. FY2024. All-in audited total includes a material settlement. The audit and older Form990 differ; the reconciliation gap and donor HOLD remain unresolved. Not a recurring operating-budget forecast or a comparable three-year mean.
ChicagoTri City Health Partnership$1.38M$330KFY2024 audited expenses. FY2024. ScheduleD reports audited expenses/losses including $441,010 of donated services and facilities excluded from the Form990 expense total. Only one comparable year is available; not a three-year average.
New York CityHarlem Children's Zone$125M$336KThree-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.
DenverCultivando$1.59M$360KThree-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.
DenverHunger Free Colorado$5.63M$484KThree-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.
New York CitySt. Nicks Alliance$41.5M$527KThree-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.
DenverRebuilding Together Colorado$433K$586KThree-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.
Los AngelesLestonnac Free Clinic$7.07M$802KThree-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.
Los AngelesCoalition for Clean Air$2.04M$1MThree-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.
Los AngelesHunger Action Los Angeles$2.15M$1.01MThree-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.
HoustonAVDA$3.76M$1.31MThree-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.
HoustonCrisis Intervention of Houston$197K$1.54MThree-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.
HoustonChrist Clinic$1.98M$1.93MThree-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.
Los AngelesVital Access Care Foundation (Vietnamese American Cancer Foundation)$1.53M$2.06MThree-year average. Three comparable consecutive fiscal years. Organization-level reported expenses.

HOPE’s $40K width is a planning estimate ($20K–$100K sensitivity range). PHC’s ~$1.46M width is a historical city-program budget proxy; its current whole-project budget remains unverified after the 2025 funding cut. Read the linked reports for sources and limitations.

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