Equipped with tools to measure our calories, steps, working hours, wasted hours, water intake and sleep cycles, we have now been exhorted to measure our charitable impact, too. Books, podcasts, TikToks and digital guides implore us to donate our money cautiously, rationally, to the charities that promise to make a dollar go the furthest it can. Giving can start to feel a little like sports betting: It doesn’t matter if you’re loyal to a scrappy local team; the data can tell you exactly where your money should go.

This is not how I thought about charity when I was growing up. I remember my childhood neighbour declaring that when he rode the subway, he sometimes found himself spending more than he would on a cab, because he did not believe in toughening his heart toward people asking for change. This seemed like an approach that made up for impracticality with grace: When people in front of you say they need help, do not look away.