International giving is motivated by very human and humane impulse to improve the lives of the people we see as less fortunate.

Too often this means that giving is driven by emotion rather than by rational evaluation.

To make real progress in tackling the worlds most pressing problems, donors need to be able to distinguish between the "Real Good" and the "Feel Good."

Feel Good solutions address symptoms. Real Good solutions attack root causes. Real Good solutions often seem counter-intuitive. They may appear, at first, hard headed or hard hearted. But this is because the feel good solutions we’ve to which we have become accustomed, usually position an organization as a “rescuer” of people, animals, or habitat. Real Good solutions recognize that the world’s poorest people are able and eager to improve their own lives. They create opportunities rather than dependence.

KickStart founder Martin Fisher, and Kevin Starr of the Mulago Foundation put together this brief guide to help donors separate the Real Good from the Feel Good.