The purposes are:
1. To engage in structured outreach in order to increase awareness of EA ideas, and encourage people to apply careful reasoning and evidence to inform their decisions about how to do the most good they can.
2. To provide support for effective altruism causes by facilitating networking, individual projects, and other engagement.
3. To serve as a local representative body for the EA movement, and support the global movement by participating in global conferences, supplying talent, etc.
4. To provide a forum for people to learn about the ideas of Effective Altruism and how to apply it in their lives.
5. To foster a welcoming and diverse community.