If you already have a steady local group, or multiple dedicated EAs in your area, a discussion group can help get everyone on the same page and further their understanding together. For example, a group that has a range of different backgrounds, and differing familiarity with EA, can use group discussion to unite around common terminology and shared concepts. Similarly, if your group mostly focuses on one cause area, a discussion group might help to extend members’ knowledge into other domains. This works best with a small-to-medium-sized group of at least semi-regular members.
To run a discussion group, check out CEA's standard discussion group resources, as well as this quick guide to running a career-planning group. These are just some of the formats you might consider; for more content and formatting ideas, see Stanford EA’s discussion group format, EA reading groups, THINK modules, and the EA Handbook.
If you intend to make discussion a regular activity for your local group, consider applying for funding from the Centre for Effective Altruism.