A growing literature in the social sciences discusses what it means to be an effective ally, focusing on identifying the appropriate motivations necessary for advantaged group members to promote disadvantaged group causes while avoiding doing harm (see Pietri et al, 2024, for a recent review). Empirically, this literature draws on work showing that marginalized group members prefer allies who are perceived as authentically motivated. We argue that the extensive focus on ally motivations overlooks the instrumental roles allies can play, a role recognized by disadvantaged group members (Manekin et al., 2024). Consequently, while motivations matter, they are not necessarily the key determinant of perceived effectiveness. We support this argument with evidence from original survey experiments on the participation of male allies in women’s movements, indicating that male allyship is associated with greater perceived effectiveness, especially among women. These findings complicate the picture of what constitutes “effective” allyship, underscoring that under unequal structural conditions, advantaged group allyship can provide instrumental benefits even when ally motivations are questioned. Implications for the politics of inter-solidarity are discussed.