On the blog

• We allocated $100 million to GiveWell’s top charities: organizations that focus on programs with a strong track record and excellent cost-effectiveness, can use additional funding to expand their core programs, and are exceptionally transparent.

• We wrote about our priorities in AI governance and summarized our grantmaking in the area thus far. Within the large tent of “AI governance,” we focus on work that we think may increase the odds of eventual good outcomes from transformative AI.

• As in past years, we published a set of suggestions from Open Philanthropy staff for individual donors looking for organizations to support. This year’s suggestions are in the focus areas of criminal justice reform, farm animal welfare, global health and development, and other policy causes.

• Nature Biotechnology highlighted the work of Open Philanthropy grantees Sherlock Biosciences, Michael Mina, and Feng Zhang to develop fast and simple-to-use COVID-19 tests. 

• Scientific American featured Open Philanthropy grantee David Baker and his colleagues, who have designed a synthetic peptide intended to protect against COVID-19 infections. 

• The New Republic covered work by Open Philanthropy criminal justice reform grantees Re-Imagine L.A. County, La Defensa, and others on Los Angeles County’s Measure J, which directs funds to community programs and alternatives to incarceration. Voters approved the measure in November 2020. 

Open Philanthropy announced a number of grants, including (but not limited to):

• In Biosecurity and Pandemic Preparedness: The MIT Media Lab to support research on methods for securely screening DNA synthesis orders and 1Day Sooner to support its work accelerating the development and deployment of a vaccine for COVID-19. 

• In Criminal Justice Reform: 215 People’s Alliance to support the coordination of a criminal justice reform coalition in Philadelphia, the Mass Liberation Project to support work on prosecutor accountability, and Re-Imagine L.A. County to support work on Measure J. 

• In Farm Animal Welfare: The Humane League to support the Open Wing Alliance, Group Nine Media to produce videos on factory farming topics, and the Material Innovation Initiative to support work promoting plant-based alternatives to animal-based fashion. 

• In Global Health and Development: Direct Relief to support the COVID-19 Action Fund for Africa. 

• In Macroeconomic Stabilization Policy: The Economic Policy Institute to support macroeconomic policy research.  

• In Potential Risks from Advanced Artificial Intelligence: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology to support research on modeling the trends and impacts of AI and computing and the Center for a New American Security to support projects related to AI and security.  

• In Scientific Research: An investment in Icosavax to support the development of a virus-like-particle vaccine platform, the University of Glasgow to support research on malaria prevention, and the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology to support research on preventing the transmission of malaria from mosquitoes to humans. 

• In other areas: The Centre for Effective Altruism to support a longtermist incubator. 

Jobs and other opportunities

• A general application to let us know you'd be interested in working at Open Philanthropy.

Gabriela Romero
www.openphilanthropy.org