Updated:
Open Philanthropy Project
Open Philanthropy was launched in 2014 by Cari Tuna and Dustin Moskovitz, with initial seed funding from Moskovitz’s Facebook fortune.
Open Philanthropy Project
Open Philanthropy was launched in 2014 by Cari Tuna and Dustin Moskovitz, with initial seed funding from Moskovitz’s Facebook fortune. Holden Karnofsky and Alexander Berger serve as co-CEOs, overseeing a team of program officers and researchers who allocate capital across causes selected via systematic expected-value analysis. The organization deploys capital through grants and program-related investments across five core focus areas: Global Health and Development, Scientific Research (especially AI/ML alignment and biosecurity), Farm Animal Welfare, Potential Risks from Advanced AI, and Land Use Reform. Its making grants to organizations like GiveWell charities (per GiveWell, 2023), the Center for Global Development, and numerous AI safety labs — with over $2.2 billion in committed grants as of 2023 (per the firm's public database). Geographic footprint is global, with significant outlays in Sub-Saharan Africa for health interventions, and worldwide for biosecurity and AI safety work. The organization employs roughly 80 staff across its San Francisco and remote teams, with a research-driven culture that originated from GiveWell’s cause-prioritization work. In 2021, Open Philanthropy spun out its own grantmaking recommendation platform, but retains a grantmaking-dominant structure. In April 2023, the organization announced a new AI-focused grantmaking program aimed at policy research and technical safety (per the firm's blog, April 2023). It maintains no separate investment vehicle — its endowment is managed alongside Moskovitz’s wealth. Unlike typical family offices or foundations, Open Philanthropy operates as a 'cause-funding' mechanism that explicitly prioritizes cost-effectiveness and evidence over personal interest. Its research-led grantmaking process, rooted in effective altruism, makes it structurally distinct from legacy philanthropies. Succession is governed by Moskovitz and Tuna, who remain the sole funders and board members.
General information
Firm type
Foundation
Year founded
2014
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
San Francisco
Corporate office
San Francisco, CA, United States
Principals
Holden Karnofsky
Co-Chief Executive Officer
Alexander Berger
Co-Chief Executive Officer
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who controls investment decisions at Open Philanthropy?
Cari Tuna and Dustin Moskovitz are the sole funders and board members. Operational grantmaking decisions are delegated to co-CEOs Holden Karnofsky and Alexander Berger, who lead a team of program officers and cause-priority researchers.
How does Open Philanthropy decide which causes to fund?
The organization uses a systematic, research-driven approach called 'cause prioritization' — department heads evaluate potential focus areas based on scale, neglectedness, and tractability. This is distinct from most philanthropies and reflects the effective altruism framework inherited from GiveWell.
Does Open Philanthropy make investments or only grants?
Open Philanthropy primarily makes grants, but it also has a Program-Related Investments (PRI) arm that can make below-market-rate loans or equity investments. As of 2023, PRI commitments were a small portion of its total deployment.
What is Open Philanthropy's relationship to GiveWell?
Open Philanthropy was spun out of GiveWell in 2014. The two organizations share a common effective-altruism heritage and some research overlap, but are legally separate. Open Philanthropy funds GiveWell-recommended charities but is not a part of GiveWell.
Is Open Philanthropy a single-family office or a philanthropic foundation?
It functions as a grantmaking foundation — not a family office. It does not manage wealth for others or generate returns. Its endowment is managed separately by the Moskovitz/Tuna family, but there is no public disclosure of that investment structure.
What sectors does Open Philanthropy avoid?
The organization explicitly avoids areas where it cannot measure impact or where other funders cover the space, such as US domestic arts or general humanitarian aid. It also does not fund political campaigns or for-profit ventures outside its PRI program.
How does Open Philanthropy source proprietary deal flow for its investments?
Open Philanthropy sources grant applications through an open request-for-proposals process and direct outreach from researchers. Its PRI investments are sourced through existing networks and proactive scanning, not through a formal fund structure.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
Need institutional-grade insight on endowments & foundations?
Altss delivers:
Prefer a guided tour?
We’ll walk you through: