In this respect, I think they are similar to YC, which also funds nonprofits partly with the goal of improving its own understanding of nonprofit operations to fund better ones in the future.
The exploratory nature of the grants in both cases is consistent with them not recommending that other donors donate to the nonprofits they are funding.
Relevant: many of the Open Philanthropy Project’s grants are to learn more about the space, something they call “giving to learn” e.g. at http://www.givewell.org/labs/notable-lessons
In this respect, I think they are similar to YC, which also funds nonprofits partly with the goal of improving its own understanding of nonprofit operations to fund better ones in the future.
The exploratory nature of the grants in both cases is consistent with them not recommending that other donors donate to the nonprofits they are funding.