Through a separate nonprofit called Building a Stronger Future, Mr. Bankman-Fried also gave to groups including the news organizations ProPublica, Vox and the Intercept.
In a note to staff members on Friday, ProPublica’s president, Robin Sparkman, and editor in chief, Stephen Engelberg, wrote that the remaining two-thirds of a $5 million grant for reporting on pandemic preparedness and biothreats were on hold. “Building a Stronger Future is assessing its finances and, concurrently, talking to other funders about taking on some of its grant portfolio,” they wrote.
Why isn’t the former FTX Future Fund team doing this too? Instead of the symbolic gesture of resigning, why are they not doing their best to raise other funds in order to keep the funding promises they made? Don’t they believe in their own orgs grant evaluations? Because if they do, they should be talking to OpenPhil about it right now.
Or are they already doing this? But then why not tell us? This is not the time for secrecy.
I think they’re doing their best to help. From the resignation letter you linked (emphasis added):
We are devastated to say that it looks likely that there are many committed grants that the Future Fund will be unable to honor. We are so sorry that it has come to this. We are no longer employed by the Future Fund, but, in our personal capacities, we are exploring ways to help with this awful situation. We joined the Future Fund to support incredible people and projects, and this outcome is heartbreaking to us.
From the article:
Why isn’t the former FTX Future Fund team doing this too? Instead of the symbolic gesture of resigning, why are they not doing their best to raise other funds in order to keep the funding promises they made? Don’t they believe in their own orgs grant evaluations? Because if they do, they should be talking to OpenPhil about it right now.
Or are they already doing this? But then why not tell us? This is not the time for secrecy.
I think they’re doing their best to help. From the resignation letter you linked (emphasis added):
Thanks for pointing this out.
I did read the post but obviously missed this part. I apologize.