I suspect that accepting money from EA-linked sources would be, on net, corrosive to movements like the MST. I am not able to read original-language sources, but if Wikipedia is correct, the MST “is organized entirely, from the grassroots level up to the state and national coordinating bodies, into collective units that make decisions through discussion, reflection, and consensus.” It displays a “non-hierarchical pattern of organization” that “avoids distinct leadership that can be bought off . . . .”
Even assuming EA funders thought some of what MST does is fundable, it’s very unlikely they would find all or even most of it meets funding criteria. (Nor are EA funders unusual in not giving out large unrestricted grants to organizations that do a lot of things—foundations usually want to fund specific programs, not whatever organizational leadership wants to spend money on). Having big external donors exerting that kind of influence on MST would likely warp MST’s governance and legitimacy (which seems to be bound up in its grassroots coordination).
I find this helpful in understanding what EA is trying to do. Is there a place where funding criteria are stated? This would help me to understand more.
I suspect that accepting money from EA-linked sources would be, on net, corrosive to movements like the MST. I am not able to read original-language sources, but if Wikipedia is correct, the MST “is organized entirely, from the grassroots level up to the state and national coordinating bodies, into collective units that make decisions through discussion, reflection, and consensus.” It displays a “non-hierarchical pattern of organization” that “avoids distinct leadership that can be bought off . . . .”
Even assuming EA funders thought some of what MST does is fundable, it’s very unlikely they would find all or even most of it meets funding criteria. (Nor are EA funders unusual in not giving out large unrestricted grants to organizations that do a lot of things—foundations usually want to fund specific programs, not whatever organizational leadership wants to spend money on). Having big external donors exerting that kind of influence on MST would likely warp MST’s governance and legitimacy (which seems to be bound up in its grassroots coordination).
I find this helpful in understanding what EA is trying to do. Is there a place where funding criteria are stated? This would help me to understand more.