[I am a fund manager at the EAIF.] From memory, this is simply because we received no or almost no application from such groups in the relevant period, i.e. May to August. Since September, I believe we made:
One small grant to a rationality group,
One small grant to an animal-focused group, and
Referred a medium grant for organizing ACX groups to a private funder.
Again, this is from memory, so I might have forgotten about a few cases. Qualitatively, it definitely is still the case that we’re getting almost no applications from non-EA-branded groups; like I’m very confident we got >25 grant applications from EA groups since September, but less than three applications each for animal, rationality, ACX, etc. groups.
I find that surprising. Any thoughts on why that might be? Do you think that groups don’t know that they can apply or that most groups aren’t really doing much in the way of activities that would benefit from funding?
I don’t really have relevant data – my guess is the effect is 65% due to simply fewer such groups existing in the first place, and 35% due to such groups being less aware that they can apply for funding.
(Though I think this split depends a lot on how broad we consider the relevant population of groups to be – e.g., if we counted all university groups having anything to do with animal welfare, whether or not they are particularly effectiveness-minded, then the claim that fewer such groups exist may be false.)
But my guess is very uncertain since I have very little familiarity with what kind of groups are existing at universities in the English-speaking world, so I’d be very interested in hearing from someone who might have a more informed impression.
[I am a fund manager at the EAIF.] From memory, this is simply because we received no or almost no application from such groups in the relevant period, i.e. May to August. Since September, I believe we made:
One small grant to a rationality group,
One small grant to an animal-focused group, and
Referred a medium grant for organizing ACX groups to a private funder.
Again, this is from memory, so I might have forgotten about a few cases. Qualitatively, it definitely is still the case that we’re getting almost no applications from non-EA-branded groups; like I’m very confident we got >25 grant applications from EA groups since September, but less than three applications each for animal, rationality, ACX, etc. groups.
I find that surprising. Any thoughts on why that might be? Do you think that groups don’t know that they can apply or that most groups aren’t really doing much in the way of activities that would benefit from funding?
I don’t really have relevant data – my guess is the effect is 65% due to simply fewer such groups existing in the first place, and 35% due to such groups being less aware that they can apply for funding.
(Though I think this split depends a lot on how broad we consider the relevant population of groups to be – e.g., if we counted all university groups having anything to do with animal welfare, whether or not they are particularly effectiveness-minded, then the claim that fewer such groups exist may be false.)
But my guess is very uncertain since I have very little familiarity with what kind of groups are existing at universities in the English-speaking world, so I’d be very interested in hearing from someone who might have a more informed impression.