For context, GiveWell’s relationship with CHAI dates to 2022, when GiveWell Managing Director Neil Buddy Shah departed to become CEO of CHAI. According to GiveWell’s announcement, “this transition does not mark the end of Buddy’s relationship with GiveWell. It is important that GiveWell maintain strong connections with leading organizations in the global health sector.” (Incidentally, Shah is also a member of Anthropic’s long-term benefit trust.)
GiveWell announced Shah’s departure in April 2022; Shah apparently started at CHAI in June; and in August GiveWell announced its first grant recommendation to CHAI, $10m for a new incubator program “to identify, scope, pilot, and ultimately scale cost-effective programs that GiveWell might fund”. As planned, the incubator led to later GiveWell grant recommendations to CHAI, like CHAI’s tuberculosis contact management program, and multiple grants to CHAI’s oral rehydration and zinc distribution program.
Assuming you’re correct that this grant is atypical for GiveWell, I would presume it’s a result of their special relationship with Shah.
Thanksl for that outline of the relationship, yes that connection looks to be significant. I can see obvious benefits of having close relationships with super capable, aligned people like this, but downside risks as well.
My biggest questions with CHAI are around how good they really are operationally at doing such a wide range of largely unrelated activities. There a lot to be said for doing one thing well, gaining institutional knowledge and efficiencies through doing it over a decen period of time. Most GiveWell supported charities are in that boat.
Traditionally BINGOS have been inefficient—Jack of ask trades and master of none. Having said that maybe CHAI are unusually good at setting up multiple, unrelated efficient programs—I don’t have deep knowledge about the org.
In this case however (unlike some of the other grants) I think CHAI has quite a lot of experience with implementing TSUs which is great.
For context, GiveWell’s relationship with CHAI dates to 2022, when GiveWell Managing Director Neil Buddy Shah departed to become CEO of CHAI. According to GiveWell’s announcement, “this transition does not mark the end of Buddy’s relationship with GiveWell. It is important that GiveWell maintain strong connections with leading organizations in the global health sector.” (Incidentally, Shah is also a member of Anthropic’s long-term benefit trust.)
GiveWell announced Shah’s departure in April 2022; Shah apparently started at CHAI in June; and in August GiveWell announced its first grant recommendation to CHAI, $10m for a new incubator program “to identify, scope, pilot, and ultimately scale cost-effective programs that GiveWell might fund”. As planned, the incubator led to later GiveWell grant recommendations to CHAI, like CHAI’s tuberculosis contact management program, and multiple grants to CHAI’s oral rehydration and zinc distribution program.
Assuming you’re correct that this grant is atypical for GiveWell, I would presume it’s a result of their special relationship with Shah.
Thanksl for that outline of the relationship, yes that connection looks to be significant. I can see obvious benefits of having close relationships with super capable, aligned people like this, but downside risks as well.
My biggest questions with CHAI are around how good they really are operationally at doing such a wide range of largely unrelated activities. There a lot to be said for doing one thing well, gaining institutional knowledge and efficiencies through doing it over a decen period of time. Most GiveWell supported charities are in that boat.
Traditionally BINGOS have been inefficient—Jack of ask trades and master of none. Having said that maybe CHAI are unusually good at setting up multiple, unrelated efficient programs—I don’t have deep knowledge about the org.
In this case however (unlike some of the other grants) I think CHAI has quite a lot of experience with implementing TSUs which is great.