Founders Pledge Ltd

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £208 million
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Variable - applications periodically open and close based on capacity
• Grant Range: £1,000 - £8,000,000
• Geographic Focus: Global (operates in UK, Germany, USA)

Contact Details

Website: www.founderspledge.com

Email: ops@founderspledge.com

Phone: +44 20 8064 0186

Address: London-based (registered charity 1162201)

Note: Applications periodically open and close based on capacity - check website for current status

Overview

Founded in 2015 by David Goldberg, Founders Pledge is a unique charitable initiative where entrepreneurs commit to donate a portion of their personal proceeds to charity when they exit their businesses. With over £10.3 billion pledged by 1,970 entrepreneurs across 30 countries, the organisation has facilitated £1.4 billion in completed donations to date. In recent years, they have moved over £200 million annually in grants. The organisation operates through rigorous research methodology, identifying high-impact funding opportunities across global health, climate change, and existential risks.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

• Climate Change Fund: £1,000 - £500,000 (focus on neglected climate solutions)
• Global Health & Development Fund: £5,000 - £8,000,000 (evidence-based interventions)
• Global Catastrophic Risks Fund: £100,000 - £5,000,000 (nuclear security, biosecurity)
• Patient Philanthropy Fund: Variable amounts (long-term future safeguarding)

Application Method: Online portal (check website for current application status)

Priority Areas

• Global Health: Malaria prevention, maternal health, education interventions
• Climate Change: Clean energy advocacy, geothermal development, policy coalitions
• Existential Risks: Nuclear security, biosecurity, AI safety
• Effective Governance: Anti-corruption, institutional reform
• Education: Evidence-based learning approaches, particularly in developing countries

What They Don't Fund

• Local community projects without global impact potential
• Arts and cultural programmes
• Religious activities
• General operating costs without clear impact metrics
• Organisations that cannot demonstrate cost-effectiveness

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Governance and Leadership

Founder & President: David Goldberg - “I started Founders Pledge to make it absurdly easy for entrepreneurs to do good through their work and in lives”

CEO: Charlotte Monico

CIO: Neil Jansen

The organisation emphasises values of “Follow Data, Take Action, Maximise Impact and Energise Others.” Leadership quotes highlight their commitment to evidence-based giving: “The top charities addressing any given problem can be 10x, 100x, or sometimes 1,000x more effective than the rest.”

How to Apply to Founders Pledge Ltd

How to Apply

Current Process: Applications open and close periodically based on capacity

• Online portal at www.founderspledge.com/requests-for-funding
• Two funding types: Large one-time grants (up to £5 million) and ongoing programme recommendations

Decision Timeline

• Research Period: 2-6 months per major report/area
• Standard Review: Timeline not publicly available
• Notification: Through online portal system

Success Rates

Not publicly disclosed, but organisation notes receiving more requests than they have capacity to process

Reapplication Policy

Information not available - check website for guidance when applications are open

Application Success Factors

Research-Driven Approach: "We use a problem-first approach with three stages: Identify the world's most pressing problems, prioritise solutions, then identify highly effective organisations implementing these solutions."

Recent Successful Projects:

• Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) Africa: $8M for education interventions reaching 5M children
• DEPLOY/US: $5M for bipartisan climate coalition building
• Bandhan: $5M for poverty alleviation reaching women across 11 Indian states
• OCCRP: $5M for anti-corruption investigative journalism

Key Success Factors:

• Demonstrate measurable impact using cost-effectiveness analysis
• Address neglected but solvable global problems
• Show potential for significant scale
• Provide evidence from randomised controlled trials where possible
• Align with effective altruism principles of maximising good per dollar spent

Language They Use: “High-impact,” “evidence-based,” “cost-effective,” “neglected solutions,” “scale potential”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Impact Measurement Critical: Must demonstrate quantifiable outcomes using their Scale, Tractability, Neglectedness framework
• Global Scope Essential: Local projects unlikely to succeed unless demonstrating global scalability
• Evidence Base Required: Strong preference for interventions backed by rigorous research and RCTs
• Long-term Relationship Building: Focus on ongoing programme recommendations rather than one-off grants
• Timing: Monitor website for when applications reopen - prepare documentation in advance
• Strategic Alignment: Study their research reports to understand current funding priorities
• Network Effect: Consider how funding might leverage additional resources from their entrepreneur network

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• David And Elaine Potter Foundation
• The Charities Aid Foundation
• The Eranda Rothschild Foundation
• Uggla Family Foundation
• The Sam And Bella Sebba Charitable Foundation
• Society Of The Holy Child Jesus Cio
• Moondance Foundation
• The Trinity Challenge
• The Tellus Mater Foundation Limited
• The David And Claudia Harding Foundation

References

• Founders Pledge Official Website: www.founderspledge.com
• UK Charity Commission Register: Charity 1162201 details
• “Celebrating a decade of impact” - 2024 Impact Report, Founders Pledge
• “40 million more ways to tackle the climate crisis” - Founders Pledge News
• "Founders Pledge's 10 Biggest Bets" - organisational overview
• Open Philanthropy Grant Database: “Founders Pledge — General Support (2023)”
• EA Forum: "10 of Founders Pledge's biggest grants" analysis