Alexander Berger
@albrgr.bsky.social
CEO of Open Philanthropy
More on the fund here: www.openphilanthropy.org/research/ec...
Economic Growth in Low- and Middle-Income Countries | Open Philanthropy
This is a high-level summary of our approach to launching a program focused on economic growth in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and not a medium investigation. We wanted to publish this summary in tandem with launching a Program Officer search, to give potential applicants more detail on how we are approaching this program, and […]
www.openphilanthropy.org
October 21, 2025 at 10:48 PM
More on the fund here: www.openphilanthropy.org/research/ec...
And for a deeper dive into the lead poisoning, check out this article: worksinprogress.co/issue/the-e...
The end of lead - Works in Progress Magazine
Lead has been all but eliminated in most of the developed world. Doing the same for the rest of the world might not be difficult.
worksinprogress.co
October 20, 2025 at 8:01 PM
And for a deeper dive into the lead poisoning, check out this article: worksinprogress.co/issue/the-e...
We still have a long ways to go on solving the housing shortage, but today we’re one step closer!
Kudos to @scottwiener.bsky.social, @buffywicks.bsky.social, @cayimby.bsky.social, and countless others who pushed for this reform.
Kudos to @scottwiener.bsky.social, @buffywicks.bsky.social, @cayimby.bsky.social, and countless others who pushed for this reform.
October 10, 2025 at 5:08 PM
We still have a long ways to go on solving the housing shortage, but today we’re one step closer!
Kudos to @scottwiener.bsky.social, @buffywicks.bsky.social, @cayimby.bsky.social, and countless others who pushed for this reform.
Kudos to @scottwiener.bsky.social, @buffywicks.bsky.social, @cayimby.bsky.social, and countless others who pushed for this reform.
I think Jeremy Stoppelman sometimes doesn't get enough credit in these stories either - his funding originally let Sonja Trauss go full time, and was early on CA YIMBY too. We never anticipated just how much impact could potentially come from that early support for a nascent movement.
October 10, 2025 at 5:08 PM
I think Jeremy Stoppelman sometimes doesn't get enough credit in these stories either - his funding originally let Sonja Trauss go full time, and was early on CA YIMBY too. We never anticipated just how much impact could potentially come from that early support for a nascent movement.
Another lesson is that there are sometimes incredibly outsized wins from field building, often in surprising ways. @hanlon.bsky.social was able to start CA YIMBY because he had a full time job in the YIMBY space that let him start advocating in Sacramento.
October 10, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Another lesson is that there are sometimes incredibly outsized wins from field building, often in surprising ways. @hanlon.bsky.social was able to start CA YIMBY because he had a full time job in the YIMBY space that let him start advocating in Sacramento.
We've been funding @cayimby.bsky.social, which championed this work, since its early days, and it's been fun to look back at how far they've come. After a prior incarnation of SB 79 failed in 2018, we renewed our funding and I wrote in our renewal template:
October 10, 2025 at 5:08 PM
We've been funding @cayimby.bsky.social, which championed this work, since its early days, and it's been fun to look back at how far they've come. After a prior incarnation of SB 79 failed in 2018, we renewed our funding and I wrote in our renewal template:
SB 79 will also benefit from other recent CA housing wins, like the recently-passed CEQA reform: fewer lawsuits & faster reviews = less delay & more housing
www.nytimes.com/2025/06/30/...
www.nytimes.com/2025/06/30/...
California Rolls Back Its Landmark Environmental Law
Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers scaled back a law that was vilified for its role in California’s housing shortage and homelessness crisis.
www.nytimes.com
October 10, 2025 at 5:08 PM
SB 79 will also benefit from other recent CA housing wins, like the recently-passed CEQA reform: fewer lawsuits & faster reviews = less delay & more housing
www.nytimes.com/2025/06/30/...
www.nytimes.com/2025/06/30/...
Housing up to 9 stories will be legalized next to BART and most Caltrain stations, while housing up to 6 stories will be allowed next to Muni and most LA metro lines.
Building more homes near public transit both makes housing more affordable and reduces carbon emissions.
Building more homes near public transit both makes housing more affordable and reduces carbon emissions.
October 10, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Housing up to 9 stories will be legalized next to BART and most Caltrain stations, while housing up to 6 stories will be allowed next to Muni and most LA metro lines.
Building more homes near public transit both makes housing more affordable and reduces carbon emissions.
Building more homes near public transit both makes housing more affordable and reduces carbon emissions.
First, some context on SB 79. TL;DR, it's a very big deal! By legalizing more homes around bus and rail lines, by some internal estimates, SB 79 could eventually help add 1m+ units. That's huge in a state that only added 500k housing units from 2020-5!
October 10, 2025 at 5:08 PM
First, some context on SB 79. TL;DR, it's a very big deal! By legalizing more homes around bus and rail lines, by some internal estimates, SB 79 could eventually help add 1m+ units. That's huge in a state that only added 500k housing units from 2020-5!
If you are a funder interested in getting involved, get in touch - we would love to be a resource! We're increasingly working with other donors and we are eager to help donors find highly cost-effective opportunities.
October 2, 2025 at 4:05 PM
If you are a funder interested in getting involved, get in touch - we would love to be a resource! We're increasingly working with other donors and we are eager to help donors find highly cost-effective opportunities.
More resources are needed across these different theories of change.
Other reasons right now is leveraged: AI advancements have created better research tools, attracted researchers to the field, and increased policy opportunities.
Other reasons right now is leveraged: AI advancements have created better research tools, attracted researchers to the field, and increased policy opportunities.
October 2, 2025 at 4:05 PM
More resources are needed across these different theories of change.
Other reasons right now is leveraged: AI advancements have created better research tools, attracted researchers to the field, and increased policy opportunities.
Other reasons right now is leveraged: AI advancements have created better research tools, attracted researchers to the field, and increased policy opportunities.
On building the field's capacity: scholarships, fellowships and educational initiatives like MATS and BlueDot Impact have built out impressive talent pipelines. MATS reports 80% of alumni are working on AI safety!
October 2, 2025 at 4:05 PM
On building the field's capacity: scholarships, fellowships and educational initiatives like MATS and BlueDot Impact have built out impressive talent pipelines. MATS reports 80% of alumni are working on AI safety!
On technical and policy safeguards: Redwood Research's work on loss-of-control scenarios, Theorem's work on developing formal verification methods, and several think tanks' work on technical AI governance show how progress is possible.
October 2, 2025 at 4:05 PM
On technical and policy safeguards: Redwood Research's work on loss-of-control scenarios, Theorem's work on developing formal verification methods, and several think tanks' work on technical AI governance show how progress is possible.
The rest of the post describes experience from our ~10y in this space which show philanthropy can move the needle.
On visibility into frontier AI R&D: we've supported benchmarks like Percy Liang's CyBench, public data work from @epochai.bsky.social, and research from @csetgeorgetown.bsky.social
On visibility into frontier AI R&D: we've supported benchmarks like Percy Liang's CyBench, public data work from @epochai.bsky.social, and research from @csetgeorgetown.bsky.social
October 2, 2025 at 4:05 PM
The rest of the post describes experience from our ~10y in this space which show philanthropy can move the needle.
On visibility into frontier AI R&D: we've supported benchmarks like Percy Liang's CyBench, public data work from @epochai.bsky.social, and research from @csetgeorgetown.bsky.social
On visibility into frontier AI R&D: we've supported benchmarks like Percy Liang's CyBench, public data work from @epochai.bsky.social, and research from @csetgeorgetown.bsky.social
The upshot is that other donors come to us for advice, we can recommend funding opportunities that we believe are *2-5x more cost-effective* as the marginal grants we make Good Ventures' funding.
October 2, 2025 at 4:05 PM
The upshot is that other donors come to us for advice, we can recommend funding opportunities that we believe are *2-5x more cost-effective* as the marginal grants we make Good Ventures' funding.
There are four key reasons other funders are needed:
(1) There are highly cost-effective grants not in Good Ventures' scope
(2) AI policy needs a diverse funding base
(3) Other orgs can make bets we're missing
(4) Generally, AI safety and security is still underfunded!
(1) There are highly cost-effective grants not in Good Ventures' scope
(2) AI policy needs a diverse funding base
(3) Other orgs can make bets we're missing
(4) Generally, AI safety and security is still underfunded!
October 2, 2025 at 4:05 PM
There are four key reasons other funders are needed:
(1) There are highly cost-effective grants not in Good Ventures' scope
(2) AI policy needs a diverse funding base
(3) Other orgs can make bets we're missing
(4) Generally, AI safety and security is still underfunded!
(1) There are highly cost-effective grants not in Good Ventures' scope
(2) AI policy needs a diverse funding base
(3) Other orgs can make bets we're missing
(4) Generally, AI safety and security is still underfunded!
To begin: AI is rapidly advancing, which gives funders a narrow window to make a leveraged difference.
October 2, 2025 at 4:05 PM
To begin: AI is rapidly advancing, which gives funders a narrow window to make a leveraged difference.
People sometimes assume that Open Phil “has it covered” on philanthropy for AI safety & security. That’s not right: some great opportunities really need other funders. Liz Givens and I make the case for why (and why now) in the final post of our series.
www.openphilanthropy.org/research/ai...
www.openphilanthropy.org/research/ai...
October 2, 2025 at 4:05 PM
People sometimes assume that Open Phil “has it covered” on philanthropy for AI safety & security. That’s not right: some great opportunities really need other funders. Liz Givens and I make the case for why (and why now) in the final post of our series.
www.openphilanthropy.org/research/ai...
www.openphilanthropy.org/research/ai...
Despite its importance and increasing salience, there are still relatively few funders in this space. Tomorrow we’ll post Part 3, making the case for why now is an especially high-leverage time for more philanthropists to get involved.
October 1, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Despite its importance and increasing salience, there are still relatively few funders in this space. Tomorrow we’ll post Part 3, making the case for why now is an especially high-leverage time for more philanthropists to get involved.