The Falcon Fund, led by Manifund regrantor Marcus Abramovitch, has $500k to give away. (This includes the funds on the Manifund page as well as another $250k committed.) It makes rapid (1-week timescale), early-stage grants in animal welfare, particularly the intersection of animals and transformative AI.
The Falcon Fund has already given away $140k across 5 grants; check them out to see the proposals that are currently being funded! The largest grants are:
We’re looking for more proposals—primarily in the $25k-$150k range, but smaller proposals are welcome too! You can submit a proposal here.
Many people take seriously both the welfare of animals, and the possibility of short AI timelines. But most projects currently consider these in isolation. AI safety grants mostly ignore potential outcomes for non-human beings. And animal welfare grants assume business-as-usual, that our world in 10 years mostly looks like the world today.
We don’t expect this to be the case. One major goal of the fund will be to identify and create opportunities so that transformative AI secures good outcomes for animals. Some example projects we’d like to fund:
(We also expect to place some bets on non-AI animal welfare opportunities that are unusually strong.)
Rapid funding
One of the top complaints among grantees is the glacial pace of funding decisions. To a founder deciding to leave their job or making their first hire, a quick response can be make-or-break. We aim to turn around decisions and get funding to recipients on the 1-week timescale.
Transparency
Applications and comments are public on Manifund. This lets you see other applications and rationales to understand the thinking behind fund decisions. It also gives other Manifund donors a chance to see your proposal and donate.
Marcus as a grantmaker
Marcus is very responsive and gives constructive feedback to applicants. As one grantee, Wang Wei, noted on the Falcon Fund page:
Marcus has been an unusually good funder for our organization … If he thinks something in a proposal is weak, and you ask, he’ll simply tell you without the guesswork. He’s also unusually responsive to such questions, believing that emails about grants deserve a 24-hour turnaround time from both parties.
Most organizations are left trying to guess why they were rejected with silence, vague feedback, or social vibes that may not have anything to do with the actual quality of the work. Marcus instead treats proposals as things that can be improved if you are willing to go back to the drawing board, consider what is ultimately most effective, and put in the work to communicate clearly and concretely.
Animal track record. Marcus has been an early backer of many projects that are now considered standout animal welfare charities, including:
AI safety regranting record. This highlights Marcus’s eye for talent and understanding of frontier AI development. From a $100k Manifund regranting budget in 2023, Marcus funded:
Marcus also invested in and now works at Mechanize, where he continues to earn to give; he is one of two initial major donors to the Falcon Fund.
To submit a proposal: Simply create a project on Manifund at this link. Applications are rolling with no deadline.
To donate: You can donate directly on the Manifund page. You can also reach out to Marcus at [email protected] (or book a call here) if you’d like to discuss.