Application Guide
How to Apply for Senior AI Governance Grantmaker
at Effective Institutions Project
🏢 About Effective Institutions Project
The Effective Institutions Project is a global working group that incubates strategies to improve institutional decision-making worldwide, with a focus on high-stakes domains like AI governance. Unlike traditional grantmakers, EIP actively shapes new initiatives through seed funding and founder searches, offering a unique blend of strategic philanthropy and hands-on project development. Working here means directly influencing how tens of millions of dollars are deployed to mitigate catastrophic risks and power concentration.
About This Role
As a Senior AI Governance Grantmaker, you will drive tens of millions in grantmaking to address catastrophic AI risk and power concentration, evaluating proposals and writing donor recommendations that shape the field. You will also develop new large-scale AI governance projects through RFPs and incubation, building networks of experts and grantees to identify neglected areas. This role is pivotal in steering the AI governance ecosystem toward impactful interventions, making it ideal for someone who thrives on high-stakes strategic decisions and field-building.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve reviewing a batch of grant proposals, drafting a donor recommendation for a promising AI governance initiative, and then hopping on a call with a potential founder to discuss incubating a new project. Later, you might analyze emerging risks in AI policy, update a strategy memo for the team, and reach out to experts in your network to fill a gap in a neglected area. The pace is fast, and the stakes are high, but every decision directly shapes the field.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Effective Institutions Project Is Looking For
- Deep expertise in AI governance, policymaking, power concentration, or catastrophic risk, with a strong network of field experts and grantees.
- Proven experience making high-stakes strategic decisions under time pressure, such as evaluating grant proposals or allocating resources in fast-moving contexts.
- Track record managing budgets of $500,000 or more, ideally in grantmaking, philanthropy, or venture funding, with the ability to write persuasive donor recommendations.
- Entrepreneurial mindset with experience incubating new projects, running RFPs, or conducting founder searches to fill critical gaps in the AI governance landscape.
📝 Tips for Applying to Effective Institutions Project
Highlight specific examples of grants you've evaluated or funded, including amounts and outcomes, to demonstrate your ability to handle tens of millions in grantmaking.
Showcase your network in AI governance by naming key experts or organizations you've collaborated with, and explain how you've leveraged these connections to identify neglected areas.
Emphasize any experience incubating new initiatives—such as launching RFPs, conducting founder searches, or seed funding—and quantify the impact of these projects.
Demonstrate your ability to write for donors by including a sample donor recommendation or grant memo (redacted if necessary) that showcases your strategic reasoning.
Research EIP's existing projects and grantmaking priorities, then propose a specific new initiative or RFP idea in your application that aligns with their mission to address catastrophic risk and power concentration.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your hands-on experience evaluating high-stakes grant proposals and making funding recommendations, especially in AI governance or catastrophic risk.', 'A concrete example of a new project or initiative you incubated, including how you identified the need, secured funding, and measured impact.', "Your deep network in AI governance and how you've used it to surface neglected areas or connect grantees to resources.", 'Your ability to communicate complex impact theories to donors through clear, persuasive writing, with an example of a successful donor recommendation.']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Explore EIP's website, especially their projects and publications, to understand their theory of change and past grantmaking in AI governance.
- → Research the backgrounds of EIP's team members and advisors to identify shared connections or areas of expertise you can speak to in your application.
- → Review recent reports or articles on AI governance and catastrophic risk from organizations like the Center for AI Safety, GovAI, or Open Philanthropy to familiarize yourself with current debates and key players.
- → Look into EIP's funders and partners to understand the broader philanthropic ecosystem they operate in and how they position themselves relative to other grantmakers.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Focusing only on academic knowledge of AI governance without demonstrating practical experience in grantmaking, project incubation, or budget management.
- Underestimating the importance of writing skills—this role requires clear, persuasive donor recommendations, so avoid vague or jargon-heavy language.
- Neglecting to show a strong network in the field; applicants who cannot name specific experts or organizations they've worked with may appear disconnected.
- Proposing generic project ideas that don't align with EIP's focus on catastrophic risk and power concentration, or failing to articulate how you'd execute them.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to Effective Institutions Project!