Application Guide

How to Apply for Senior Education Grantmaker

at Founders Pledge

🏢 About Founders Pledge

Founders Pledge is unique as a research and advocacy organization that specifically targets startup founders and tech entrepreneurs, having mobilized over $10 billion for high-impact causes since 2015. They offer the rare opportunity to shape global philanthropy by working directly with high-net-worth individuals from companies like Airbnb, Spotify, and Uber, translating evidence into multimillion-dollar funding decisions.

About This Role

As Senior Education Grantmaker, you'll lead evidence-driven education grants focused on improving learning outcomes for children in the world's poorest countries, directly shaping what high-impact education funding looks like globally. You'll be part of the Research team identifying and evaluating high-impact funding opportunities (HIFOs) that guide the giving decisions of Founders Pledge's member base, having already moved over $80 million in funding.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve analyzing research on education interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia, preparing evidence summaries for donor recommendations, and collaborating remotely with research colleagues across time zones to refine funding criteria. You'd likely spend time evaluating grant proposals against evidence-based impact metrics and developing strategies to scale proven education interventions through multimillion-dollar funding decisions.

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Founders Pledge Is Looking For

  • Has deep expertise in global education interventions, particularly in low-income countries, with a strong understanding of evidence-based approaches and impact evaluation methodologies
  • Possesses experience managing or advising on multimillion-dollar grants or philanthropic investments in the education sector
  • Demonstrates ability to translate complex research into actionable recommendations for high-net-worth donors and can navigate the intersection of philanthropy, research, and implementation
  • Is comfortable working remotely while collaborating across time zones with team members potentially in Berlin, London, or New York

📝 Tips for Applying to Founders Pledge

1

Quantify your impact in previous education grantmaking roles—specifically mention dollar amounts managed, geographic regions served, and measurable outcomes achieved

2

Demonstrate familiarity with Founders Pledge's existing research publications on education or other sectors to show you understand their evidence-driven approach

3

Highlight any experience working with or advising high-net-worth individuals or tech entrepreneurs, as this is their specific donor base

4

Address how you would identify 'high-impact funding opportunities' in education—be specific about what criteria you'd use and potential interventions you'd evaluate

5

Since this is a part-time remote role, explicitly mention your experience with remote collaboration and self-management in distributed teams

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

["Your specific experience with education interventions in low-income countries and how you've measured their impact on learning outcomes", "Examples of how you've translated research evidence into funding decisions that moved significant resources (mention specific amounts if possible)", "Why you're drawn to Founders Pledge's unique model of working with tech entrepreneurs rather than traditional philanthropy", 'How you would approach identifying the highest-impact education funding opportunities given their focus on evidence-driven giving']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Review Founders Pledge's published research reports, particularly any on education or global development, to understand their methodology and priorities
  • → Study their member companies (Airbnb, UiPath, Dropbox, Skype, Spotify, Uber) to understand the tech entrepreneur mindset you'll be working with
  • → Look into their 'high-impact funding opportunities' framework and how they've applied it to other sectors beyond education
  • → Research their team structure and leadership to understand who you'd be working with and their backgrounds in philanthropy and research
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💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Walk us through how you would evaluate a potential education intervention for funding—what evidence would you look for and how would you assess cost-effectiveness?
2 How would you communicate complex research findings about an education program to a tech entrepreneur donor who may not have an education background?
3 What do you see as the most promising evidence-based interventions for improving learning outcomes in the world's poorest countries right now?
4 How have you handled situations where the available evidence for an education program was limited or contradictory?
5 Given our part-time remote structure, how would you prioritize and manage your work to maximize impact within limited hours?
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Focusing only on education theory without demonstrating practical experience in grantmaking or funding decisions that moved significant resources
  • Applying generic philanthropy experience without tailoring it to Founders Pledge's specific model of working with tech entrepreneurs and evidence-driven giving
  • Failing to address the part-time remote nature of the role and how you would manage productivity and collaboration in this structure

📅 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:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Founders Pledge!

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