The Office of Foundation Relations is pleased to share this open call for letters of interest from Coefficient Giving.
- UCSC Contact: Sarah Carle | sacarle@ucsc.edu
- Funder: Coefficient Giving
- Opportunity: Capacity building to address risks from transformative AI
Overview:
Open Philanthropy is now Coefficient Giving. Coefficient Giving thinks it’s possible that the coming decades will see “transformative” progress in artificial intelligence, i.e., progress that leads to changes in human civilization at least as large as those brought on by the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions.
Coefficient Giving is interested in funding projects that:
- Help new talent get into work focused on addressing risks from transformative AI.
- Support existing talent in this field (e.g. via events that help build professional networks).
- Contribute to the discourse about transformative AI and its possible effects, positive and negative.
Coefficient Giving refers to this category of work as “capacity-building,” in the sense of “building society’s capacity” to navigate these risks. The organization has historically funded training and mentorship programs, events, groups, and resources (e.g., blog posts, magazines, podcasts, videos), but they are interested in receiving applications for any capacity-building projects aimed at risks from advanced AI. This includes applications from both organizations and individuals, and includes both full-time and part-time projects.
Categories of interest:
- Training and mentorship programs (Mentorship or professional connections: these could take the form of fellowships, internships, residencies, visitor programs, online or in-person courses, bootcamps, etc.)
- Events (Conferences, seminars, or debates; Retreats, workshops, or hackathons; Online events; Events adjacent to larger conferences/workshops)
- Groups (Funding for regular meetups that bring people together based on an interest in helping society navigate transformative AI and reduce its risks)
- Resources, Media, Communication (work that informs and provides thoughtful evidence-based discussion of transformative AI through written content, video or audio with a specific educational goal in mind)
- Other (any type of project that builds capacity for advanced AI risks such as online infrastructure, career advising, coworking and event spaces etc.)
Award Amount & Terms:
- There is no fixed amount for this grant program. Coefficient Giving frequently provides multi-year support, with average grants around $300,000, though specific grant sizes vary widely.
Eligibility:
- Coefficient Giving is interested in funding a wide range of proposals, ranging from small grants to individuals, to multi-year grants to organizations.
- This program is focused on capacity-building work.
Timeline:
- Applications are open until further notice and will be assessed on a rolling basis.
- Most funding decisions are made within three months of receiving an application.
Special Instructions:
Please notify the Office of Foundation Relations if you are interested in applying to this opportunity (fr@ucsc.edu). Please submit a proposal intake form prior to UCSC’s internal Institutional Deadlines. For support developing your proposal, please send a request to the Office of Research Development resdev@ucsc.edu. Within the Division of Social Sciences, please contact Ashlee Tews (ashleeac@ucsc.edu), within the Arts Division please contact Hannah Jasper ( ) to initiate notification and proposal support.
Call sent: March 19, 2026
The Office of Foundation Relations is a unit of University Advancement. The FR team creates and maintains mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with private organizations, matching grant initiatives with educational and research programs and centers. FR supports faculty and staff to identify and approach these and other private foundations for funding, to assist in strategic positioning of the grant application, and to facilitate funder campus visits. For a list of recent funding opportunities, please visit the FR website: FR Calls for Funding.