GiveWell makes recommendations to donors on how their money can make the most impact. Donors can give to their Top Charities, to the All Grants Fund which is open to new applicants, or an Unrestricted Fund.

Applications are accepted on a continual basis, from organizations anywhere in the world. GiveWell is dedicated to funding projects in global health and research that are the most cost effective. Their mission is to “maximize global well-being.” Past grants have ranged from $10,000 to $79.9 million, but they have not put a cap on future awards.

Eligibility

GiveWell supports projects in global health and research from:

• Early stage or established organizations enacting potentially cost-effective or scalable programs
• Established organizations carrying out cost-effective, but not scalable, work
• Organizations working to influence public health policy
• Organizations doing research that will support GiveWell’s grantmaking process
• Organizations that raise money for GiveWell’s recommended charities

Example Programs

Past funded projects include:

• Incentives for immunization
• Lead exposure prevention
• Road traffic safety
• Seasonal malaria chemoprevention
• Water chlorination

Grant Process

Application

Interested applicants may submit a form at any time. The form is extremely short; the primary questions are:

• Roughly how much funding over how many years are you seeking?
• What would you hope to accomplish with this grant?

Initial Investigation

The initial investigation consists of one or two conversations to better understand the applicant, the proposed project, and its potential impact. Some supporting documents may be required.

Leadership Approval

GiveWell leaders will review the information from the initial investigation and decide whether to proceed to the next step.

Deeper Investigation

Conversations will continue over a period of 2-6 months and additional documentation may be required, such as:

• Monitoring and evaluation from past programs 
• Baseline data on key indicators
• A description of the proposed project and planned monitoring and evaluation for new organizations
• Budgets 
• Plans for grant funding

Conditional Approval

At this point, the grant investigator will make a recommendation to the leadership that a grant be approved. This is not a guarantee, but it is likely that the grant will receive final approval.

Grant Made

The method of disbursement will depend on how the grant is funded. The possibilities are:

• GiveWell funds – funds donated to GiveWell for grantmaking purposes
• Open Philanthropy – GiveWell may make a recommendation to this outside organization
• Effective Altruism (EA) Global Health and Development Fund – recommendations may also be made to this fund, which is managed by GiveWell’s CEO and collaborates with their research team
• Individual donors – recommendations may be made to individuals who might give directly or through GiveWell

Grant Renewal Investigation

If applicable, GiveWell may conduct an investigation to determine whether further funding is warranted and cost-effective.