Steering transformative technology towards benefiting life and away from extreme large-scale risks.
A single 2025 grant of $162,587,667 to establish the Lightcone Foundation stands out in the Future of Life Institute’s recent record and shows the scale at which it can move when building related organizations. The institute’s grantmaking is centered on steering advanced technology toward life-benefiting outcomes and away from extreme large-scale risks, with AI governance, technical AI safety, nuclear war research, and biodiversity stewardship all appearing in recent awards. It also uses fellowships, sponsored projects, and targeted calls for proposals rather than only open-ended grants. Other large awards point to the same pattern. In 2025, it gave $25,025,000 to establish and fund the Future of Life Foundation, another related organization, and $10,000,000 to Silicon Valley Community Foundation for charitable work in support of its mission. Those commitments sit alongside program grants to research, policy, and public-interest intermediaries, including support for work on the informational ecosystem, AI risk, and global governance. The result is a funder that combines very large organizational grants with smaller, targeted project support across several linked risk domains.
AI governance is a visible thread in the portfolio. The Future of Life Institute gave $1,500,000 to International Association for Safe and Ethical Artificial Intelligence Inc for general support addressing the risks and opportunities associated with rapid advances in AI, and $750,000 to the Federation of American Scientists to investigate the implications of artificial intelligence on global risk. It also funds work on the informational environment. One grant of $2,950,000 went to Improve the News Foundation for efforts to improve the informational ecosystem, while a separate $3,250,000 award supported improved truth-finding tools. The institute continues to back catastrophic-risk research and biodiversity stewardship. It granted $619,861 through Caf America for university research into the consequences of nuclear war, and $1,113,685 to Biocomplexity Survival Alliance to launch the Wise Ancestors platform supporting conservation of Earth’s biodiversity. Education and capacity-building show up as well, including $247,000 to Foresight Institute for a worldbuilding course and toolbox.
$207.1M
$6.3M
$21.3M
$17.4M
Most grants fall between $260K and $7.4M, with a median of $2.5M.
25th Percentile
$260K
Median
$2.5M
75th Percentile
$7.4M
About 0% of grants go to recipients in CA.
MAX TEGMARK
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeRegístrate gratis para ver qué tan bien se adapta tu organización sin fines de lucro a este financiador, obtener un pitch generado por IA y descubrir fundaciones similares.
Typical grants are sized from $259,664 at the 25th percentile to $2,525,000 at the median and $7,383,668 at the 75th percentile, which points to a mix of mid-sized and large awards. The institute also makes very large institutional grants, including major awards to establish related organizations. Its 2025 record shows repeat recipients: Improve the News Foundation received multiple grants in the same year, and Caf America was used for more than one sponsored-project award. The funder is classified as a regular funder, and its listed grantmaking channels include annual grants, fellowships, targeted RFPs, contests, and collaborations. Some programs accept unsolicited proposals, while several call-based programs do not.
Grantmaking is national, and every listed recent recipient is in the United States. California appears often, with recipients in Mountain View, San Diego, Scotts Valley, Covina, Palo Alto, San Francisco, and Berkeley-area organizations. Other recipient locations include Washington, DC; Alexandria, VA; New Castle, DE; Denver, CO; Boston, MA; Campbell, CA; and Sparks, NV. The top state by grant count is California, while the foundation’s HQ is in Pennsylvania, where recent grants account for 0% of listed awards.
The institute funds AI governance and safety, truth-finding and informational ecosystem work, nuclear war research, global governance institution design, biodiversity conservation, and education or capacity-building such as worldbuilding tools and fellowships. Recent grants include support for AI risk research, nuclear-war consequences, and biodiversity stewardship.
Its typical grant sizes range from $259,664 at the 25th percentile to a median of $2,525,000 and a 75th percentile of $7,383,668. Recent awards also include very large organizational grants that are much higher than the median.
Yes. The institute lists technical postdoctoral fellowships, technical PhD fellowships, and US-China AI Governance PhD Fellowships. Its recent grants also include support for an AI fellowship program for promising machine learning researchers.
By recipient count, California is the top state. Recent grantees are concentrated in California cities including Mountain View, San Diego, Scotts Valley, Covina, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Berkeley, Campbell, and Sparks.
Some parts of the grantmaking are open to unsolicited submissions, including the institute’s general grants and archives program. Other active calls, such as the AI-and-SDGs proposal call, the global institutions for AI call, and the AI power concentration call, are not open to unsolicited applications.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Financiamiento actual y próximo de Future of Life Institute al que tu organización sin fines de lucro podría postularse.
¿Quién puede postularse? Creators who already have a following and want to raise awareness about AI safety and risk; creators with compelling ideas for impactful content; especially those interested in discussing AI safety on an ongoing basis.
Fecha límite: Rolling basis
Haz seguimiento de estas fechas límite, recibe recordatorios y descubre qué tan bien encaja tu organización — gratis con una cuenta de Kindora.
Crea una cuenta gratisLas fechas límite y los requisitos de elegibilidad son un resumen de fuentes públicas y pueden cambiar — confirma siempre los detalles en la página oficial de solicitud del financiador antes de postularte.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIGHTCONE FOUNDATION | SPARKS, NV | $162,587,667 | 2025 | GRANT TO ESTABLISH THE LIGHTCONE FOUNDATION, A RELATED ORGANIZATION TO FLI |
| FUTURE OF LIFE FOUNDATION | CAMPBELL, CA | $25,025,000 | 2025 | GRANT TO ESTABLISH AND FUND THE FUTURE OF LIFE FOUNDATION, A RELATED ORGANIZATION TO FLI |
| LIGHTCONE FOUNDATION | SPARKS, NV | $6,511,558 | 2025 | GRANT TO FUND LIGHTCONE FOUNDATION |
| IMPROVE THE NEWS FOUNDATION | NEW CASTLE, DE | $2,950,000 | 2025 | GRANT TO SUPPORT ITNS EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE INFORMATIONAL ECOSYSTEM |
| SILICON VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA | $2,470,096 | 2025 | SUPPORT SPONSORED PROJECTS ENCODE, TARBELL, THE ELDERS, THE COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE PROJECT, AND UNIVERSITY RESEARCH INTO THE CONSEQUENCES OF NUCLEAR WAR. |
| IMPROVE THE NEWS FOUNDATION | NEW CASTLE, DE | $2,100,000 | 2025 | GRANT TO SUPPORT ITNS EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE INFORMATIONAL ECOSYSTEM |
| INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR SAFE AND ETHICAL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INC | SAN DIEGO, CA | $1,500,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT FOR ADDRESSING THE RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES ASSOCIATED WITH RAPID ADVANCES IN AI |
| BIOCOMPLEXITY SURVIVAL ALLIANCE | SCOTTS VALLEY, CA | $1,113,685 | 2025 | SUPPORT TO LAUNCH THE WISE ANCESTORS PLATFORM, SUPPORTING THE CONSERVATION OF EARTH'S BIODIVERSITY |
| FEDERATION OF AMERICAN SCIENTISTS | WASHINGTON, DC | $750,000 | 2025 | TO INVESTIGATE THE IMPLICATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ON GLOBAL RISK. |
| CAF AMERICA | ALEXANDRIA, VA | $619,861 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR UNIVERSITY RESEARCH INTO THE CONSEQUENCES OF NUCLEAR WAR. |
| BERKELEY EXISTENTIAL RISK INITIATIVE | COVINA, CA | $365,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR COLLABORATION WITH THE CENTER FOR HUMAN-COMPATIBLE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (CHAI). |
| CAF AMERICA | ALEXANDRIA, VA | $292,264 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT SPONSORED PROJECTS TEESIDE UNIVERSITY, UQAM FOUNDATION AND INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR APPLIED SYSTEMS ANALYSIS |
| FORESIGHT INSTITUTE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $247,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT TO DESIGN AND CREATE WORLDBUILDING COURSE AND TOOLBOX. |
| WISE ANCESTORS | SCOTTS VALLEY, CA | $169,000 | 2025 | CONSERVATION OF EARTH'S BIODIVERSITY FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL. |
| GOOD VENTURES FOUNDATION | PALO ALTO, CA | $161,865 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR AI FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM SUPPORTING PROMISING MACHINE LEARNING RESEARCHERS |
| LONGVIEW PHILANTROPHY USA INC | CLAYMONT, DE | $100,000 | 2025 | FINDING SOLUTIONS TO COLLECTIVE ACTION PROBLEMS. |
| THE FUTURE SOCIETY | BOSTON, MA | $35,000 | 2025 | ADVOCACY TO ALIGN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE THROUGH BETTER GOVERNANCE |
| FUTURE COALITION | DENVER, CO | $25,000 | 2025 | ADVOCACY FOR A FUTURE WITH HUMAN-CENTERED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. |
| LEGAL PRIORITIES INC | BOSTON, MA | $15,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH INTO GLOBAL GOVERNANCE INSTITUTION DESIGN. |
| METAGOV | BROOKLINE, MA | $15,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH INTO GLOBAL GOVERNANCE INSTITUTION DESIGN. |
| EFFCT | DENVER, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | SUPERINTELLIGENCE IMAGINED CONTEST AWARD |
| SILICON VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | — | $10,000,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE WORK IN SUPPORT OF FLI'S MISSION |
| IMPROVE THE NEWS FOUNDATION | — | $3,250,000 | 2024 | IMPROVED TRUTH-FINDING TOOLS |
| THE FUTURE SOCIETY | — | $120,000 | 2024 | ADVOCACY AROUND THE EU AI ACT |
LIGHTCONE FOUNDATION
$162,587,667GRANT TO ESTABLISH THE LIGHTCONE FOUNDATION, A RELATED ORGANIZATION TO FLI
FUTURE OF LIFE FOUNDATION
$25,025,000GRANT TO ESTABLISH AND FUND THE FUTURE OF LIFE FOUNDATION, A RELATED ORGANIZATION TO FLI
LIGHTCONE FOUNDATION
$6,511,558GRANT TO FUND LIGHTCONE FOUNDATION
IMPROVE THE NEWS FOUNDATION
$2,950,000GRANT TO SUPPORT ITNS EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE INFORMATIONAL ECOSYSTEM
SILICON VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$2,470,096SUPPORT SPONSORED PROJECTS ENCODE, TARBELL, THE ELDERS, THE COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE PROJECT, AND UNIVERSITY RESEARCH INTO THE CONSEQUENCES OF NUCLEAR WAR.
IMPROVE THE NEWS FOUNDATION
GRANT TO SUPPORT ITNS EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE INFORMATIONAL ECOSYSTEM
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR SAFE AND ETHICAL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INC
$1,500,000GENERAL SUPPORT FOR ADDRESSING THE RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES ASSOCIATED WITH RAPID ADVANCES IN AI
BIOCOMPLEXITY SURVIVAL ALLIANCE
$1,113,685SUPPORT TO LAUNCH THE WISE ANCESTORS PLATFORM, SUPPORTING THE CONSERVATION OF EARTH'S BIODIVERSITY
TO INVESTIGATE THE IMPLICATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ON GLOBAL RISK.
SUPPORT FOR UNIVERSITY RESEARCH INTO THE CONSEQUENCES OF NUCLEAR WAR.
SUPPORT FOR COLLABORATION WITH THE CENTER FOR HUMAN-COMPATIBLE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (CHAI).
TO SUPPORT SPONSORED PROJECTS TEESIDE UNIVERSITY, UQAM FOUNDATION AND INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR APPLIED SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
SUPPORT TO DESIGN AND CREATE WORLDBUILDING COURSE AND TOOLBOX.
WISE ANCESTORS
$169,000CONSERVATION OF EARTH'S BIODIVERSITY FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL.
GOOD VENTURES FOUNDATION
$161,865SUPPORT FOR AI FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM SUPPORTING PROMISING MACHINE LEARNING RESEARCHERS
FINDING SOLUTIONS TO COLLECTIVE ACTION PROBLEMS.
ADVOCACY TO ALIGN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE THROUGH BETTER GOVERNANCE
FUTURE COALITION
$25,000ADVOCACY FOR A FUTURE WITH HUMAN-CENTERED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
LEGAL PRIORITIES INC
$15,000RESEARCH INTO GLOBAL GOVERNANCE INSTITUTION DESIGN.
METAGOV
$15,000RESEARCH INTO GLOBAL GOVERNANCE INSTITUTION DESIGN.
EFFCT
$10,000SUPERINTELLIGENCE IMAGINED CONTEST AWARD
IMPROVE THE NEWS FOUNDATION
$3,250,000IMPROVED TRUTH-FINDING TOOLS
