What We Fund
- Once or twice a year, we announce fellowships to social entrepreneurs seeking to expand agency and improve lives in a scalable, cost-effective way. A prototype, paper, or social venture is expected by the end of the fellowship period, which is a fixed contribution of $70k over seven months. View calls for details and deadlines.
- About once per quarter, we fund time-limited projects that implement and test specific ideas. View calls for details and deadlines.
- We occasionally offer unrestricted and in-kind (tech, data, or research) capacity support to learning organizations that operate at the intersection of research and implementation and advance agency approaches to cost-effective scale. (Invitation-only; typically contingent on past successful fellowship or project award.)
- We occasionally support ecosystem initiatives: projects that lift all boats by investing in shared assets and other public goods. (Invitation-only; typically contingent on past fellowship or project award.)
For frequently asked questions, read our FAQ page.
Our Funding Criteria
Many factors come into play, but three are of special importance to us:
Relevance to Human Agency
Is the approach aligned with the values that guide our work? Does it engage people's consciousness and embrace their dignity? Does it offer situationally relevant insights that may help people obtain new perspectives about their options, capabilities, or future? Does the context realistically afford people alternative choices?
Leverage & Synergy
Does the idea elegantly leverage technology to engage people in a customized, interactive, and scalable manner? Does it build on an existing user base, case worker network, or policy mechanism? Is there potential for cross-fertilization with other approaches that the Agency Fund has been considering?
Data & Learning
Is this idea grounded in science (typically development economics, behavioral science, or social psychology?) Does the applicant organization use data to rapidly adapt? Is there a path to credible evidence of exceptional cost-effectiveness?
View our investments page for what we’ve funded to date.
Agency in Action
