Open Philanthropy Action Fund
99% goes to programs $0 to raise $100 Growing revenue
Open Philanthropy Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization based in Palo Alto, California, registered in 2018, with $83,192,444 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 99% of spending to programs.
314 Lytton Ave, Palo Alto, CA, 94301 EIN 81-2644663 Since 2018
Revenue (FY2024)
$83.2M
▲ 4.9% vs prior year
Community median: $184K
Expenses (FY2024)
$58.6M
Net assets
$7.8M
Employees
0
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A
A+Program efficiency40% of the rating99% to programs · $0 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Open Philanthropy Action Fund: 99% to programs · $0 to raise $100 earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
BFinancial health25% of the rating2 mo reserves · +30% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Open Philanthropy Action Fund: 2 mo reserves · +30% margin earns a B on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Open Philanthropy Action Fund: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
ATransparency10% of the rating4 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Open Philanthropy Action Fund: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
Study and promote more effective giving for public policy, advocacy and social welfare purposes
Contact & location
- Address
- 314 Lytton Ave, Palo Alto, CA, 94301
- City
- Palo Alto
- State
- California
- Subcategory
- Alliances, Advocacy & Professional Societies
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $370K (FY2017) to $83.2M (FY2024) across 8 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $33.4MNet assets $7.8M
Operating margin
29.5%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$41.2M
Total liabilities
$33.4M
Net assets
$7.8M
Salaries & benefits
$0
0% of expenses
Board members
5
5 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $83,192,444▲4.9% | $58,649,459▼24.3% | $7,846,969▲147% | $41,200,342▲34.1% | 990 |
| 2023 | $79,334,487▲58.4% | $77,508,932▲40.2% | -$16,696,016▲9.9% | $30,728,049▼3.9% | 990 |
| 2022 | $50,098,558▼21.7% | $55,283,198▼38.1% | -$18,521,571▼38.9% | $31,980,708▼21.5% | 990 |
| 2021 | $63,966,410▲290% | $89,321,231▲494% | -$13,336,931▼211% | $40,719,631▲163% | 990 |
| 2020 | $16,397,082▲732% | $15,048,000▼37.6% | $12,017,890▲12.7% | $15,508,120▼10.9% | 990 |
| 2019 | $1,971,777▼63.9% | $24,120,247▲101% | $10,659,002▼67.5% | $17,411,967▼47.7% | 990 |
| 2018 | $5,458,622▲1373% | $12,011,833▲7.7% | $32,807,472▼16.6% | $33,307,020▼23.8% | 990 |
| 2017 | $370,483 | $11,152,941 | $39,360,683 | $43,705,910 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2024)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Berger | Ceo/director | 2 | — |
| Cari Tuna | President/director | 2 | — |
| Divesh Makan | Secretary/director | 0.5 | — |
| Dustin Moskovitz | Director | 0.5 | — |
| Holden Karnofsky | Director | 2 | — |
| Tom Van Loben Sels | Treasurer | 0.5 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Philanthropic Services Corp | Grant Administration | $12,501,000 |
| Kurzgesagt Gmbh | Videography/translation | $2,426,763 |
| Aqueduct Advisors Private Limited | Project Consulting | $1,357,831 |
| Asar Social Impact Advisors Pvt Ltd | Project Consulting | $711,550 |
| Kyle House Group LLC | Project Consulting | $637,500 |
Grants made · $16.8M in FY2024
29 grants totaling $16.8M in FY2024 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by Open Philanthropy Action Fund →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Accountable Justice Action Fund | General support | $6,400,000 |
| Americans For Responsible Innovation | General support | $2,948,728 |
| Plant Based Foods Association | Work related to plant-based foods | $2,500,000 |
| Vital Strategies Action Fund Inc | Work to reduce alcohol harms in low and middle-income countries | $1,740,378 |
| Competitive Markets Action Inc | Farm bill advocacy | $629,000 |
| Breakthrough Energy Action Inc | General support | $404,409 |
| Centre For the Governance of Ai Inc | General support | $400,000 |
| Cambridge Boston Alignment Initiative Inc | Bootcamp on cybersecurity | $180,000 |
| Rethink Priorities | Insect welfare policy | $180,000 |
| Malnutrition Advocacy Fund | Advocacy for cost-effective malnutrition interventions | $163,083 |
| Digital Harbor Foundation Inc | Uk day one project | $150,000 |
| Yimby Action | Legal and advocacy work to promote more housing | $120,000 |
| Stonier Scholarship Inc | Policy research related to ai in the eu and latin america | $110,000 |
| Zeteo Tech Inc | Overview of biological threats | $108,785 |
| Farm Action Fund Inc | Farm animal welfare laws | $106,800 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Open Philanthropy Action Fund a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Open Philanthropy Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 81-2644663, based in Palo Alto, California.
- What is Open Philanthropy Action Fund's EIN?
- Open Philanthropy Action Fund's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 81-2644663.
- How much revenue does Open Philanthropy Action Fund report?
- Open Philanthropy Action Fund reported $83,192,444 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Open Philanthropy Action Fund's spending goes to programs?
- Open Philanthropy Action Fund spends about 99% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Open Philanthropy Action Fund have?
- CharityIndex grades Open Philanthropy Action Fund A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Open Philanthropy Action Fund's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Open Philanthropy Action Fund's latest Form 990 is $0, paid to Alexander Berger (Ceo/director).
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Explore more
Data for Open Philanthropy Action Fund (EIN 81-2644663) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.