I joined CEA as Director of EA Funds 3 months ago. I have two goals with this post:

• Sharing some early thoughts about what I've found and where I think EA Funds is headed.
• Announcing that we're now searching for a Head of the EA Infrastructure Fund, a hire I think is one of the most important ones we'll make this year. 

Where EA Funds stands

For those less familiar, EA Funds channels individual donations to high-impact work through four cause-specific funds: the Animal Welfare Fund (AWF), the Long-Term Future Fund (LTFF), the Global Health and Development Fund (GHDF), and the EA Infrastructure Fund (EAIF). Since EA Funds (re-)became part of CEA in mid-2025, we've been building toward a model with full-time leadership for each fund, strong grantmaking processes, and the strategic clarity to make each fund a solid product for donors who want to do the most good with their giving.

The Animal Welfare Fund is our proof of concept. In just over a year of having full-time leadership, AWF developed a clear 3-year grantmaking strategy, grew from roughly $3M to $10M raised annually, and funded interventions improving welfare for billions of animals across dozens of countries (latest payout report). And the team is not stopping there: the fund is expected to sustain that momentum with a similar growth rate in 2026, contributing to a transformational moment for the effective animal welfare movement. That kind of trajectory, from dedicated leadership to strategic clarity to fundraising growth to more high-impact work getting funded, is what I want to enable for the other funds.

A very obvious lesson from my short time here is that the individual funds need dedicated, full-time leadership to reach their full potential. Part-time fund managers have been (and will continue to be) incredibly helpful, in part thanks to their specific expertise and close connections to the fields they operate in. But developing and iterating on a coherent grantmaking strategy, building trust with donors, proactively sourcing promising grantees, and communicating transparently about decisions all require full-time attention. Without that, important things slip. We know that in some cases, and particularly where our capacity has been stretched, applicants have waited too long for decisions. It is also clear to me that fundraising effort and communication have been too limited to be optimal. Core EA donors may be forgiving of fund staff being almost exclusively focused on grantmaking, but if we want to grow the pool of funding for high-impact work by reaching new donors, we need to up our game. We're working to fix that.

Where we are with the other funds

We are in the process of hiring new full-time leadership for the Long-Term Future Fund, who will develop a new strategy (and by default, update the name of the fund accordingly). We will also likely bring on a full-time mid-level grantmaker for this fund in the near future. LTFF, like all the other funds, remains active in this transition period.

The Global Health and Development Fund is in a different position. GiveWell has been a close partner and has continued to recommend strong grants through GHDF, for which we're grateful. I'm interested in exploring whether there are additional ways GHDF can add value beyond that model. But this is not the most immediate priority given GiveWell's continued support.

The EA Infrastructure Fund

This brings me to EAIF, the fund for which we’ve just launched the search for a new leader.

EAIF occupies a fairly unique position in the EA funding landscape. It is one of the very few funders dedicated to EA "meta" work: the organizations, research, and initiatives that strengthen the EA ecosystem as a whole. This includes things like cause prioritization research, effective giving infrastructure, community building, and efforts to communicate EA ideas to new audiences.

Why does EA infrastructure matter? When meta-EA efforts work well, the returns compound across the whole ecosystem. A strong effective giving platform can redirect millions of dollars toward high-impact work. Good cause prioritization research can shift where the community focuses next. Strong local EA communities can be the foundation for people's entire impact trajectories. That kind of leverage is what makes investing in EA infrastructure worthwhile, and it's what makes leading this fund an unusually high-impact opportunity. Of course, EAIF is not quite the only funder supporting meta-EA work. But that landscape benefits from having multiple funding sources, just as direct work does.

How do EAIF and CEA's programs relate to each other post-merger? EAIF and CEA share the goal of strengthening the EA ecosystem, but they do it with different tools. CEA runs programs directly: events, groups, courses, the Forum. EAIF can fund work that CEA is not best placed to do itself, whether that's independent research, new organizations, or projects that fall outside CEA's own programmatic scope. Having both under one roof means we can take a more coherent view of what the ecosystem needs, while being mindful that EAIF's value comes in part from funding work that CEA wouldn't prioritize on its own.

Separately, the Head of EAIF will also oversee a streamlined version of CEA's Community Building Grants (CBG) program primarily focused on its grantmaking role. The updated program will continue to provide funding to professionalized local and national EA communities around the world. It's a separate program with its own funding sources that are distinct from EAIF, but its goals are closely aligned with EAIF's scope. We see having EAIF and CBG under the same leader as a natural fit and an opportunity to take a more integrated view of how funding supports EA community building.

Overall, where exactly EAIF should focus moving forward to add the most value is an open question at this stage. How should it position itself relative to other funders? What types of grants and grantees should it prioritize? What does a compelling case to donors look like? These are questions I want the new Head of EAIF to take the lead on answering.

The hire

Few roles offer as much leverage over the shape of the EA ecosystem as this one. We're looking for someone with genuine commitment to EA principles, deep familiarity with the community, and an entrepreneurial mindset. You'll lead grantmaking (including actively sourcing high-impact opportunities), set the fund's strategic direction, and grow its donor base.

You don't need to have been a grantmaker before (even though that experience would certainly be relevant). If you've been a community builder, worked at a meta-EA organization, held a senior EA-aligned role, or have experience evaluating projects or people in an EA context, this role might be a strong fit. What matters most is sharp judgment, a deep understanding of what the EA ecosystem needs, and the drive to build something.

If this sounds like you, we'd love to see your application. And if it sounds like someone you know, please pass it along. The full job description and application process are here. Apply by April 22.