Manifund Makes Donating to AI Projects Easier for Wealthy Givers

Manifund has been running a regranting program where donors who know less about AI safety give money to experts who decide where it goes. This year, it's opening a new option: self-funded regrantors. Instead of just donating to a charity and hoping for the best, wealthy donors can join Manifund, pick their own projects, and let Manifund handle the ugly logistics.

Why not just donate directly? Because giving money to a nonprofit is surprisingly painful. Many great projects aren't official charities — they're independent researchers, early-stage startups, or someone who needs money for travel expenses. Traditional donor-advised funds usually require a 501c3 charity. Manifund handles fiscal sponsorship, signs grant agreements, and wires the money. It's like having a personal accountant for your philanthropy.

Another benefit: transparency. When you regrant through Manifund, your giving rationale is public. That signals to other funders what's worth supporting, and helps founders know what to prioritize. One example: an $8,000 grant from a Manifund regrantor led to a bigger funder covering the rest of a major AI safety review. Public giving creates a chain reaction.

Manifund also supports for-profit companies through loans and investments — something most donor-advised funds can't do. If a project might become a business, a loan is often smarter than a grant. Manifund handles that too. The catch? This is for people with "significant" money to donate. It's not for casual givers.