The field of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) safety research relies heavily on funding from effective altruism (EA)-aligned sources, which are now under strain. This creates systemic risks as the need for AGI safety work grows. Meanwhile, non-EA funding sources—like government grants, philanthropic foundations, and private investors—remain largely untapped due to mismatched communication styles or lack of awareness.

Bridging the Funding Gap

One way to address this could be by creating a centralized, actionable resource to help AGI safety researchers identify and secure non-EA funding. This could include:

• A curated list of non-EA funding sources with details on priorities, application processes, and past grants.
• Guides on framing AGI safety work in ways that resonate with different funders (e.g., national security for government grants, commercial potential for investors).
• Case studies and proposal templates to reduce barriers for new applicants.

Such a resource could take the form of a public wiki or website, maintained by a small team with community contributions to ensure accuracy.

Execution and Growth

Starting with a simple, crowd-sourced list (like a Google Doc or Notion page) could serve as an MVP. From there, it could expand to include:

• Short guides written by researchers with successful grant experience.
• A searchable database filtered by funder type, region, or focus area.

Promoting adoption through EA and AGI safety networks could help refine the resource based on user feedback.

Differentiation from Existing Work

Current resources like the Future Funding List focus on EA-aligned funders, while general grant-writing courses lack AGI-specific advice. Institutional databases, though comprehensive, are overwhelming without curation. A dedicated AGI safety funding resource could fill these gaps by providing tailored, up-to-date information.

By making non-EA funding more accessible, this idea could help diversify AGI safety research’s financial base and reduce systemic risks.