Project summary

The Impact Accelerator Program (IAP) is a 6-week virtual program that harnesses the strength of peer support and a systematic approach to envisioning and acting on pathways to high impact. So far, 38 participants (out of 143) have transitioned into high-impact careers through various paths, including founding new charities and founding-to-give companies, and joining high-impact organizations. This is due to the IAP's high action focus.

What are this project's goals? How will you achieve them?

Through the IAP we support experienced professionals to use their career to generate high impact. This can be done via a mix of using their skills, money, and network.

The four main pillars of the IAP are:
1) Program content: weekly readings and actions via the IAP workbook and extracurricular sessions
2) Cohort sessions: weekly action-oriented, participant-led discussions
3) Global network: creating networking opportunities with other participants, facilitators, alumni, and more from around the world
4) Post-program support: 2 additional cohort sessions followed by monthly alumni sessions

How will this funding be used?

The funding will be used to cover outreach and vetting to get amazing participants, running the IAP sessions, providing ongoing support to IAP participants and alumni, and making sure the entire program runs smoothly.

Who is on your team? What's your track record on similar projects?

Nina Friedrich is HIP's Executive Director
Clark Wisenbaker is HIP's Director of Operations

We are currently running the fifth round of the IAP, which includes 55 participants (the largest round to-date). For the already completed rounds of the IAP:

• 38 participants (out of 143) have transitioned into high-impact careers, through various paths, including founding new charities, starting founding-to-give companies, and joining high-impact organizations such as GiveWell, Charity Entrepreneurship, ML Alignment & Theory Scholars (MATS), Malaria Consortium, and more;

• an additional 70 participants (out of 143) are taking concrete actions towards a high-impact career, including skilled volunteering roles at high-impact organizations; and

• many participants are donating a meaningful percentage of their annual salary to effective charities, with 18 having taken the 🔶 10% Pledge or 🔷 Trial Pledge – plus 4 additional pledges from the current IAP round.

What are the most likely causes and outcomes if this project fails?

The most likely reason for this project's failure would be not attracting enough high-quality applicants to the program or participants not transitioning into high-impact careers. This would cause the program to falter in operating and scaling effectively. Although we track both program application and career transition metrics closely and have seen consistently promising results so far, a decline in either could affect our impact.

What other funding are you or your project getting?

HIP has previously been supported by Open Philanthropy, Charity Entrepreneurship's Seed Funding, and EA Funds, as well as other individual donors and supporters. At the organization’s current funding level, we can maintain the IAP at its current size. However, we see significant room to scale the program and its impact beyond what current funding levels can support.