Nonlinear is a means-neutral nonprofit AI safety organization founded in 2021 by Kat Woods and Emerson Spartz. The organization researches, funds, and seeds AI safety interventions, taking a portfolio approach to reducing existential risk from advanced AI systems. Its flagship programs include the Nonlinear Network, which connects AI safety project applicants with 60+ funders through a single application process, and the Nonlinear Library, a text-to-speech podcast that converts top posts from the EA Forum, Alignment Forum, and LessWrong into audio format. Nonlinear also operates an incubation program connecting founders with ideas, funding, and mentorship to launch longtermist nonprofits.
Funding Details
- Annual Budget
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- Monthly Burn Rate
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- Current Runway
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- Funding Goal
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- Funding Raised to Date
- $865,000
- Fiscal Sponsor
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Theory of Change
Nonlinear believes that the AI safety field needs both more people working on the problem and more efficient allocation of resources to the highest-impact interventions. Their theory of change operates through several mechanisms: first, their research analysts generate, identify, and evaluate potentially high-impact opportunities using a systematic spreadsheet-based methodology similar to Charity Entrepreneurship's approach. Once a top idea is identified, they deploy a variety of tools to turn it into reality, including grantmaking, advocacy, RFPs, and direct incubation. The Nonlinear Network aims to improve funding efficiency by reducing friction between AI safety funders and project applicants, while the Nonlinear Library increases the reach and accessibility of AI safety and EA content. By being means-neutral and willing to try diverse interventions, they aim to find and scale the most impactful approaches to reducing existential risk from AI.
Grants Received
from Survival and Flourishing Fund
Projects
A grant program run by Nonlinear that funds individuals and groups raising awareness about AI existential risks or advocating for a pause in AI development until it can be made safe.
A program of Nonlinear that connects AI safety projects with a network of 60+ funders through a single common application.
Superlinear is an x-risk prize competition platform created by Nonlinear that offers monetary prizes to incentivize effective altruists to work on existential risk reduction problems.
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Details
- Last Updated
- Apr 2, 2026, 10:09 PM UTC
- Created
- Mar 18, 2026, 11:18 PM UTC