$14–28MM in the Main Round via three tracks: Main, Freedom, and Fairness.
$6–12MM across three new themed S-Process Grant Rounds ($2–4MM each), targeting the following specific cause areas: Climate Change, Animal Welfare, and Human Self-Enhancement and Empowerment (HSEE).
The Funder of this round, Jaan Tallinn, has provided the following guidance regarding philanthropic priorities, which highlights areas of consideration for funding:
Applicants must be awarded a Speculation Grant in order to be guaranteed eligible for consideration in an SFF S-Process Grant Round. Completing the SFF Funding Rolling Application will automatically submit a Speculation Grant Request on your behalf. While few edge cases exist, over 95% of applications evaluated in past rounds received a Speculation Grant, as receiving a Speculation Grant guarantees eligibility in a round. A Recommender can also add an application directly by whitelisting it, although this is rare. You will be notified if you have received a Speculation Grant that guarantees your eligibility in the round up to 2 weeks after the application deadline of that round.
The SFF 2026 S-Process Grant Main Round will have two S-Process tracks in addition to the Main Track: the Freedom Track and the Fairness Track. The application process and requirements are the same as the Main Track, but applicants can specifically flag their application for consideration by Recommenders in the Freedom Track or the Fairness Track. To learn more about these tracks, please see the Freedom and Fairness Tracks Announcements.
SFF’s Theme Rounds are funding rounds focused on specific cause areas. For 2026, the themes are: Climate Change, Animal Welfare, and Human Self-Enhancement and Empowerment. The application process includes submission of the general SFF Funding Rolling Application, as well as submission of a supplemental application corresponding to the themed grant round they would like to be considered for. To learn more about the themed grant rounds, please see the Theme Round Announcement.
Continuing in the 2026 S-Process Grant Round is the SFF Matching Pledge Program. SFF Matching Pledges are commitments made by Funders of an S-Process round to match outside donations to a recipient at some rate (e.g. 2-to-1), up to the pledged amount. The goals of the Matching Pledge program include diversifying the funding landscape, providing encouragement to other donors who want to give more, and increasing the fundraising robustness and independence of S-Process grantees. Applicants can complete the Matching Pledge portion of the SFF Funding Rolling Application to be considered for the program.
Applications for all tracks (Main, Freedom, and Fairness) are due by the deadline of April 22, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT via the following form:
Late applications will not be eligible for the current S-Process Grant Main Round or any SFF Theme Rounds and will instead be potentially eligible for consideration in the next grant round to be announced. Late applications are still eligible for Speculation Grants.
All guaranteed eligible applications will be evaluated in all tracks of the Main Round (Main, Freedom, and Fairness), but only SFF Theme Round applications will be considered for their corresponding themed grant round.
More information about the 2026 S-Process Grant Round can be found in the application form and in the FAQ below on this page, and answers to more general questions can be found in our General FAQ. If you have any further questions that are not answered through the above channels, please write to sff-contact@googlegroups.com.
We estimate that $10MM - $20MM in funding will be distributed in this track, with 6 Recommenders reviewing applications.
We hope grants made in this track collectively support fairness, freedom, and many other values essential for humanity’s survival and flourishing. For this reason, it has a larger budget than either of the specialized tracks.
All guaranteed eligible applications will be evaluated in all tracks of the Main Round (Main, Freedom, and Fairness). We expect to have recommendations for the Main Round announced in September 2026.
AI technologies could be used to bring more freedom and autonomy to people and institutions everywhere. On the other hand, AI could also yield further concentrations of authority — whether in governments, corporations, or elsewhere — that oppress freedom of speech, hoard resources, and perpetuate tyranny.
How can we avoid these problems, and support uses of AI that strengthen freedom for humans and humanity? We’re specifically seeking applications addressing the following objectives:
Protecting meaningful freedom of speech as a mechanism for exploring and improving our future, accounting for modern attentional constraints on whether free speech will ever actually be heard by anyone.
Ensuring the continuation of other individual liberties such as privacy, private property, and freedom of association, see also Rawls’ basic liberties.
Maintaining the notion and convention of sovereignty for spatially separated territories that self-govern, so that humanity can explore diverse and divergent regulatory approaches to technology, while respecting basic human rights and avoiding global externalities in the form of harm to other territories.
This evaluation track has a budget of $2MM - $4MM with 3 Freedom Track Recommenders reviewing all applications, but especially Freedom Track flagged applications. Recommenders across all tracks in the Main Round will be able to evaluate all guaranteed eligible applications.
AI technologies could be used to bring greater opportunities and prosperity to all of humanity at once. On the other hand, AI could also yield a further concentration of wealth and power, benefitting only a privileged few while creating risks and harmful externalities for everyone.
How can we avoid these problems, and support the use of AI to empower the disempowered? We’re specifically seeking applications addressing the following objectives:
Empowering the global majority with regard to uses, risks, and benefits of AI technology,
Anticipating, understanding, and addressing/resisting monopolistic practices in the development and control of advanced AI,
Defusing and preventing unnecessary conflicts and abuses of power occurring on the basis of unfair discrimination, and
Fostering and demanding inclusivity and diversity of representation in
power over AI governance,
access to AI technologies, and
benefits from AI-enabled services.
This evaluation track has a budget of $2MM - $4MM with 3 Fairness Track Recommenders reviewing all applications, but especially Fairness Track flagged applications. Recommenders across all tracks in the Main Round will be able to evaluate all guaranteed eligible applications.
In an effort to diversify the types of organizations SFF funds, as well as expand our philanthropic cause areas, SFF is facilitating three themed S-Process Grant Rounds. The themes are:
The organizers of this grant round believe that an ethos of compassion and humanity is essential for stewarding a future where sentient beings, including humanity and beyond, survive and flourish. The specific themes aim to fund initiatives that may not have historically found support in prior S-Process Grant Rounds, but that are key funding areas for establishing a compassionate and humane future.
To apply for a theme round, applicants must first submit the SFF Funding Rolling Application, in addition to submitting a supplemental application that corresponds to the themed grant round they would like to be considered for.
All applicants must be approved and receive a Speculation Grant in order to be considered guaranteed eligible in any round. Speculators will be able to indicate if certain requests should be considered in a specific theme round, regardless of whether the application indicates so or not. So, for example, if you submit to the Main Round, a Speculator might determine you have a better shot at receiving a recommendation through a particular theme round, your application will be considered in that round.
While few edge cases exist, over 95% of applications evaluated in past rounds received a Speculation Grant. A Recommender can also add an application directly by whitelisting it, although this is rare. You will be notified if you have received a Speculation Grant that guarantees your eligibility in the round 2 weeks after the application deadline of that round.
Theme round applications will only be reviewed by the corresponding theme round Recommenders. The organizers of the round will carefully select Recommenders with backgrounds and expertise relevant to that theme.
SFF is launching a themed grant round focused on organizations working to address the causes and effects of climate change.
Since the industrial revolution, human industrial activities have had increasingly significant and measurable impacts on the global environment. And, while the impact of AI on the environment is currently tiny on a global scale, much greater potential impacts — both positive and negative — are plausible over the coming decades. It may be difficult to measure or even imagine some of those impacts from the present. However, carbon emissions are an exception: they are a relatively easy-to-measure impact that is already visible and globally relevant, and thus a compelling focal point for action to protect and improve the health of our environment.
Climate change driven by human activity is already a contributor to rising global temperatures, which could have increasingly serious effects on wildlife and agriculture if continued, with some damage almost certainly incurred already. Rapidly advancing AI systems may accelerate the deployment of carbon-neutral energy solutions, but could also increase demand for energy, and thus have an important role to play on both sides of the climate equation.
While we are particularly interested in ways AI can be applied to address the negative effects of climate change, this themed grant round is not limited to that intersection. We welcome applications from organizations working across the full range of climate-related efforts, including: alternative energy, carbon capture, agricultural innovation, ecosystem restoration, policy advocacy, and more.
What is the technological path to fully sustainable energy? How can we slow, stop, or reverse the rise in atmospheric temperature from the last five decades? How do we ensure robust ecosystem health?
We expect recommendations will be announced by the end of November 2026. You can apply as a charity or for-profit (seeking either investment or non-dilutive funding). We estimate that $2-4MM in funding will be distributed in association with this round.
This grant round will run independently from the three tracks of our Main Round. It will coordinate funding from the same Funder (Jaan Tallinn) as the Main Round, but have its own set of Recommenders with relevant expertise and experience related to climate change.
The organizers of this themed grant round welcome feedback on this announcement, especially from potential Recommender candidates and applicants. SFF Admin probably won’t have time to respond to all feedback, but it will still be helpful deciding on the final wording of this announcement. Please feel free to message sff-contact@googlegroups.com with any feedback you might have.
SFF is launching a themed grant round focused on organizations working to improve animal welfare.
SFF’s mission is to support the long-term survival and flourishing of sentient life, and we are highly confident that animals are sentient. Principles of compassion and justice toward sentient beings are principles that we humans would like to be applied to us, and SFF therefore aims to apply these same principles to other sentient beings as well.
Moreover, as AI capabilities continue to advance, humanity’s relationship to animal welfare takes on increased significance and urgency. The moral frameworks we develop and institutionalize now, including how we weigh the interests of non-human animals, have the potential to influence the values embedded in AI systems through the norms, laws, and training objectives that are set for them. Therefore, how humanity treats animals today may shape how AI systems treat all sentient life in the future.
While we are particularly interested in the intersection of AI and animal welfare, this themed grant round is not limited to that intersection. We welcome applications from organizations working to improve the welfare of animals through a variety of approaches, including: ethical treatment initiatives, legislative advocacy, development of alternative proteins, interspecies communication research, technological advancements in agriculture, and more.
How can we humans steer the future toward ever-improving principles of justice and compassion, for all sentient beings? What insights can we gain from interspecies communication that shape how we relate to other beings? What types of technological advancements can help get us there?
We expect recommendations for this round will be announced by the end of November 2026. You can apply as a charity or for-profit (seeking either investment or non-dilutive funding).
This grant round will run independently from the three tracks of our Main Round. It will coordinate funding from the same Funder (Jaan Tallinn) as the Main Round, but have its own set of Recommenders with relevant expertise and experience related to animal welfare. We estimate that $2-4MM in funding will be distributed in association with this round.
The organizers of this themed grant round welcome feedback on this announcement, especially from potential Recommender candidates and applicants. SFF Admin probably won’t have time to respond to all feedback, but it will still be helpful deciding on the final wording of this announcement. Please feel free to message sff-contact@googlegroups.com with any feedback you might have.
SFF is launching a themed grant round focused on organizations working to advance human self-enhancement and empowerment (HSEE).
Clothing, wheels, antibiotics, paper, and eyeglasses all empower individuals to enhance their own bodies and minds at will. What could the next century of human self-enhancements look like? In the age of artificial intelligence, human self-enhancements take on an even greater importance in how we evolve. Artificial intelligence is a critical factor because if humanity isn’t careful, AI could entirely replace the human species, and we don’t want that.
Indeed, top experts in AI, including CEOs of major AGI companies and the most highly-cited AI researchers of all time, have already warned us about this by co-signing this statement:
“Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.” — aistatement.com/
Meanwhile, there is massive global demand for intelligence. For instance, all humans suffer from our vulnerability to disease, and our individual and collective intelligence is how we have alleviated ailments historically and will going forward. Antibiotics, smallpox vaccines, clean water supplies, iodized salt, and improved childbirth practices have all greatly enhanced human wellbeing, and were all derived from individual and collective intelligence. Global demand for intelligence is therefore very unlikely to decrease in the near future.
Human self-enhancement, especially intelligence enhancement, creates an alternative path for humans to keep pace with AI, both economically and ecologically, thereby empowering humanity to continue thriving and innovating for a better future.
The organizers of this grant round have created this theme round to support technical research advancing human self-enhancement technologies and philosophical research on how they should be used. We hope that by supporting research of human self-enhancement, we will empower individuals as well as humanity as a whole.
How do we want HSEE technologies to work? What ethical frameworks should guide their development and deployment? Which ones stand the best chance of helping humans everywhere to thrive in the era of artificial intelligence?
We expect recommendations will be announced by the end of November 2026. You can apply as a charity or for-profit (seeking either investment or non-dilutive funding).
This grant round will run independently from the three tracks of our Main Round. It will coordinate funding from the same Funder (Jaan Tallinn) as the Main Round, but have its own set of Recommenders with relevant expertise and experience related to human self-enhancement and empowerment. We estimate that $2-4MM in funding will be distributed in association with this round.
The organizers of this themed grant round welcome feedback on this announcement, especially from potential Recommender candidates and applicants. SFF Admin probably won’t have time to respond to all feedback, but it will still be helpful deciding on the final wording of this announcement. Please feel free to message sff-contact@googlegroups.com with any feedback you might have.
FAQ for Applicants
How long does it take to get funding?
Speculation Grants are disbursed on a rolling basis, with most organizations receiving funding within 1 month of their request being approved. In order for your application to be eligible in the current grant round, you must receive a Speculation Grant at most two weeks after the application deadline for the round you applied to.
An S-Process Grant Round takes about six to eight months to complete, with funding disbursed after the recommendations of that round have been announced.
For the 2026 S-Process Grant Round, we expect the following:
Main Round: recommendations announced in September, funding disbursed before the end of 2026.
Theme Rounds: recommendations announced in November, funding disbursed before the end of March 2027.
How long does the application take to complete?
This depends on a variety of factors. If you would like to take a look at a preview of the application before deciding to apply, check out this preview document.
What are my chances of getting funding / would you guys fund “x” / should I apply?
While we don't advise on questions of this nature, we are excited to be exploring new areas of philanthropy this year, compared to prior years’ recommendations.
How do I apply for a specific themed grant round?
Please submit the SFF Rolling Funding Application as well as the corresponding supplemental application for the themed round you would like to apply for:
No. A proposal is only evaluated in a single round.
Can I apply as a for-profit?
Yes. Companies seeking grants using this form must already be incorporated, have a company bank account. Funding may take the form of a non-dilutive grant or an investment, determined on a case-by-case basis. Non-dilutive grants will be accompanied by a letter like this: Award Letter Example for SFC Grant Recipient.
Can I apply as a charity?
Yes. Non-profit organizations seeking funding using this form must already have charity status, or be hosted or fiscally sponsored by an organization with charity status.
I/my entity is located outside the US. Can I apply?
We can recommend funding to charities/non-profits in any country except nations considered adversarial to the US.
We can recommend funding to for-profit companies only in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.
We may be able to recommend funding to for-profits outside the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. However, we may require stricter commitments to open-source development, or other legal restrictions, to ensure responsible expenditure of funds from the perspective of US charity laws and norms.
Can I submit late / after the stated deadline?
Yes, and it will automatically be submitted to the next grant round to be announced.
Who will see my application?
Your application may be viewed by SFF’s Fund Advisors, our affiliates, or anyone we choose to enlist in evaluating your application, for the present round and for any future rounds. We may also choose to share your applications with other Funders if we think they might be interested in funding your work or retroactively evaluating your work during other funding decisions. Beyond that, we will not share your materials or our evaluations further unless you grant us permission to do so. In the application form, we will ask you some additional questions about your preferences around information sharing/disclosure.
What is your approach to intellectual property?
By default, awarded grants will come with an obligation to release all intellectual property as open-source, open-access (CC-BY), and under permissive software licences (MIT + Apache 2), as applicable. (Notable exceptions to this policy include, for example, the design of tamper-evidencing components, whose effectiveness might be harmed by open-sourcing.)
Do I need to submit a separate Speculation Grant request in order to be eligible for consideration in the SFF-2026 S-Process Grant Round?
An applicant must receive a Speculation Grant in order to be guaranteed eligible for consideration in S-Process Grant Rounds, for all tracks. However, since the SFF Funding Rolling Application will automatically submit a Speculation Grant Request on your behalf, you do not need to submit a separate Speculation Grant request. Applicants may be notified and receive the Speculation Grant up to two weeks after the application deadline.
While few edge cases exist, over 95% of applications evaluated in past rounds received a Speculation Grant. A Recommender can also add an application directly by whitelisting it, although this is rare.
What are the deadlines for this round?
Round
Application deadline
Last date a Speculator can approve a Speculation Grant for the round
Main Round
April 22, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT
May 6, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT
Climate Change
June 10, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT
June 24, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT
Animal Welfare
June 24, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT
July 8, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT
Human Self-Enhancement and Empowerment
July 8, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT
July 22, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT
Application deadlines are as follows:
Main Round: April 22, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT
Climate Change: June 10, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT
Animal Welfare: June 24, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT
Human Self-Enhancement and Empowerment: July 8, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT
Speculation Grants can be approved up to two weeks past the round deadline for applications to still be eligible in the current S-Process Grant Round.
I missed the deadline for the current S-Process Grant Round, can I still apply?
Applications to S-Process Grant Rounds are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year, regardless of whether a Grant Round is open or not. If you submit an application after the S-Process Grant Round application deadline, your application will automatically be considered as a submission for the following S-Process Grant Round when it launches.
If I have submitted my materials by the relevant deadline and have not received a Speculation Grant, does that mean that my organization is not eligible for the grant round?
Not necessarily, Speculators have up to two weeks after an application deadline to continue making Speculation Grants that will be eligible for consideration in the current round. For all tracks in the Main Round this deadline is May 6, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT.
For the themed tracks, this is June 24, July 8, and July 22, 2026 respectively for Climate Change, Animal Welfare, and HSEE.
Please note, if you haven't received a Speculation Grant by those dates it does not necessarily mean your organization will never be awarded the Speculation Grant. This just means you have not been awarded a Speculation Grant that will make you eligible to be considered in the current S-Process Grant Round. Speculation Grants are made on a rolling basis, meaning any Speculation Grants made after these dates are honored and the applicant is automatically guaranteed eligible for consideration in the following grant round.
When do you expect funding to be distributed?
For recommendations made in the Main Round, we expect funding to be distributed sometime after recommendations are announced in September and before the end of 2026.
For recommendations made in the Theme Rounds, we expect funding to be distributed sometime after recommendations are announced in November, but before the end of March 2027.
These dates are subject to change.
What happens after I’ve applied?
After you’ve submitted your application, you should receive a confirmation email from Google Forms that contains an SFF Application ID and an edit link, should you desire to edit/update your response. Please keep track of this email and the application ID for documentation purposes.
Depending on when and which round/track you submit to, the evaluation process could take up to 3-5 months. We expect to announce the recommendation results from the S-Process throughout Fall 2026. You will be contacted regarding any updates on your application.
FAQ for Recommenders
Can I solicit applications?
Yes, you may solicit organizations to apply for a grant round. Please be aware of your own privacy preferences when reaching out to organizations and respect the privacy preferences of the other Recommenders.
Is my identity shared?
By default, we do not share the identities of Recommenders; however, Recommenders can adjust their privacy preferences using the Recommender Privacy Questionnaire any time during the round.
Do I need to evaluate every application?
No, but every application which was awarded a Speculation Grant is required to be at least skimmed by Recommenders. But, because Recommender time is a finite resource, we only require a skimming of every application, not a complete evaluation. We will allow — but not require — Recommenders to evaluate applications that did not receive Speculation Grants.
How did you choose me to be a Recommender?
In collaboration with our Funders for the round, we generate a list of candidates and invite individuals to the round.
When are my evaluations due?
Final inputs are due in the app by the end of the final Recommender Meeting (which will be communicated to you via email). No further adjustments may be made after the final meeting.
Can I whitelist applications that may not have received a Speculation Grant?
Yes, Recommenders can whitelist any application that has applied to the S-Process Round regardless of whether they received a Speculation Grant or not, provided the application was submitted within the proper timeframe for this round — late applications and applications eligible for a previous round are not eligible for whitelisting. Recommenders are obliged to view all applications, but are only required to review applications that have received Speculation Grants.
FAQ for Speculators
What is the last day that I can make Speculation Grants for them to be included in the current round?
Speculators have 2 weeks after the S-Process Grant Round application deadline to make Speculation Grants in order for the applicants to be included in the present round.
The deadlines for approving Speculation Grants for each round are:
Main Round: May 6, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT.
Climate Change: June 24, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT.
Animal Welfare: July 8, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT.
Human Self Enhancement and Empowerment: July 22, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT.
Speculation Grants can be made after the approval deadline for a given round, but they will be settled (remunerated to Speculator budgets) in the next grant round to be announced.
Speculation Grants are needed in order for S-Process applicants to be eligible for the grant round. In light of this, should I think differently about how I am making grants?
As Speculators, you should review applications as normal, granting to organizations you deem valuable. No drastic conceptual changes in how you grant are needed, although it may be useful for you to review whether an applicant indicates they are applying for either the Freedom and Fairness tracks or a themed round. Proposals that historically might not have been funded by an S-Process Grant Round might now be considered due to the introduction of the Freedom and Fairness tracks and the theme rounds, so keeping in mind the objectives of the new tracks and rounds might help with that.
Can I flag applications for consideration for a specific themed grant round?
Yes, when approving an application, Speculators should indicate which round it should be considered for — either a specific themed round or the main round. Full instructions on how to do this can be found in the Speculator Instructions and FAQ document.
SFF-2026 S-Process Grant Round General Information
Survival and Flourishing Fund (SFF) is organizing another S-Process Grant Round in collaboration with Jaan Tallinn and Survival and Flourishing Corp (SFC), planning to announce recommendations for all rounds and tracks throughout the Fall of 2026. We estimate that $20MM - $40MM in funding will collectively be distributed across all rounds and tracks:
The Funder of this round, Jaan Tallinn, has provided the following guidance regarding philanthropic priorities, which highlights areas of consideration for funding:
Applicants must be awarded a Speculation Grant in order to be guaranteed eligible for consideration in an SFF S-Process Grant Round. Completing the SFF Funding Rolling Application will automatically submit a Speculation Grant Request on your behalf. While few edge cases exist, over 95% of applications evaluated in past rounds received a Speculation Grant, as receiving a Speculation Grant guarantees eligibility in a round. A Recommender can also add an application directly by whitelisting it, although this is rare. You will be notified if you have received a Speculation Grant that guarantees your eligibility in the round up to 2 weeks after the application deadline of that round.
The SFF 2026 S-Process Grant Main Round will have two S-Process tracks in addition to the Main Track: the Freedom Track and the Fairness Track. The application process and requirements are the same as the Main Track, but applicants can specifically flag their application for consideration by Recommenders in the Freedom Track or the Fairness Track. To learn more about these tracks, please see the Freedom and Fairness Tracks Announcements.
SFF’s Theme Rounds are funding rounds focused on specific cause areas. For 2026, the themes are: Climate Change, Animal Welfare, and Human Self-Enhancement and Empowerment. The application process includes submission of the general SFF Funding Rolling Application, as well as submission of a supplemental application corresponding to the themed grant round they would like to be considered for. To learn more about the themed grant rounds, please see the Theme Round Announcement.
Continuing in the 2026 S-Process Grant Round is the SFF Matching Pledge Program. SFF Matching Pledges are commitments made by Funders of an S-Process round to match outside donations to a recipient at some rate (e.g. 2-to-1), up to the pledged amount. The goals of the Matching Pledge program include diversifying the funding landscape, providing encouragement to other donors who want to give more, and increasing the fundraising robustness and independence of S-Process grantees. Applicants can complete the Matching Pledge portion of the SFF Funding Rolling Application to be considered for the program.
Applications for all tracks (Main, Freedom, and Fairness) are due by the deadline of April 22, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT via the following form:
SFF Funding Rolling Application
Applications for all SFF Theme Rounds are due by the following deadlines via the above form as well as the corresponding supplemental application:
Climate Change Supplemental Application
Due June 10, 2026 at 11:59:59 PM PT
Animal Welfare Supplemental Application
Due June 24, 2026 at 11:59:59 PM PT
Human Self-Enhancement and Empowerment Supplemental Application
Due July 8, 2026 at 11:59:59 PM PT
Late applications will not be eligible for the current S-Process Grant Main Round or any SFF Theme Rounds and will instead be potentially eligible for consideration in the next grant round to be announced. Late applications are still eligible for Speculation Grants.
All guaranteed eligible applications will be evaluated in all tracks of the Main Round (Main, Freedom, and Fairness), but only SFF Theme Round applications will be considered for their corresponding themed grant round.
More information about the 2026 S-Process Grant Round can be found in the application form and in the FAQ below on this page, and answers to more general questions can be found in our General FAQ. If you have any further questions that are not answered through the above channels, please write to sff-contact@googlegroups.com.
SFF-2026 Main Track Announcement
We estimate that $10MM - $20MM in funding will be distributed in this track, with 6 Recommenders reviewing applications.
We hope grants made in this track collectively support fairness, freedom, and many other values essential for humanity’s survival and flourishing. For this reason, it has a larger budget than either of the specialized tracks.
Please review the SFF-2026 S-Process Grant Round General Information for information on the requirements for all tracks.
Applications for all tracks (Main, Freedom, and Fairness) are due by the deadline of April 22, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT via the following form:
SFF Funding Rolling Application
All guaranteed eligible applications will be evaluated in all tracks of the Main Round (Main, Freedom, and Fairness). We expect to have recommendations for the Main Round announced in September 2026.
SFF-2026 Freedom Track Announcement
AI technologies could be used to bring more freedom and autonomy to people and institutions everywhere. On the other hand, AI could also yield further concentrations of authority — whether in governments, corporations, or elsewhere — that oppress freedom of speech, hoard resources, and perpetuate tyranny.
How can we avoid these problems, and support uses of AI that strengthen freedom for humans and humanity? We’re specifically seeking applications addressing the following objectives:
This evaluation track has a budget of $2MM - $4MM with 3 Freedom Track Recommenders reviewing all applications, but especially Freedom Track flagged applications. Recommenders across all tracks in the Main Round will be able to evaluate all guaranteed eligible applications.
If you would like to flag your application to the Freedom Track Recommenders, you can indicate so in the SFF Funding Rolling Application. For details on how to apply, see the SFF-2026 S-Process Grant Round General Information.
We expect to have Main, Freedom, and Fairness recommendations announced in September 2026.
For more details on the Freedom Track, visit the Freedom and Fairness General Information Page.
SFF-2026 Fairness Track Announcement
AI technologies could be used to bring greater opportunities and prosperity to all of humanity at once. On the other hand, AI could also yield a further concentration of wealth and power, benefitting only a privileged few while creating risks and harmful externalities for everyone.
How can we avoid these problems, and support the use of AI to empower the disempowered? We’re specifically seeking applications addressing the following objectives:
This evaluation track has a budget of $2MM - $4MM with 3 Fairness Track Recommenders reviewing all applications, but especially Fairness Track flagged applications. Recommenders across all tracks in the Main Round will be able to evaluate all guaranteed eligible applications.
If you would like to flag your application to the Fairness Track Recommenders, you can indicate so in the SFF Funding Rolling Application. For details on how to apply, see the SFF-2026 S-Process Grant Round General Information.
We expect to have Main, Freedom, and Fairness recommendations announced in September 2026.
For more details on the Fairness Track, visit the Freedom and Fairness General Information Page.
SFF-2026 Theme Rounds Announcement
In an effort to diversify the types of organizations SFF funds, as well as expand our philanthropic cause areas, SFF is facilitating three themed S-Process Grant Rounds. The themes are:
For details on how to apply to an SFF-2026 S-Process Theme Round, please see the SFF-2026 S-Process Grant Round General Information or visit the specific themed grant round section.
About the Theme Rounds
The organizers of this grant round believe that an ethos of compassion and humanity is essential for stewarding a future where sentient beings, including humanity and beyond, survive and flourish. The specific themes aim to fund initiatives that may not have historically found support in prior S-Process Grant Rounds, but that are key funding areas for establishing a compassionate and humane future.
To apply for a theme round, applicants must first submit the SFF Funding Rolling Application, in addition to submitting a supplemental application that corresponds to the themed grant round they would like to be considered for.
All applicants must be approved and receive a Speculation Grant in order to be considered guaranteed eligible in any round. Speculators will be able to indicate if certain requests should be considered in a specific theme round, regardless of whether the application indicates so or not. So, for example, if you submit to the Main Round, a Speculator might determine you have a better shot at receiving a recommendation through a particular theme round, your application will be considered in that round.
While few edge cases exist, over 95% of applications evaluated in past rounds received a Speculation Grant. A Recommender can also add an application directly by whitelisting it, although this is rare. You will be notified if you have received a Speculation Grant that guarantees your eligibility in the round 2 weeks after the application deadline of that round.
Theme round applications will only be reviewed by the corresponding theme round Recommenders. The organizers of the round will carefully select Recommenders with backgrounds and expertise relevant to that theme.
SFF-2026 Climate Change Announcement
Step 1: Rolling Application
Step 2: Climate Change Supplemental Application
Preliminary announcement; pending feedback
SFF is launching a themed grant round focused on organizations working to address the causes and effects of climate change.
Since the industrial revolution, human industrial activities have had increasingly significant and measurable impacts on the global environment. And, while the impact of AI on the environment is currently tiny on a global scale, much greater potential impacts — both positive and negative — are plausible over the coming decades. It may be difficult to measure or even imagine some of those impacts from the present. However, carbon emissions are an exception: they are a relatively easy-to-measure impact that is already visible and globally relevant, and thus a compelling focal point for action to protect and improve the health of our environment.
Climate change driven by human activity is already a contributor to rising global temperatures, which could have increasingly serious effects on wildlife and agriculture if continued, with some damage almost certainly incurred already. Rapidly advancing AI systems may accelerate the deployment of carbon-neutral energy solutions, but could also increase demand for energy, and thus have an important role to play on both sides of the climate equation.
While we are particularly interested in ways AI can be applied to address the negative effects of climate change, this themed grant round is not limited to that intersection. We welcome applications from organizations working across the full range of climate-related efforts, including: alternative energy, carbon capture, agricultural innovation, ecosystem restoration, policy advocacy, and more.
What is the technological path to fully sustainable energy? How can we slow, stop, or reverse the rise in atmospheric temperature from the last five decades? How do we ensure robust ecosystem health?
Tell us in your application!
Applications are due by June 10, 2026 at 11:59:59 PM PT via the submission of the S-Process Funding Rolling Application, as well as a submission of the Climate Change Supplemental Application. We will not be accepting late applications.
We expect recommendations will be announced by the end of November 2026. You can apply as a charity or for-profit (seeking either investment or non-dilutive funding). We estimate that $2-4MM in funding will be distributed in association with this round.
This grant round will run independently from the three tracks of our Main Round. It will coordinate funding from the same Funder (Jaan Tallinn) as the Main Round, but have its own set of Recommenders with relevant expertise and experience related to climate change.
For questions, please check out our FAQ, or reach out to sff-contact@googlegroups.com.
The organizers of this themed grant round welcome feedback on this announcement, especially from potential Recommender candidates and applicants. SFF Admin probably won’t have time to respond to all feedback, but it will still be helpful deciding on the final wording of this announcement. Please feel free to message sff-contact@googlegroups.com with any feedback you might have.
SFF-2026 Animal Welfare Announcement
Step 1: Rolling Application
Step 2: Animal Welfare Supplemental Application
Preliminary announcement; pending feedback
SFF is launching a themed grant round focused on organizations working to improve animal welfare.
SFF’s mission is to support the long-term survival and flourishing of sentient life, and we are highly confident that animals are sentient. Principles of compassion and justice toward sentient beings are principles that we humans would like to be applied to us, and SFF therefore aims to apply these same principles to other sentient beings as well.
Moreover, as AI capabilities continue to advance, humanity’s relationship to animal welfare takes on increased significance and urgency. The moral frameworks we develop and institutionalize now, including how we weigh the interests of non-human animals, have the potential to influence the values embedded in AI systems through the norms, laws, and training objectives that are set for them. Therefore, how humanity treats animals today may shape how AI systems treat all sentient life in the future.
While we are particularly interested in the intersection of AI and animal welfare, this themed grant round is not limited to that intersection. We welcome applications from organizations working to improve the welfare of animals through a variety of approaches, including: ethical treatment initiatives, legislative advocacy, development of alternative proteins, interspecies communication research, technological advancements in agriculture, and more.
How can we humans steer the future toward ever-improving principles of justice and compassion, for all sentient beings? What insights can we gain from interspecies communication that shape how we relate to other beings? What types of technological advancements can help get us there?
Tell us in your application!
Applications are due by June 24, 2026 at 11:59:59 PM PT via the submission of the S-Process Funding Rolling Application, as well as the Animal Welfare Supplemental Application. We will not be accepting late applications.
We expect recommendations for this round will be announced by the end of November 2026. You can apply as a charity or for-profit (seeking either investment or non-dilutive funding).
This grant round will run independently from the three tracks of our Main Round. It will coordinate funding from the same Funder (Jaan Tallinn) as the Main Round, but have its own set of Recommenders with relevant expertise and experience related to animal welfare. We estimate that $2-4MM in funding will be distributed in association with this round.
For questions, please check out our FAQ, or reach out to sff-contact@googlegroups.com.
The organizers of this themed grant round welcome feedback on this announcement, especially from potential Recommender candidates and applicants. SFF Admin probably won’t have time to respond to all feedback, but it will still be helpful deciding on the final wording of this announcement. Please feel free to message sff-contact@googlegroups.com with any feedback you might have.
SFF-2026 Human Self-Enhancement and Empowerment (HSEE) Announcement
Step 1: Rolling Application
Step 2: HSEE Supplemental Application
Preliminary announcement; pending feedback
SFF is launching a themed grant round focused on organizations working to advance human self-enhancement and empowerment (HSEE).
Clothing, wheels, antibiotics, paper, and eyeglasses all empower individuals to enhance their own bodies and minds at will. What could the next century of human self-enhancements look like? In the age of artificial intelligence, human self-enhancements take on an even greater importance in how we evolve. Artificial intelligence is a critical factor because if humanity isn’t careful, AI could entirely replace the human species, and we don’t want that.
Indeed, top experts in AI, including CEOs of major AGI companies and the most highly-cited AI researchers of all time, have already warned us about this by co-signing this statement:
Meanwhile, there is massive global demand for intelligence. For instance, all humans suffer from our vulnerability to disease, and our individual and collective intelligence is how we have alleviated ailments historically and will going forward. Antibiotics, smallpox vaccines, clean water supplies, iodized salt, and improved childbirth practices have all greatly enhanced human wellbeing, and were all derived from individual and collective intelligence. Global demand for intelligence is therefore very unlikely to decrease in the near future.
Human self-enhancement, especially intelligence enhancement, creates an alternative path for humans to keep pace with AI, both economically and ecologically, thereby empowering humanity to continue thriving and innovating for a better future.
The organizers of this grant round have created this theme round to support technical research advancing human self-enhancement technologies and philosophical research on how they should be used. We hope that by supporting research of human self-enhancement, we will empower individuals as well as humanity as a whole.
How do we want HSEE technologies to work? What ethical frameworks should guide their development and deployment? Which ones stand the best chance of helping humans everywhere to thrive in the era of artificial intelligence?
Tell us in your application!
Applications are due by July 8, 2026 at 11:59:59 PM PT via submission of the S-Process Funding Rolling Application, as well as the HSEE Supplemental Application. We will not be accepting late applications.
We expect recommendations will be announced by the end of November 2026. You can apply as a charity or for-profit (seeking either investment or non-dilutive funding).
This grant round will run independently from the three tracks of our Main Round. It will coordinate funding from the same Funder (Jaan Tallinn) as the Main Round, but have its own set of Recommenders with relevant expertise and experience related to human self-enhancement and empowerment. We estimate that $2-4MM in funding will be distributed in association with this round.
For questions, please check out our FAQ, or reach out to sff-contact@googlegroups.com.
The organizers of this themed grant round welcome feedback on this announcement, especially from potential Recommender candidates and applicants. SFF Admin probably won’t have time to respond to all feedback, but it will still be helpful deciding on the final wording of this announcement. Please feel free to message sff-contact@googlegroups.com with any feedback you might have.
FAQ for Applicants
How long does it take to get funding?
Speculation Grants are disbursed on a rolling basis, with most organizations receiving funding within 1 month of their request being approved. In order for your application to be eligible in the current grant round, you must receive a Speculation Grant at most two weeks after the application deadline for the round you applied to.
An S-Process Grant Round takes about six to eight months to complete, with funding disbursed after the recommendations of that round have been announced.
For the 2026 S-Process Grant Round, we expect the following:
How long does the application take to complete?
This depends on a variety of factors. If you would like to take a look at a preview of the application before deciding to apply, check out this preview document.
What are my chances of getting funding / would you guys fund “x” / should I apply?
While we don't advise on questions of this nature, we are excited to be exploring new areas of philanthropy this year, compared to prior years’ recommendations.
How do I apply for a specific themed grant round?
Please submit the SFF Rolling Funding Application as well as the corresponding supplemental application for the themed round you would like to apply for:
Can I apply to multiple themed grant rounds?
No. A proposal is only evaluated in a single round.
Can I apply as a for-profit?
Yes. Companies seeking grants using this form must already be incorporated, have a company bank account. Funding may take the form of a non-dilutive grant or an investment, determined on a case-by-case basis. Non-dilutive grants will be accompanied by a letter like this: Award Letter Example for SFC Grant Recipient.
Can I apply as a charity?
Yes. Non-profit organizations seeking funding using this form must already have charity status, or be hosted or fiscally sponsored by an organization with charity status.
I/my entity is located outside the US. Can I apply?
We can recommend funding to charities/non-profits in any country except nations considered adversarial to the US.
We can recommend funding to for-profit companies only in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.
We may be able to recommend funding to for-profits outside the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. However, we may require stricter commitments to open-source development, or other legal restrictions, to ensure responsible expenditure of funds from the perspective of US charity laws and norms.
Can I submit late / after the stated deadline?
Yes, and it will automatically be submitted to the next grant round to be announced.
Who will see my application?
Your application may be viewed by SFF’s Fund Advisors, our affiliates, or anyone we choose to enlist in evaluating your application, for the present round and for any future rounds. We may also choose to share your applications with other Funders if we think they might be interested in funding your work or retroactively evaluating your work during other funding decisions. Beyond that, we will not share your materials or our evaluations further unless you grant us permission to do so. In the application form, we will ask you some additional questions about your preferences around information sharing/disclosure.
What is your approach to intellectual property?
By default, awarded grants will come with an obligation to release all intellectual property as open-source, open-access (CC-BY), and under permissive software licences (MIT + Apache 2), as applicable. (Notable exceptions to this policy include, for example, the design of tamper-evidencing components, whose effectiveness might be harmed by open-sourcing.)
Do I need to submit a separate Speculation Grant request in order to be eligible for consideration in the SFF-2026 S-Process Grant Round?
An applicant must receive a Speculation Grant in order to be guaranteed eligible for consideration in S-Process Grant Rounds, for all tracks. However, since the SFF Funding Rolling Application will automatically submit a Speculation Grant Request on your behalf, you do not need to submit a separate Speculation Grant request. Applicants may be notified and receive the Speculation Grant up to two weeks after the application deadline.
While few edge cases exist, over 95% of applications evaluated in past rounds received a Speculation Grant. A Recommender can also add an application directly by whitelisting it, although this is rare.
What are the deadlines for this round?
Application deadlines are as follows:
Main Round: April 22, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT
Climate Change: June 10, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT
Animal Welfare: June 24, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT
Human Self-Enhancement and Empowerment: July 8, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT
Speculation Grants can be approved up to two weeks past the round deadline for applications to still be eligible in the current S-Process Grant Round.
I missed the deadline for the current S-Process Grant Round, can I still apply?
Applications to S-Process Grant Rounds are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year, regardless of whether a Grant Round is open or not. If you submit an application after the S-Process Grant Round application deadline, your application will automatically be considered as a submission for the following S-Process Grant Round when it launches.
If I have submitted my materials by the relevant deadline and have not received a Speculation Grant, does that mean that my organization is not eligible for the grant round?
Not necessarily, Speculators have up to two weeks after an application deadline to continue making Speculation Grants that will be eligible for consideration in the current round. For all tracks in the Main Round this deadline is May 6, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT.
For the themed tracks, this is June 24, July 8, and July 22, 2026 respectively for Climate Change, Animal Welfare, and HSEE.
Please note, if you haven't received a Speculation Grant by those dates it does not necessarily mean your organization will never be awarded the Speculation Grant. This just means you have not been awarded a Speculation Grant that will make you eligible to be considered in the current S-Process Grant Round. Speculation Grants are made on a rolling basis, meaning any Speculation Grants made after these dates are honored and the applicant is automatically guaranteed eligible for consideration in the following grant round.
When do you expect funding to be distributed?
For recommendations made in the Main Round, we expect funding to be distributed sometime after recommendations are announced in September and before the end of 2026.
For recommendations made in the Theme Rounds, we expect funding to be distributed sometime after recommendations are announced in November, but before the end of March 2027.
These dates are subject to change.
What happens after I’ve applied?
After you’ve submitted your application, you should receive a confirmation email from Google Forms that contains an SFF Application ID and an edit link, should you desire to edit/update your response. Please keep track of this email and the application ID for documentation purposes.
Depending on when and which round/track you submit to, the evaluation process could take up to 3-5 months. We expect to announce the recommendation results from the S-Process throughout Fall 2026. You will be contacted regarding any updates on your application.
FAQ for Recommenders
Can I solicit applications?
Yes, you may solicit organizations to apply for a grant round. Please be aware of your own privacy preferences when reaching out to organizations and respect the privacy preferences of the other Recommenders.
Is my identity shared?
By default, we do not share the identities of Recommenders; however, Recommenders can adjust their privacy preferences using the Recommender Privacy Questionnaire any time during the round.
Do I need to evaluate every application?
No, but every application which was awarded a Speculation Grant is required to be at least skimmed by Recommenders. But, because Recommender time is a finite resource, we only require a skimming of every application, not a complete evaluation. We will allow — but not require — Recommenders to evaluate applications that did not receive Speculation Grants.
How did you choose me to be a Recommender?
In collaboration with our Funders for the round, we generate a list of candidates and invite individuals to the round.
When are my evaluations due?
Final inputs are due in the app by the end of the final Recommender Meeting (which will be communicated to you via email). No further adjustments may be made after the final meeting.
Can I whitelist applications that may not have received a Speculation Grant?
Yes, Recommenders can whitelist any application that has applied to the S-Process Round regardless of whether they received a Speculation Grant or not, provided the application was submitted within the proper timeframe for this round — late applications and applications eligible for a previous round are not eligible for whitelisting. Recommenders are obliged to view all applications, but are only required to review applications that have received Speculation Grants.
FAQ for Speculators
What is the last day that I can make Speculation Grants for them to be included in the current round?
Speculators have 2 weeks after the S-Process Grant Round application deadline to make Speculation Grants in order for the applicants to be included in the present round.
The deadlines for approving Speculation Grants for each round are:
Main Round: May 6, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT.
Climate Change: June 24, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT.
Animal Welfare: July 8, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT.
Human Self Enhancement and Empowerment: July 22, 2026 11:59:59 PM PT.
Speculation Grants can be made after the approval deadline for a given round, but they will be settled (remunerated to Speculator budgets) in the next grant round to be announced.
Speculation Grants are needed in order for S-Process applicants to be eligible for the grant round. In light of this, should I think differently about how I am making grants?
As Speculators, you should review applications as normal, granting to organizations you deem valuable. No drastic conceptual changes in how you grant are needed, although it may be useful for you to review whether an applicant indicates they are applying for either the Freedom and Fairness tracks or a themed round. Proposals that historically might not have been funded by an S-Process Grant Round might now be considered due to the introduction of the Freedom and Fairness tracks and the theme rounds, so keeping in mind the objectives of the new tracks and rounds might help with that.
Can I flag applications for consideration for a specific themed grant round?
Yes, when approving an application, Speculators should indicate which round it should be considered for — either a specific themed round or the main round. Full instructions on how to do this can be found in the Speculator Instructions and FAQ document.