# Experimental EA funding [crosspost]

Over the course of 2015, we will be distributing $10,000 to **completed** projects which we believe will have a significant **long-term **humanitarian impact.

These awards are being made in exchange for certificates of impact. Here's how it works: you tell us about something good you did. We offer you some money. Rather than considering a complicated counterfactual ("How well will this money be spent if I don't take it?"), we encourage you to accept our offer if and only if you would be willing to **undo** the humanitarian impact of your project in exchange for the money. For more details, see [here](http://impactpurchase.org/certificates-of-impact/ "Certificates of impact").

I originally posted this at the [EA forum](http://effective-altruism.com/r/main/ea/fk/10k_of_experimental_ea_funding/), but it may also be of interest to people here. We are open to funding writing or research on many perennial LW topics (methodological issues, small experiments, lifehacks, useful futurism, etc.).

Why are we buying certificates instead of making grants? Just as market prices help coordinate and incentivize the efficient production of commercial products, they could also help coordinate and incentivize efficient altruism. We also think that [paying for performance ](http://impactpurchase.org/why-certificates/paying-for-effort-vs-paying-for-results/ "Paying for effort vs. paying for results")[after the fact](http://impactpurchase.org/why-certificates/prediction-vs-retrospective-evaluation/ "Projections vs. evaluations") has a number of big advantages. Not convinced yet? See a [more complete answer](http://impactpurchase.org/why-certificates/ "Why certificates?").

Applications will include an asking price, the minimum amount of money that would be enough to compensate you for undoing the humanitarian impact of the project. The actual awards will be determined by combining the asking prices with our[impact assessments](http://impactpurchase.org/evaluations/ "Impact evaluations") in [a (truthful) auction](http://impactpurchase.org/the-auction/ "The (reverse) auction"). Instead of buying 100% of your project's impact, we'll buy some a fraction less than 50% (at your discretion).

The awards will be made in ten $1,000 rounds, spread over the course of the year. **The deadline for the first round is March 25. **We'll post the results of each round as they occur. New proposals can be made in between rounds. Once an application is submitted it will be considered in each round unless it is withdrawn.

If you are interested, submit an application [here](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1D1PlHNi_7ya9iI1StsR5vSraDvcjTFk-fk-DIUYFtu4/viewform?usp=send_form). The application process is designed to be as straightforward as possible. [Learn about](http://impactpurchase.org/what-we-fund/ "Our funding priorities") the kind of work we are most interested in, and see our [other restrictions](http://impactpurchase.org/restrictions-2/ "Restrictions"). If you have other questions or comments, contact us at[contact@impactpurchase.org](mailto:contact@impactpurchase.org) or discuss the project at the effective altruism forum.

[impactpurchase.org](http://impactpurchase.org/) contains other information about the project, and will describe awards as they are made.

"We" is currently Paul Christiano and Katja Grace. If you are interested in purchasing certificates of impact as part of this effort, we'd love to hear from you.