80,000 Hours is the largest EA career organization, reaching 10M+ readers and reporting 3,000+ significant career plan changes, with 80% of $10M+ funding from Coefficient Giving. Since 2016 they've prioritized AI safety, shifting explicitly to AGI focus in 2025, providing career guidance through their website, podcast, and job board.
Key Metrics
Funding Rounds
Facts
6Other Data
| Dimension | Rating | Evidence | Assessor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cumulative-funding | $10M+ | Primarily from Coefficient Giving | editorial | |
| funding-model | Philanthropic Grants | 80% from Coefficient Giving; 20% from other donors | editorial | |
| impact-metric | Career Plan Changes | 3,000+ self-reported significant changes | editorial | |
| independence | Newly Independent | Spun out from Effective Ventures in April 2025 | editorial | |
| key-outputs | Career Advice + Research | Problem profiles, career reviews, podcast, job board | editorial | |
| primary-focus | AI Safety Careers | Top priority since 2016; explicit AGI focus since 2025 | editorial | |
| scale | Largest EA Career Organization | 10M+ website readers; 400K+ newsletter subscribers | editorial | |
| target-audience | Analytical Altruists | College-educated, 18-45, English-speaking, impact-focused | editorial |
| Title | Date | EventType | Description | Significance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spin-out from Effective Ventures | 2025-04-01 | pivot | Became an independent nonprofit (April 1, 2025). | major | |
| Strategic shift to AGI focus announced | 2025 | pivot | Announced focus on navigating transition to powerful AGI. | major | |
| Niel Bowerman appointed CEO | 2024 | leadership-change | Former FHI Assistant Director takes over as CEO. | major | |
| Leadership transition — Howie Lempel becomes CEO | 2022 | leadership-change | Benjamin Todd moves from CEO to President; Howie Lempel becomes CEO. | major | |
| Reached 25 FTEs | 2022 | milestone | Organization nearly doubles in size. | moderate | |
| Reached 14 FTEs | 2020 | milestone | Steady organizational growth. | minor | |
| Podcast launch | 2017 | launch | Rob Wiblin begins hosting The 80,000 Hours Podcast. | moderate | |
| AI safety becomes top priority | 2016 | pivot | Identified risks from AI as the most pressing problem area. | major | |
| Published career guide book | 2016 | publication | 80,000 Hours: Find a fulfilling career that does good. | moderate | |
| Y Combinator acceptance | 2015 | milestone | One of the first nonprofits in YC; gained startup methodology and credibility. | major | |
| First full-time staff hired | 2012 | milestone | Organization professionalizes; begins systematic research. | moderate | |
| Co-founded EA movement | 2012 | milestone | Helped establish effective altruism alongside Giving What We Can and CEA. | major | |
| Founded at Oxford by Benjamin Todd and William MacAskill | 2011 | founding | Started as a student project; helped establish effective altruism alongside Giving What We Can and CEA. | major |
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