Jacob TrefethenHead of Life Sciences and Curing Diseases
Grantmaker · Funders · San Francisco, California
The OpenAI Foundation is a U.S. charitable grantmaking organization created to ensure artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits all of humanity. It is designed to pair (1) accelerated scientific and medical progress with (2) societally “preparatory” work—supporting resilience to advanced AI, and helping civil society and communities use and adapt to AI in practical ways.
The Foundation operates as the mission-governing nonprofit entity behind OpenAI’s operating structure, including control rights over OpenAI Group PBC’s board appointment and continued alignment of incentives around OpenAI’s mission. Its public-facing work is currently organized around three initial priority program areas: Life Sciences & Curing Diseases, AI Resilience, and Civil Society and Philanthropy (including people-first community grantmaking).
The Foundation announced it is hiring for more than 20 roles and described its current ramp-up strategy and program areas, including grants, partnerships, and building operational capacity.
AI for Civil Society and PhilanthropyThe Foundation posted a program update focused on using AI to support civil society and philanthropy, aligned with its “people-first” approach.
David Vélez and Robin Vince join OpenAI’s boardsOpenAI announced the appointment of David Vélez and Robin Vince to the boards of the OpenAI Foundation and OpenAI Group PBC.
Committing to communities: The 2026 People-First AI FundThe Foundation announced updates for the 2026 People-First AI Fund, including application timing and the next phase of community grantmaking.
Update on the People-First AI FundThe Foundation reported the second-wave People-First AI Fund grants ($9.5 million) and described the earlier first-wave awards, plus a renewed $50 million commitment for 2026 and application reopening date.
Resilience in the age of AIWojciech Zaremba outlined the Foundation’s AI resilience program framing, stated initial grant activity, and described focus areas such as bio-resilience, cyber-resilience, AI model safety, and AI impact on young people.