We’re excited to announce that we’ve reopened applications for the Charity Entrepreneurship Incubation Program and our Research Fellowship program for the following cohorts:
Charity Entrepreneurship
August 11th - October 3rd 2025
February-March 2026
AIM Research Program
September 29th -December 19th 2025
This post summarises the five new charity ideas recommended by our research team (which can also be read and shared as a standalone post here)
Apply now
You can now apply to any of these three programs through a single application form. Applications close on March 24th, and successful candidates will receive offers by June 13th. For the full application timeline and program details, visit our website.
Why should you apply to the Charity Entrepreneurship Incubation Program?
If you’re an ambitious, impact-driven individual looking to start a high-impact nonprofit, the Charity Entrepreneurship Incubation Program is your best launchpad. In just five years, we’ve helped start 40 evidence-based charities, disbursed $3.6M in seed grants, and incubated organizations that are estimated to be as much as 20 to 60 times more cost-effective than top GiveWell charities.
Our program provides expert mentorship, funding, and a proven process to turn ideas into field-leading organizations. If you’re ready to lead, think evidence-first, and maximize your impact, apply now and take the first step toward building something extraordinary.
Is the AIM Research Program for you?
Looking to develop high-impact research skills? The AIM Research Program is a fully funded, 12-week opportunity designed to equip you with the tools to produce decision-relevant research for real-world impact. You’ll gain hands-on experience, expert mentorship, and access to pre-vetted, high-impact research topics—all while contributing to meaningful change. Whether you're an early-career researcher, a professional expanding your skills, or new to research with a passion for impact, this program is your chance to develop essential skills and make a difference.
NB: Applications are now closed for the April 4th cohort of the AIM Research Program
Introducing our newest recommended ideas
We are excited to share five new recommendations—each a promising opportunity for a co-founding pair looking to create high-impact organizations that help people live longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives.
In the latter half of 2024, we explored two key ideas:
Income and economic-growth-generating interventions
Potential replication of past recommendations
Our latest recommendations span multiple sectors and approaches, including:
Evaluating existing organizations
Scaling proven, cost-effective education interventions
Expanding access to robust neonatal treatments
Reducing risks from informal lead-acid battery recycling
Below is a brief summary of each recommendation, with links to further details on our website. Full reports will be published in the week of February 17th.
We extend our deep appreciation to the dozens of experts who contributed their time and insights and to the group of AIM Research Program fellows who supported this research agenda: Ashley Motta, Christine Tan, Emma Richardson, Karam Elabd, Micaella Rogers, Mitchell Laughlin, Soemano Zeijlmans, Thijs Jacobs, Vasco Amaral Grilo, and Veevek Doolabh.
Establishing an evaluator of livelihood-focused non-profits
We believe a pair of skilled co-founders with research and marketing expertise should launch a non-profit evaluator focused on interventions aimed at improving livelihoods, particularly for people living in low-resource settings. While several strong evaluators operate in this space, their moral weights often (though not always) prioritize saving lives over improving them. This may not align with the moral commitments or focus areas of some philanthropic funders.
We are excited by the prospect of contributing to a broader and more dynamic market of evaluators—one that ultimately drives increased donations to the very best non-profit work out there.
Differentiated learning for foundational literacy and numeracy
We recommend launching a non-profit that implements differentiated learning (DL) in neglected settings. Based on the Teaching at the Right Level program developed by NGO Pratham, DL groups children by learning level rather than age, providing targeted instruction to improve foundational literacy and numeracy. It is one of the most extensively studied education interventions in LMICs and consistently ranks among the most effective and cost-effective.
While it has been adopted in multiple countries, there remains a need for more high-quality implementers in new geographies—a gap we would be excited to help close.
Kangaroo Care (KC) for low-birth-weight babies
Following the incubation and early signs of success of AIM-incubated charity Ansh, we would be excited to see another new charity working to expand access to Kangaroo Care (KC).
KC is a low-cost, easy-to-administer neonatal care intervention proven to reduce neonatal mortality and morbidity. It involves skin-to-skin contact between low birth-weight babies and caregivers, offering a simple yet transformative solution—particularly in low-income countries that lack access to incubators. With nearly 1.9 million babies dying prematurely every year—80% of whom were born underweight—KC could have a significant impact.
We estimate that by embedding KC capacity in hospitals in high-burden countries like Pakistan, a new charity could reach 18,000 babies annually at scale, averting one disability-adjusted life year (DALY) for as little as $50.
Advocacy for used lead-acid battery recycling regulation
The recycling of used lead-acid batteries (ULABs) is likely one of the largest sources of lead exposure. ULABs can be recycled in various ways, ranging from highly polluting, informal recycling sites to well-managed, formal recycling plants. This proposed charity would work with governments in LMICs to implement regulatory solutions that reduce the environmental and health hazards associated with ULAB recycling. Despite the magnitude of this issue, very little effort is currently directed toward solving it.
Building on the past incubation of the Lead Exposure Elimination Project (LEEP) and Lead Research for Action (LeRA), we would be eager to support a dedicated team focused specifically on ULAB recycling regulation.
Using mass communication to improve learning outcomes
Providing information about the benefits, costs, and quality of education—particularly when these factors are not widely recognized—has been shown in multiple studies to be a low-cost way to improve both attendance and learning outcomes. The Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP) highlights these interventions as “great buys” due to their evidence base and cost-effectiveness.
Despite their endorsement by experts and promising pilot studies, we feel there is a lack of cost-effectiveness-minded organizations delivering these interventions at scale and supporting other actors to do so.
Apply to our program to help launch these organizations
Unfamiliar with our program? The Charity Entrepreneurship Incubation Program is a free 2-month training program that helps you find an evidence-based idea for a new charity, a talented co-founder to build a new organization with, and up to $200,000 in seed funding. We have successfully incubated 40 charities, reaching 35+ million people and 1+ billion animals. Read about the success stories of some of our charities, or learn more about what it’s like to be on the program.
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