Request for Proposals

Programs and Research to
Alleviate Human Suffering

Applications accepted on a rolling basis.

We make funding decisions every few months. We expect that most applicants will receive a response within six months after submission.

SECTION A: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Weiss Asset Management Foundation invites proposals from organizations and researchers that engage in highly cost-effective work to alleviate human suffering in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

1. About Weiss Asset Management Foundation

The mission of Weiss Asset Management Foundation is to reduce human suffering globally. With an Allocation Committee composed of development economists and practitioners, we support evidence-based, cost-effective programs and research that we believe will yield a high, risk-adjusted social return on investment.

Examples of prior grants include support for evidence-based nutrition programming for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, policy-oriented research to reduce barriers to vaccination programs, and technical assistance for government water-purification efforts.

2. Our Funding Philosophy

We seek to support organizations that deliver evidence-based programming; researchers that generate evidence to directly inform programs or policies; and entities that seek to leverage efforts to improve how governments, organizations and programs operate. 

We aim to maximize the impact of our resources on reducing suffering and thus judge proposals on the expected return per dollar of the grant. We encourage applicants to limit the amount of funds they request; doing so may increase the probability that we approve their proposals. We also weigh the likelihood that other funders would support the proposal. For applicants seeking general support, the committee looks favorably on proposals that demonstrate a plausible pathway to sustained funding.

Our goal is to reduce suffering by enabling high-impact, highly cost-effective activities that otherwise would not take place. We are willing to fund risky projects that other donors would not support as long as the expected value is sufficiently high. We think about expected value as the probability of success times the consequences if successful. To assist us in evaluating expected value, we request that applicants articulate the proposed project’s impact on outcomes, relative to the counterfactual. Please see Section D below for instructions on information required in proposals.

SECTION B: GRANT INFORMATION

1. Amount of Grants

We anticipate that most grants will range from approximately $50,000 to $1.5 million. There is no lower bound, and in exceptional circumstances, grants may exceed $1.5 million.

2. Duration of Grants

Grants may last for up to three years (36 months). The Foundation does not renew grant support after the funding period concludes.

SECTION C: ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Applicants 

We accept proposals from U.S. and non-U.S. applicants that are researchers, institutes, non-governmental organizations, or governmental entities. Organizations must be secular in purpose. Graduate students are eligible only if they are partnering with a faculty Principal Investigator.

We do not accept proposals from applicants that are for-profit entities or are political or lobbying entities. 

2. Grant Types

We welcome all proposals related to our goal of reducing human suffering globally. We expect most grants to fall into the following two categories:

a. Project-based Support: We support work for specific initiatives.

i. Research with high potential for impact on policy or programs;

ii. Technical assistance; 

iii. Operational innovations and experiments for unique programmatic opportunities; and 

iv. Support for proven, cost-effective programs that face funding gaps.

Note: For research proposals, we prioritize rigorous causal identification, data science for targeting, and important monitoring or descriptive work that could lead to action. We deprioritize simple correlations or purely qualitative work.

b. General Support: We also provide general support for highly cost-effective organizations or programs.

3. Ineligible Costs and Activities

We do not fund the following activities or costs:

a. Indirect Costs:  For universities and colleges, we do not fund indirect costs (e.g., a percentage for overhead). Instead, for universities and colleges, we fund only those costs that are necessary for the success of the project, are directly attributed to eligible activities, and are itemized in the proposed budget.

Applicants from universities and colleges might consider discussing with their institutional grants office possible accommodation of attribution of direct costs in lieu of indirect costs.

b. Medical Trials: We do not fund medical trials with the primary objective of developing new drugs or treatments or medical trials that otherwise advance basic natural or physical science. In certain cases, we will consider studies of ways to address nutrition issues. We will also consider funding proposals for applied research that has a substantial implementation science or program delivery element. For example, out-of-scope proposals would include research that could lead to new vaccines. On the other hand, in-scope proposals might include work to increase uptake of immunizations.

c. Lobbying Activities: We do not fund activities to influence legislation, whether in the United States or in other countries. If your activity or larger program includes in any part legislative advocacy or other efforts to influence legislation, your proposal must identify those efforts and specify the precise nature of and budget for the efforts.

SECTION D: INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

General Information

Applicants must submit proposals using the Proposal Submission Form linked below. Due to our small team size, we are unable to respond to questions or otherwise discuss proposals.

Please enter answers to each question directly into the Proposal Submission Form. All proposals must be in English. For any lists, please use numbers rather than bullet points for ease of reference.

Detailed Instructions

Please respond to Questions 1–7 in the Proposal Submission Form. Applicants must also attach certain items as indicated in the Required Attachments section below. In particular, please note that proposals that primarily involve research activities must attach a full Research Proposal as described in Attachment 7.

Question 1: Basic Information Please respond to the requests for basic information such as project title, organization name, budget request, etc.

(Optional Question) Identify Time Constraints (less than 100 words) The Foundation may review proposals in batches grouped by sector, region, or other categories, and our review might therefore be staggered. If your activity has a time constraint that makes it necessary to receive a decision before a certain date, please explain the time constraint here. Please note that requests for accelerated decisions are not guaranteed, and we ask that you do so only for genuinely time-sensitive proposals. Proposals considered for accelerated decisions may be held to a higher initial review standard.

Question 2: Executive Summary (less than 250 words) Provide an executive summary of the proposed activity. The summary must state the objective of the activity and specify the activities that Foundation funding would allow that otherwise would not occur. In activities for which Foundation funding covers only part of the activities, the summary must also specify what role Foundation funding would play in the full activity.

Question 3: Issue Background (less than 250 words) Briefly explain the problem that your proposal seeks to address. Describe the target population, including the total number of people who could potentially benefit from the proposed activities (both directly and indirectly through spillovers or catalytic effects, e.g., policy changes). 

Question 4: Activities, Evidence, and Strategic Plan Please describe the proposed activities and your strategic plan for achieving the desired outcomes. Include a discussion of the evidence for your approach, the range of possible outcomes, and any risks you anticipate.

Question 4.1: State the Goals (about 250-500 words) State the goals of your proposal, the actions you will take to achieve those goals, and a description of how you will implement those actions. Be as specific as possible, including location, duration, and mechanisms for implementing each set of activities. Please include services you will provide to each beneficiary, the number of beneficiaries served, and the cost per beneficiary served. Explain how this project would address the problem described in Question 3 and improve upon the status quo.  For research proposals, please also specify the type of study design (RCT, quasi-experiment, pre-post data, qualitative, other).

Question 4.2: State the Theory of Change (about 250-500 words) Please state the theory of change for your program. How do you expect the proposed activities to lead to the desired outcomes? Describe any potential indirect effects, leverage factors, catalytic effects, and paths to scale. If possible, specify the projected timeline for achieving these effects, as well as the expected number of beneficiaries and cost per beneficiary at scale. For research proposals, please also include the intended audience, and, if applicable, a plausible pathway by which the research would contribute to policy or program improvements.

Question 4.3: Describe the Evidence Base (about 250-500 words) What evidence gives you confidence in your proposed approach? Please discuss the evidence for each step in your theory of change. The evidence can be academic literature, internal data, or other supportive material. For each source of evidence, please state the empirical method (RCT, quasi-experimental, pre-post, qualitative, etc.), whether it is from an internal or external evaluation, the time and location of data collection, and the key findings. Evaluate the strength of the evidence, including the expected magnitude of any effects. For research proposals, please also include information on the specific knowledge gaps your research will fill, and explain how your research will add value for future decision makers.

Question 4.4: Describe Possible Outcomes (about 250-500 words) Please describe the expected outcome if the project achieves low, moderate, and high levels of success. Discuss what measures you will take to increase the likelihood of achieving the desired outcomes. If possible, please include estimates of the number reached and cost per person in each scenario (in both the short and long run).

Question 4.5: Identify Risks (about 250-500 words) What are the biggest risks for the success of your project, and how likely are these risks to occur? Please describe both risks to successful implementation and risks of harm (e.g., negative spillover effects). Explain how you plan to mitigate these risks, and discuss what would cause you to drop or revise the proposed project.

Question 5: Team and Organization For applicants that are operating entities, please respond only to Questions 5.1 and 5.2. For applicants that are universities, colleges, or researchers, please respond only to Question 5.3.

Question 5.1 Organizational Structure (Operating Entities Only) (about 250-500 words) State the structure or business model of your organization, including both current structure and structure at scale.

Question 5.2 Current Activities (Operating Entities Only) (about 250-500 words) State the current activities and current team of your organization. Provide a brief statement of capabilities of key personnel, and submit their resumes as attachments as instructed below. Specify which portion of Foundation funding would pay for the current activities and team as opposed to expanded activities and team. Please include details on the current number of beneficiaries and the current cost per beneficiary served. When calculating costs, please make sure to include the full costs of service delivery.

Question 5.3 Key Researchers (Universities, Colleges, Researchers Only) (about 250-500 words) Provide a brief statement of qualifications of the principal investigators and other key investigators, and submit their resumes as attachments as instructed below.

Question 6: Impact, Measurement, and Cost-Effectiveness We are particularly interested in work that is highly cost-effective in improving outcomes related to human suffering. Please provide information on the expected impact on outcomes and the cost-effectiveness of this proposal, using quantitative measures where possible.

Question 6.1: Define Outcomes (about 250-500 words) What are the primary individual-level outcomes (not outputs or inputs) that you seek to improve through your project? A non-exhaustive list of examples could include increased income, deaths averted, DALYs averted.

Question 6.2: State the Projected Impact (about 250-500 words) Please give your best projection of the impact your activity will have on the outcomes you identified in Question 6.1 above. Discuss your confidence in these estimates. If applicable, consider the number of people reached and the share of those people that you realistically expect to experience improvements as a result of your work. Explain how you are estimating these numbers.

Question 6.3: Describe the Measurement Plan (about 250-500 words) What indicators or proxies will you measure, how and when will you measure them, and will there be a control group? Please describe your plans for data collection and analysis, and explain what measures you will take to ensure high data quality. If you plan to measure intermediate indicators or outputs rather than final outcomes, please justify this approach (e.g., the program is too early-stage for rigorous evaluation, there is a sufficient existing evidence base, there is insufficient funding, etc.). For research proposals, please refer to your responses in the attached Research Proposal as appropriate.

Question 6.4: Discuss Cost-Effectiveness (about 250-500 words) Please discuss the expected cost-effectiveness of your proposed activities (i.e., impact per dollar spent). Include a description of the key costs and cost drivers involved in implementing these activities, and explain how you expect them to change over the short and long run. If possible, please share any evidence you have for these costs (or plans to collect cost data), and explain why your project could be more cost-effective than existing alternatives. If you have constructed any cost-effectiveness models, you may upload them in the attachments section. For research proposals, please discuss the expected cost-effectiveness of the program or activity you plan to evaluate.

Question 7: Budget

Question 7.1 (about 250 words) Please provide a budget narrative, justifying key line items. Why is this amount necessary for the success of the project and to reduce suffering?

Question 7.2 (about 250 words) Please state what you will do if we do not select your proposal for funding? What additional funding sources will you apply for, or what alternative activity will you pursue instead?

Question 7.3 (about 250 words) Please state whether you are using separate, unrestricted funding to support this work. If your organization has unrestricted funding, please explain why you are not using the unrestricted funding to support this work. 

Question 7.4 Please provide a detailed proposal budget, using this Budget Form Template, which you must attach per the instructions in Attachment 1 below. Note that the Budget Form Template requires you to provide budget information on your full project, including identification by name of other sources of funding and clarification on whether you are seeking or have already received the funding. 

Note: For universities and colleges, we will fund only those costs that are necessary for the success of the project, are directly attributed to eligible activities, and are itemized on the submitted budget form. Applicants from universities and colleges might consider discussing with their institutional grants office possible accommodation of attribution of direct costs in lieu of indirect costs.

Required Attachments Applicants must submit the following attachments: 

Attachment 1 Budget Form for Proposal: All applicants must submit a detailed proposal budget using this Budget Form Template. The budget must include all costs for your full project, including the identification by name of other sources of funding and clarification on whether you are seeking or have already received the funding. You must submit BOTH an Excel sheet AND a PDF version of the Budget Form. For universities and colleges, please ensure that the budget does not include indirect costs.

Attachment 2 IRS Returns (for U.S.-based Organizations): You must submit your two most recent returns filed with the Internal Revenue Service.

Attachment 3 IRS Letter (for U.S.-based Organizations): You must submit your organization’s most recent IRS determination letter that shows your tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status.

Attachment 4 Audited Financial Statements (for All Organizations More Than Three Years Old): Please submit your most recent Audited Financial Statements, including the auditor’s letter.

Attachment 5 Operating Budget (for Organizations Other than Universities and Colleges): You must submit your full entity-wide operating budget from each of the previous two fiscal years. Your budgets must identify sources of income.

Attachment 6 Resumes of Key Personnel: For applicants that are operating entities, you must attach resumes of key personnel. For applicants that are universities, colleges, or researchers, you must attach resumes of principal investigators, and you may attach resumes of other key investigators.

Attachment 7 For Research Proposals Only: If the primary aim of your proposal is to generate evidence through research activities, you must submit a full Research Proposal. Please ensure that proposals adhere to our policy on medical trials (above) and that randomized trials include either a plan for stratification or an explanation for why stratification is not feasible or is potentially harmful.

Attachment 8 Other: You may also attach any other documents you would like us to consider, such as cost-effectiveness analyses or impact evaluations. Please note that we will prioritize review of answers in the Proposal Submission Form and may not review attachments of all applications.

Once you submit your application, you will receive an email confirming that we have received your submission. Please do not resubmit your proposal.


To submit a proposal, you must agree that we can share your proposal materials with our reviewers and with other donors.

SECTION E: INFORMATION ON REVIEW OF PROPOSALS

We will begin review of proposals shortly after submission. We expect to select a number of proposals for further review by external reviewers who have specialized expertise relevant to the proposal. External reviewers include both researchers and faculty from academia as well as international development practitioners. 

We anticipate that we will have one or more rounds of additional questions for certain applicants before we make funding decisions.

We will notify all applicants of the final decision status of their application. We do not expect to be able to provide individualized feedback to every applicant.