Gamifying Important Problems

This framework outlines the concept of using contests and challenges in philanthropy to create more engagement, leverage resources, and achieve greater impact compared to traditional giving methods.

Key Principles of Action-Oriented Philanthropy

• Gamification of charitable giving
• Incentivizing problem-solving through competitions
• Leveraging smaller investments to spur larger efforts
• Creating publicity and awareness around causes
• Encouraging innovation and creative solutions

Historical Examples

Nobel Peace Prize

• Created by Alfred Nobel in 1895
• 95% of assets left to foundation
• Annual prizes of ~$1 million in various categories
• Has lasted over 130 years with $612 million in current assets
• Winners include influential figures like Marie Curie, Martin Luther King Jr.

Orteig Prize (1919)

• $25,000 prize for first non-stop flight from New York to Paris
• Won by Charles Lindbergh
• Dramatically increased public interest in aviation
• Airline passengers increased from 5,000 to 300,000 after the flight

X Prize

• $10 million prize for reusable spacecraft
• Influenced Elon Musk and SpaceX's direction
• Helped create the commercial space industry

Benefits of Contest-Based Philanthropy

• Attracts multiple teams/individuals to work on a problem
• Often results in more investment than the prize amount
• Creates publicity and awareness for the cause
• Encourages innovation and out-of-the-box thinking
• Can spur entire industries or technological advancements

Modern Examples

• DARPA Grand Challenge (2003) - Autonomous vehicle competition
• Kaggle competitions - Data science and machine learning challenges
• Vesuvius Challenge - Using AI to decipher ancient scrolls
• Musk Foundation's $100 million carbon removal prize