Rethink Priorities
Rethink Priorities is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit think-and-do tank founded in 2018 that researches animal welfare, global health, AI, and longtermism. It serves donors, foundations, policymakers, and journalists, and operates a Special Projects Program providing fiscal sponsorship to aligned initiatives.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Rethink Priorities firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rethink Priorities
- Legal name
- Rethink Priorities
- Website
- https://rethinkpriorities.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Rethink Priorities is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit think-and-do tank founded in 2018 that researches animal welfare, global health, AI, and longtermism. It serves donors, foundations, policymakers, and journalists, and operates a Special Projects Program providing fiscal sponsorship to aligned initiatives.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rethink Priorities industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Impact Research
- NAICS
- Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL) (BPADAEAB)
Keywords
Where Rethink Priorities is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rethink Priorities business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Donations and Philanthropic Funding: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Rethink Priorities relies primarily on donations from philanthropists and charitable foundations to fund its research operations.
- Consulting Services: Customized consulting services provided to organizations for strategic decision-making, impact analysis, and operational efficiency, generating revenue from professional service fees.
- Special Projects Program Fees: Fiscal sponsorship services with fees typically around 14% of project costs, varying based on needs, complexity, and scale of each sponsored project.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Special Projects Program - Fiscal Sponsorship |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Rethink Priorities product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rethink Priorities is a nonprofit think-and-do tank that conducts rigorous applied research across multiple cause areas — animal welfare, global health and development, surveys and data analysis, and worldview investigations — and translates findings into actionable recommendations. It additionally offers consulting services to aligned organizations and operates a Special Projects Program that provides fiscal sponsorship and operational support to emerging projects working on high-impact initiatives.
Product overview
Rethink Priorities is a think-and-do tank offering a portfolio of research services and consulting offerings organized around four core research areas: Animal Welfare Research, Global Health & Development Research, Surveys and Data Analysis, and Worldview Investigations. These research services are complemented by Consulting Services for tailored strategic support and the Special Projects Program for fiscal sponsorship and operational infrastructure. The portfolio is structured as interconnected research departments supported by service offerings, with research outputs informing consulting engagements and the Special Projects Program supporting initiatives aligned with the organization's mission areas.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Animal Welfare Research Applied research on farmed animal welfare, alternative proteins, and intervention strategies, intended for animal advocacy nonprofits, foundations, and policymakers.
- Global Health and Development Research Applied research on global health, poverty, and development interventions, intended for global health funders, NGOs, and policymakers.
- Surveys and Data Analysis Design, fielding, and analysis of surveys and quantitative datasets on a range of social-impact topics, intended for funders, advocacy groups, and academic collaborators.
- Worldview Investigations Research into public and expert worldviews, moral values, and meta-ethical questions that inform cause prioritisation, intended for funders and effective altruism-aligned organisations.
- Consulting Services Custom research and advisory engagements delivered to philanthropic foundations, NGOs, and other organisations working on social-impact causes.
- Special Projects Program (Fiscal Sponsorship) A program that provides fiscal sponsorship, operational support, and grant-making infrastructure to early-stage projects working on high-impact causes, allowing them to operate under Rethink Priorities' nonprofit umbrella.
Companies that use Rethink Priorities
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Rethink Priorities technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Rethink Priorities partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Rethink Priorities competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GiveWell: EA-aligned nonprofit research organization that evaluates the cost-effectiveness of charities to inform donor giving. Highly comparable as a fellow research-driven organization that serves the same donor and philanthropist customer segment with rigorous cause-prioritization work.
- Animal Charity Evaluators: Nonprofit research organization that evaluates the effectiveness of animal advocacy charities. Highly comparable as a fellow animal-welfare-focused research organization serving EA-aligned donors with cause prioritization outputs.
- Open Philanthropy: Major EA-aligned research and grantmaking organization conducting cause prioritization research across global health, animal welfare, and longtermism. Direct peer given overlapping research areas, donor base, and the same 'think-and-do' posture toward neglected problems.
- Founders Pledge: Nonprofit that encourages entrepreneurs to pledge a portion of their proceeds to high-impact causes, providing research on effective giving. Comparable as an EA-aligned organization supporting the same donor segment with cause-prioritization research.
- 80,000 Hours: EA-aligned nonprofit providing research-based career guidance to help people find high-impact work. Direct peer given shared EA donor base, research-driven outputs, and complementary mission around longtermism and effective giving.
Emerging players
- Foundational Research Institute: Research organization focused on longtermism and far-future cause prioritization. Comparable as a niche emerging player in the EA research ecosystem with overlapping worldview investigations and longtermism focus.
- Charity Entrepreneurship: Nonprofit incubator that researches and launches new high-impact charities. Comparable as an emerging player that combines research with operational launch support, mirroring Rethink Priorities' Special Projects Program.
Broad incumbents
- Tides Foundation: Large fiscal sponsor and incubator that provides operational infrastructure to projects and emerging nonprofits. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering fiscal sponsorship services that overlap with Rethink Priorities' Special Projects Program.
- Center for Global Development: Established think tank conducting policy research on global development and international affairs. Comparable as a broad incumbent in policy research serving foundations and policymakers, though focused specifically on international development.
Regional players
- GiveDirectly: EA-adjacent nonprofit delivering cash transfers in low-income countries, often informed by rigorous effectiveness research. Comparable as an organization operating at the intersection of rigorous evidence and direct impact, with a shared donor base though operating primarily in Africa.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Rethink Priorities social profiles
Digital presenceRethink Priorities financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rethink Priorities leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Rethink Priorities funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rethink Priorities M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rethink Priorities
What does Rethink Priorities do?
Rethink Priorities is a nonprofit think-and-do tank that conducts rigorous applied research across multiple cause areas — animal welfare, global health and development, surveys and data analysis, and worldview investigations — and translates findings into actionable recommendations. It additionally offers consulting services to aligned organizations and operates a Special Projects Program that provides fiscal sponsorship and operational support to emerging projects working on high-impact initiatives.
Is Rethink Priorities a public or private company?
Rethink Priorities is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Rethink Priorities founded?
Rethink Priorities was founded in 2018. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Rethink Priorities based?
Rethink Priorities is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Rethink Priorities make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Philanthropic Funding is the primary driver. The others are consulting Services and special Projects Program Fees.
Who are Rethink Priorities's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GiveWell, Animal Charity Evaluators, Open Philanthropy, Founders Pledge and 80,000 Hours. Emerging players are Foundational Research Institute and Charity Entrepreneurship. Broad incumbents are Tides Foundation and Center for Global Development. GiveDirectly is listed as a regional player.
Does Rethink Priorities have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rethink Priorities.
What industry is Rethink Priorities in?
Rethink Priorities's product category is Social Impact Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAFAO, Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes, with a secondary code of BPADAEAB, Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL). Its NAICS code is 54172 and its SIC code is 8742.