Alexander Berger
albrgr.bsky.social
Alexander Berger
@albrgr.bsky.social
CEO of Coefficient Giving
Congrats to Sasha Gallant, Michael Kremer, @otisreid.bsky.social, and everyone who made this possible.

And thank you to @APnews.com for covering the launch: apnews.com/article/div...
With $48M in philanthropic backing, a division of USAID relaunches as a nonprofit
A division of the U.S. Agency for International Development eliminated by Trump administration cuts last year was reborn Thursday as an independent nonprofit.
apnews.com
February 7, 2026 at 5:00 PM
But while philanthropy can supplement government development aid, it can't replace it. Gov development aid is ~$200B/year globally; philanthropic is ~$12B.

What the DIV Fund *can* do is help every dollar — public or private — go further by identifying some effective solutions.
February 7, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Now, as an independent nonprofit, the DIV Fund can keep doing this work — and in some ways do it better. Philanthropic funding means more flexibility, faster decisions, and the freedom to take riskier bets on unconventional ideas.
February 7, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Example: DIV funded Evidence Action to expand the use of chlorine dispensers at community water sources from a pilot to broad implementation. That catalytic bet built evidence that brought in governments + other funders. Today, those dispensers save thousands of lives every year.
February 7, 2026 at 5:00 PM
For over a decade, DIV operated inside USAID as a discovery engine: finding low-cost, high-impact interventions, funding rigorous testing, and building the evidence base that convinced governments and other funders to scale them up.
February 7, 2026 at 5:00 PM
And here's a talk from Beren on related topics: post-agi.org/talks/milli...
The Post-AGI Workshop: Economics, Culture and Governance | San Diego 2025
Join us in San Diego on December 3rd, 2025 to explore post-AGI economics, culture, and governance. Co-located with NeurIPS.
post-agi.org
January 14, 2026 at 7:23 PM