Mentorship
At least three meetings with an experienced community-building mentor who knows your group, your goals, and the EA ecosystem.
Organizer Support Program (OSP)
Launch or grow an EA group at your university, in your city, or in your country. Online program with 1-on-1 mentorship and workshops.
9.4/10
average rating of mentors
600+
organizers across 43 countries
About OSP
Get guidance and resources
A semester-long program from experienced community builders at CEA, open to new and existing EA groups.
Workshops & templates
Workshops and resources covering event design, outreach, fellowship facilitation, and more.
Season or semester planning
Work through a planning document with your mentor to set goals and plan strategically for your next semester or season.
A community of organizers
Connect virtually with other organizers running EA groups around the world.
Prioritized access
PotentiallyPrioritized access to future CEA programs and opportunities.
Retreats
PotentiallyA retreat to meet other organizers and EA professionals in person.
A sample game plan
For new organizersA starter plan for your first semester or season, so you don’t have to design one from scratch.
A guide with resources
For new organizersA curated walkthrough of the resources you’ll lean on most as a new organizer.
Facilitator workshop
For new organizersA workshop to help you run your first introductory fellowship or seminar program.
Visit our EA Groups Resource Centre to learn more about applying for funding for your group.
Why organize
Running an EA group is one of the highest-impact things you can do
Multiply your impact
Organizing a student or local EA group is one of the highest-leverage volunteer roles you can take (80,000 Hours, 2021). By hosting events and facilitating discussions, you introduce peers to evidence-based ways to tackle pressing problems and channel them toward high-impact careers, multiplying your own lifetime impact.
Build career capital
Leading a group builds transferable career capital. You’ll practice project management, public speaking, marketing, budgeting, and volunteer coordination, all valued across fields (80,000 Hours, 2021).
“I have plenty of hiring managers within EA reach out to me asking for recommendations for group organizers. They say specifically that group organizers are often a good fit for these roles.”
Jessica McCurdyDirector of Community Growth at CEA
Have organizing experience? We’re also looking for mentors. Find out more and apply.
Testimonials
What organizers say about OSP
“My mentor’s advice on overall strategy is invaluable. I think they have an incredibly deep knowledge about community building, and it’s been super helpful to hear their thoughts and feelings about where the group is and where it needs to go.”
SR
Shep Riley
Effective Altruism University of Manchester
“I believe the group wouldn’t even exist [without OSP]! But if it had, I estimate it would have been around 5 times less impactful.”
João Lucas
impactRIO
“I would be completely lost without it, to be very honest. Talking to my mentor and other group organizers gave me a lot of clarity and direction that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”
YS
Yashas Shende
Effective Altruism Ashoka University
Timeline
Key dates for the Fall 2026 round
1
2
Step 2
Applications close
June 14
You may be contacted for a short chat between the deadline and the decision.
3
Step 3
Decisions sent
June 29
If accepted, you’ll be matched with a mentor shortly after.
4
Step 4
Program kick-off
July 11
At least three meetings with your mentor — ideally before the start of your semester.
OSP is for organizers of EA groups of all kinds — including both university groups and city or national (C&N) groups.
We expect organizers who meet both of the following criteria to get the most out of OSP:
- Organizers who have engaged, in a high-quality way, with EA concepts for at least 20 hours. The program is designed to work best for organizers who have already thought about a range of EA ideas and cause areas (e.g. by completing an intro fellowship or equivalent) and are comfortable facilitating group discussions or could be with workshops. We think high-fidelity EA programming is important, so we will be screening applicants for their familiarity with EA and potential for facilitating the type of difficult and high-level discussions that occur during an intro fellowship.
- Organizers whose EA groups are aiming to run an intro fellowship (or similar) this semester. The program is aimed at organizers at groups which aim to run at least an intro fellowship (or similar) this semester. OSP is a time commitment, so if you're unsure whether you can fit a fellowship into your schedule, we suggest not doing OSP and focusing the time you have on running group activities like a book club.
What do we mean by an introductory fellowship?An EA Introductory Fellowship is an 8-week program that aims to introduce people to core ideas and concepts in effective altruism. Alternative names used include the intro program, seminar series or Arete.It usually consists of (i) 1–2.5 hours of material that participants will complete in their own time, and (ii) weekly 1–1.5 hour discussion groups of 4–8 people that are moderated by someone who is more experienced.
Need more EA background?
- Our top recommendation is to apply to our online courses or an in-person equivalent.
- Alternatively, you can work through the EA Virtual Programs Intro Fellowship readings in the EA Handbook on your own, or read our checklist of things to do for people interested in EA on the EA Groups Resource Centre.
No — OSP does not include a stipend for organizers. You can find more information about group funding on the EA Groups Resource Centre. If the lack of an organizer stipend affects your ability to apply, we’d like to hear from you.
OSP initially involves three 1-hour calls with your mentor, plus a 1-hour kick-off and four optional 1-hour workshops. We also recommend a round-long commitment to weekly or biweekly check-in calls with your mentor.
Yes. OSP includes additional support for new organizers — a sample game plan for your first semester, a guide with helpful resources, and a facilitator workshop to run your first introductory fellowship.
The Pathfinder Fellowship, run by Kairos, focuses specifically on AI Safety university groups and may be a better fit.
Run an effective altruism group with support from CEA
Apply by June 14th to join the Fall 2026 cohort.