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Founded in 2015 by David Goldberg, Founders Pledge is a London-based philanthropic organization empowering entrepreneurs to commit a portion of their future business exit proceeds to high-impact charities. As of March 2026, the global community of over 2,200 members across 45 countries has pledged more than $12.9 billion to charitable causes and deployed over $1.7 billion in actual charitable donations. The growing membership base features prominent technology executives, including leaders from recognizable companies such as Klarna, Wise, and Canva. Operating with fewer than 25 employees, the organization provides research, advisory support, and capital deployment resources to maximize philanthropic impact without charging any membership fees. Currently led by CEO Charlotte Monico and President David Goldberg, the entity's operating expenses are financially supported by generous donors, corporate partners like Pictet, and major foundations such as Open Philanthropy.
Key people at Founders Pledge.
Founders Pledge was founded in 2015 by Andy McLoughlin (Co-founder, Trustee) and Brent Hoberman (Co-Founder).
Key people at Founders Pledge.
Founders Pledge was founded in 2015 by Andy McLoughlin (Co-founder, Trustee) and Brent Hoberman (Co-Founder).
Founders Pledge is a global nonprofit organization that empowers tech entrepreneurs to maximize their philanthropic impact by pledging a portion of their wealth to high-impact charities. Launched in 2015 from Founders Forum, Europe's leading network of digital and technology entrepreneurs, it has grown into a community of over 2,050 members across 45+ countries, who have collectively pledged more than $11.5 billion and donated over $1.5 billion to date.[1][5] Its mission centers on making high-impact giving the norm through rigorous research, tailored advising, and managed funds targeting pressing, neglected problems like global health, education, poverty reduction, climate change, and catastrophic risks—without charging members fees, as operations are funded by separate donors.[1][2][4]
The organization evaluates charities using key impact indicators such as problem scale, neglectedness, coordination needs, and political barriers to identify cost-effective opportunities that maximize social impact per dollar, such as lives saved or emissions averted.[2] In 2024, it advised 130 members, facilitated $249M in contributions ($208M in grants), welcomed 139 new members with $502M in pledges, and directed $143M to its top recommendations.[6]
Founders Pledge was founded in 2015 by David Goldberg (current CEO) and launched humbly from a "converted cupboard" within Founders Forum, Europe's premier network of tech entrepreneurs, with the bold vision to embed philanthropy into entrepreneurial mindsets early—before exits or liquidity events.[1][8] Goldberg, alongside a leadership team blending nonprofit, corporate, and tech expertise (including COO Charlotte Monico, CFO Sean Hegarty, and Managing Director of Research Matt Lerner), built it as a binding pledge model where members commit a meaningful percentage of current or future wealth to charity.[1][5]
Early traction came from its entrepreneur-centric approach, attracting founders like Taavet Hinrikus (Wise), Guy Podjarny (Snyk), Claire Novorol (Ada Health), and Eric Quidenus-Wahlforss (SoundCloud), who praised its venture-like rigor in evaluating philanthropic ROI.[5] Evolving from a UK base, it expanded globally with registered nonprofits in the US, UK, and Germany, growing pledges from modest starts to $11.5B+ by 2025 through consistent small actions and peer inspiration.[1][3]
Founders Pledge rides the wave of effective altruism (EA) in tech, where successful entrepreneurs increasingly apply startup rigor—ROI analysis, scalability, neglected markets—to philanthropy amid rising wealth from exits in AI, fintech, and SaaS.[2][5] Its timing aligns with post-2020 liquidity surges and scrutiny on billionaire giving, channeling tech's problem-solving ethos toward global challenges like AI risks, pandemics, and climate, which demand high coordination and are underfunded by traditional aid.[2][6]
By normalizing pre-exit pledges and high-impact research, it influences the ecosystem: inspiring peers (e.g., Yale School of Medicine chapter), amplifying $143M+ to top charities yearly, and bridging tech networks with nonprofits—elevating philanthropy from ad-hoc donations to strategic, data-driven impact.[1][6][9] This counters critiques of uneven founder giving, positioning tech as a force multiplier for evidence-based solutions.
Founders Pledge is poised to surpass $15B in pledges by 2027, scaling its research to emerging crises like AI governance and biosecurity while expanding Funds and events amid growing tech wealth. Trends like mandatory ESG reporting and younger founders' EA leanings will accelerate adoption, potentially doubling membership as global exits rebound.[1][6] Its influence may evolve toward institutional partnerships, embedding impact advising into accelerators—ultimately redefining tech success as measured not just by unicorns, but by lives transformed. This bridges back to its core: empowering entrepreneurs for outsized good, one pledge at a time.[5]
