Amplify: Venture Philanthropy for High-Impact Longshots
Backing undervalued longshots with the potential for transformative impact.
Who we are
We are a small but focused philanthropic entity with a clear goal: to catalyze impact beyond our own resources.
We operate at the intersection of philanthropy and venture capital, embracing venture philanthropy to fund bold, high-risk opportunities.
Our hypothesis is that, like traditional venture investing, a small number of philanthropic ventures can create an outsized return in impact.
Our guess is that most giving goes to safe bets, so reallocating just a fraction to support calculated longshots successful, could create exponential impact.
We're certain that we are not the first to think this way—so we're out to learn and collaborate.
Our role is to find, back, and support these opportunities—sometimes hands-off, sometimes as a philanthropic venture studio, providing active support and network leverage to promising founders.
Why We Exist
The Problem:
Philanthropy underinvests in risk.
Most funding supports proven models, established organizations, and incremental improvements.
Meanwhile, some of the most promising high-upside solutions go unfunded because they seem too uncertain.
Without risk-tolerant capital, breakthrough ideas struggle to get tested.
How We Contribute:
We are a relatively small player in the philanthropic space.
Our best contribution is not just dollars but our willingness to go where few others do.
By applying principles of venture philanthropy, we aim to de-risk early-stage, high-potential ideas, making them easier for others to support later.
We act as a catalyst—helping the right ideas gain early traction and momentum.
Our Role in the Ecosystem
Where We Fit:
We exist between traditional philanthropy and venture capital.
Unlike traditional giving, we take a portfolio approach to high-risk impact bets.
Unlike venture capital, we measure success in terms of impact, not financial returns.
How We Work:
Sometimes, we fund and step back.
Sometimes, we act as a philanthropic venture studio, providing strategic, operational, and network support.
We help bridge gaps, ensuring high-potential but unfunded ideas get a shot.
We operate at the angel and pre-seed stages with the goal of bringing you through to Series A.
How We Work
1
Find high-leverage opportunities
We look for problems that are big, solvable, and underfunded.
2
Invest small, aim for outsized impact
We start with small, high-risk, high-reward investments.
3
Support where needed
We tailor our support: some projects need capital, others need strategic guidance or connections.
4
Measure expected value, not just success rates
A 5% chance of massive impact can be worth taking the risk.
Our Process
1
Scouting
Identifying neglected but solvable problems.
2
Seeding
Deploying early-stage, risk-tolerant capital.
3
Supporting
Acting as a venture philanthropy partner, offering funding, insights, and connections.
4
Scaling or Recycling
If a project succeeds, we help scale it. If it fails, we extract lessons for the next bet.
Our Values
Agency to Change
We believe in taking initiative, supporting people and ideas that drive progress.
Equality & Dignity of Life
Every human life has equal value, and solutions should scale dignity, not just efficiency.
Stewardship & Responsibility
We think long-term, investing with care and humility for future generations.
Humility & Learning
We know we're not the first to try this, but we share what we learn—successes and failures alike.
Projects We Support
Fundsorter (Making Giving More Effective)
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Problem
Philanthropy wastes too much time and money on administration instead of impact.
2
Solution
Fundsorter automates and simplifies the funding process for both donors and grantees.
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Why We Backed It
If just 1% of NZ's $3.8B in annual giving is optimized, that's $38M in impact unlocked.
A small investment has an expected value of $19M over 10 years.
If it works, it could radically shift philanthropic efficiency, redirecting money from bureaucracy to real-world change.
Young people care deeply about climate change, but most programs offer theory instead of real-world impact skills.
Solution:
Earthminds is a turnkey, scalable model to equip teenagers with hands-on innovation skills, working directly with local organisations.
Why We Back It:
Latent youth leadership is one of the highest-return investments we can make.
If we empower young changemakers early, their impact compounds over decades.
This is a test case: can we develop a scalable, open-source model that enables more teenagers globally to gain the real-world skills they need to create change?
What We're Testing:
Can a youth climate innovation lab be structured so that it can be replicated and deployed at scale, but focused locally?
How can young people gain the tools, networks, and confidence to drive tangible change?
What is most effective in creating a pipeline of future climate leaders who will shape real-world decisions?
Our Bet: If we can unlock and equip young leaders, they will drive far greater long-term impact than any single intervention.