Nuclear Weapons Policy Fund

Longview partners with Giving What We Can to manage donations to our funds.

At the height of its influence, the arms control community focused its attention on preventing arms races and the deployment of particularly high-risk systems. A small but committed group of experts and advocates helped shape government policy to limit destabilizing ballistic missile defenses, avoid earth-penetrating warheads, establish a nuclear test moratorium, and reduce the number and types of deployed warheads.

Today, the US, Russia, and China are in a new arms race. Destabilizing nuclear systems are coming online as key arms control treaties expire. Against this new set of challenges, philanthropic funding has been cut by half to under $40 million. The nonprofit sector remains fragmented, chasing an array of nonproliferation and disarmament goals instead of stringently prioritizing in the face of diminished resources.

Donations to the NWPF will be used to:

Oppose destabilizing systems, disincentivizing preemptive strikes.
Prevent a spiraling arms race, reducing the risk of deterrence failure.
Mitigate unintended escalation of conflicts into nuclear war.
Build a shared understanding of the new nuclear risk landscape.

We promote a nuanced, pragmatic approach that prioritizes worst-case scenarios involving major nuclear powers. Our grantmaking draws upon a broad network of policymakers shaping nuclear decision-making, national security experts with experience at the highest levels of governments, and academics leading their fields of nuclear policy, technology, and decision research. By combining complementary expertise with a commitment to truth-seeking that transcends political divides, we identify and support pragmatic, politically viable initiatives. We seek a counterweight to unrealistic and dangerous proposals, and to nuclear maximalists who are making the case, every day, that the US needs more nuclear weapons, of more types, on more platforms.

For those seeking to invest in a safer future, our fund provides unparalleled expertise, strategic focus, and a path to impact. Join us in our mission to reduce nuclear risks and secure a more stable world for generations to come. If you’re interested in supporting the fund, please reach out to carl@longview.org.

Featured Grants

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Studying escalation pathways to nuclear war

This recommendation was for a project aiming to develop a common understanding about escalation pathways to nuclear war and what policy interventions are most likely to contribute to risk mitigation. Specifically, the project will involve research workshops whereby a diverse range of experts within fields relevant to nuclear security and risk analysis convene to analyse potential escalation pathways, attempt to estimate their likelihood, identify potential levers to reduce or mitigate this risk, and compare these various pathways and levers more holistically.

Nuclear Information Project

Keeping us informed about the nuclear arsenals and policies of world powers.

Nuclear-armed powers are not always transparent about the state of their arsenals and their nuclear posture. But up-to-date information is essential for informed policy and sound forecasting. Some of the best public information comes from the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists. The information is gleaned from satellite imagery, Freedom of Information Act requests, and other sources.

Council on Strategic Risks

Avoiding inadvertent escalation to nuclear war

The Council on Strategic Risks is a nonprofit prioritising efforts to reduce the most extreme risks from nuclear weapons. They specialise in developing highly pragmatic policies consistent with national security requirements. One of the Council’s efforts aims to limit particularly destabilising weapons, such as missiles that have short time of flight and ambiguous (nuclear or conventional) payloads. Through its work, the Council seeks to preserve decision time and reduce the risk of inadvertent nuclear escalation.

Disclosures

The Nuclear Weapons Policy Fund is managed by Longview Philanthropy with support from Giving What We Can. Donations to the Nuclear Weapons Policy Fund through Giving What We Can’s website are donations to Giving What We Can. All funds are disbursed based on recommendations by Longview Philanthropy.

Fund Managers

Carl Robichaud

NUCLEAR WEAPONS POLICY PROGRAMME DIRECTOR

Carl leads Longview’s programme on nuclear weapons policy and co-manages Longview’s Nuclear Weapons Policy Fund. For more than a decade, Carl led grantmaking in nuclear security at the Carnegie Corporation of New York, a philanthropic fund which grants over $30 million annually to strengthen international peace and security. Carl previously worked with The Century Foundation and the Global Security Institute, where his extensive research spanned arms control, international security policy, and nonproliferation.

Matthew Gentzel

NUCLEAR WEAPONS POLICY PROGRAMME OFFICER

Matthew conducts grant investigations for Longview’s programme on nuclear weapons policy and co-manages Longview’s Nuclear Weapons Policy Fund. His prior work spanned emerging technology threat and policy assessment, with a particular focus on how advancements in AI may shape the future of influence operations, nuclear strategy, and cyber attacks. He has worked as a policy researcher with OpenAI, as an analyst in the US Department of Defense’s Innovation Steering Group, and as a director of research and analysis at the US National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. Matthew holds an MA in strategic studies and international economics from Johns Hopkins SAIS and a BS in fire protection engineering from the University of Maryland.