Manifund loses Centre for Effective Altruism platform after hiring Caroline Ellison

Manifund's Caroline Ellison hire backfires

Manifund, a charity tied to the effective altruism movement, is facing heavy fallout after hiring Caroline Ellison, the former chief executive of the crypto trading firm Alameda Research. Protos reported last week that the job was her first major work opportunity since she was released from prison.

Protos now reports that the hire caused what it describes as catastrophic fallout for the organization, and that Manifund's chief executive is openly wondering whether it could force the charity to shut down.

CEA pulls Manifund from its programs

Zachary Robinson, chief executive of the Centre for Effective Altruism, wrote a detailed comment on the Effective Altruism forum saying Ellison has not done the work to earn back the community's trust.

Robinson also claimed that Manifund has not earned the trust that it will be a responsible steward of the community. He said CEA will stop giving Manifund a platform through its programs for the foreseeable future, pointing to things such as recruiting booths at its events.

Protos described CEA as a key hub for the effective altruism community. Effective altruism is a movement whose supporters try to use evidence and data to send charitable money toward the causes that do the most good.

What Manifund's CEO said

Manifund CEO Austin Chen announced the hire on effective altruism forums and presented it as a positive move for the charity. He then said on X that bringing Ellison onto the team could blow up quite badly.

Protos reported that many effective altruists had already criticized the decision before CEA weighed in.

Ellison's recent history

Protos previously reported that Ellison left federal prison after 11 months, in December 2025. In August 2026, Protos also reported that Ellison and Gary Wang were hit with a five-year trading ban.

What is confirmed

• Manifund hired Caroline Ellison, and Protos reported the move before the current backlash.
• Robinson's statements about Ellison and Manifund are his own assessments, not findings by a court or a regulator.
• Chen's warning about the risk of the hire was made publicly, and CEA's decision was announced in Robinson's forum comment.

What is still unclear

• Whether Manifund will actually shut down. Protos says the CEO is wondering about that possibility, but no closure has been announced in the supplied material.
• How long CEA's decision will last. Robinson said it applies for the foreseeable future, without giving an end date.
• The supplied material does not include a Manifund response to Robinson's comment.

Why it matters

For a charity focused on effective altruism causes, losing access to CEA's programs means losing a public platform in the community. Protos ties the episode to the continuing fallout from FTX and Alameda Research: the outlet has also reported that Manifund is fighting FTX over $1.5 million and that an FTX-funded charity, Effective Ventures, agreed to return donations.

Sources

• Protos