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There’s Always One
ProposalGrant
Closes October 21st, 2026$0raised
$32,126minimum funding
$200,000funding goal
Offer to donate
42 daysleft to contribute
You're pledging to donate if the project hits its minimum goal and gets approved. If not, your funds will be returned.
Project summary
We are a non-profit organization that educates the world about AI risk through bringing marginalised voices into the global AI conversation, and helping to create a future where AI risk is significantly reduced. Through awareness raising, advocacy, and ensuring AI risk is an inclusive global conversation, we aim to empower the world to decide its future regarding AI.
With a great line-up of high-performing people already beginning to produce quality education resources, the only missing part is funding to support our growth.
Operating lean and efficiently from Madagascar we can deliver a lot for a relatively small amount, while maintaining world-class quality and providing employment in the AI space for talented people from the global south.
What are this project's goals? How will you achieve them?
Simply put, our goal is for AI risk to be discussed as much as AI is now
To achieve this, we are working on a broad range of projects to encourage AI risk education worldwide, but with a particular focus on the U.S, where most AI development is taking place and where regulations are greatly needed, and East Africa, where there is a large youth population whose futures will be deeply impacted by AI.
Some of our work:
AI Risk Primer
An online and offline educational resource aimed at people with low knowledge of AI risk who are usually under-represented in the AI discourse. Contains the ‘Lets Go’ resource list to guide people through progressive levels of AI risk education.
Video content using humor and relatability to educate on AI risk ideas, including our ‘Overexplained’ series, which translates the words of AI experts to accessible content for the everyday person.
A free, open source scale to guide creatives and professionals self disclose the degree of AI use in their work. Encourages transparency and trust in a world where AI generated content is becoming harder to detect.
Innovative tech solutions like Neuralverse, our unmoderated social platform for humans and AI agents to interact. Neuralverse is designed so that people can see the unfiltered ideas of AI in an environment where they are encouraged to say what’s on their minds and where people can ask difficult questions about the future of humanity and AI.
Impact:
People are empowered to make informed choices about their future with AI, including how they vote, the movements they join, the software they use and the careers they choose.
Measurement:
Track engagement with our content, including quantitative (impressions, views, interactions, comments) and quantitative (comments and messages)
Offer ‘before’ and ‘after’ surveys before our larger education materials (like short AI risk courses) to measure change in understanding and opinion on AI risk
Social listening to gage how many people are speaking about key terms like ‘Ai Risk’
Path to impact:
Funding. In order to produce further contents and resources we have planned, we need financial support.
How will this funding be used?
We’re requesting three different amounts, a small as of €25,000, mid ask of €50,000 and large ask of €100,000. Of each of these asks:
68% to personnel costs for 7 staff
16% to project costs
6% to travel costs
10% to administrative costs, and
10% additional buffer
The minimum amount will fund our work for around 3 months, the standard ask for 6 months and the large ask for 12 months.
Who is on your team? What's your track record on similar projects?
Our people bring the following skills and experience to the mission:
Sam Lucas, Founder and CEO
First class honors mechatronic engineer from New Zealand’s leading university. Founder and CEO of Onja, a social enterprise that trains underprivileged youth to become world-class software developers. Under his leadership, Onja launched its first cohort of students in 2019 and these graduates now work as front-end developers at tech firms across Europe and the U.S. On track to recruit 360 students in the next four years, the organization is demonstrating its potential to create large-scale opportunities and drive Madagascar’s development.
Voara Rakotovaomino, AI risk Researcher
Awarded a fully funded Google DeepMind Scholarship in 2023, Voara completed an MSc in AI for Science at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in South Africa in 2024. Before joining Onja as an Analyst, he was a math teacher in his hometown, Antananarivo. At Onja, Voara analyzes student recruitment, course performance, and client engagement, while also working as an AI risk researcher with There’s Always One.
Eva Mackinley, Communications Manager
Eva is a communications and campaigns specialist with extensive experience working with international development organizations and social enterprises. Her expertise is in branding and messaging development, crisis communications, strategy and design. An avid entrepreneur, Eva was also the founder and CEO of The Last Straw Australia, a high-profile campaign to reduce the use of plastic straws in Australia between 2015 and 2020. She is a Rotary Peace Fellow and General SirJohn Monash Scholar with a Masters in International Relations and Security.
Riana, Communications Officer
Riana holds a master’s degree in Applied Social Sciences for Development from the Catholic University of Madagascar. At Onja, she designs English courses that are both engaging and effective, using visuals, videos, and creative design to make learning come alive for students. She also stands out as one of the visionary masterminds behind There’s Always One’s educational videos.
Rinon , Tech Lead
Rinon is an Onja alumnus and skilled front-end developer with professional experience in HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, TypeScript, React, React Native, and Redux. Throughout his career, Rinon has not remained simply a front‑end developer; he has also broadened his horizons to reach his current role as Tech Lead. He has built more than 90 web projects and ranked in the top 1% of his peers, earning admission into the Onja program from an initial pool of 200,000 applicants.
What are the most likely causes and outcomes if this project fails?
Without funds we can still run for a short time but will face severe limitations to our productivity and difficulty staying operational. If you decide not to fund our project, we will continue to apply for other sources of funding. We think after reducing our initial ask there is some likelihood we may be considered for the Future of Life Institute. Otherwise, we are hoping for at least our minimum ask form you.
How much money have you raised in the last 12 months, and from where?
We have raised no money so far.