About Good Ancestors

Who we are

Good Ancestors is an Australian charity that supports Australia’s leaders to be good ancestors to future generations of Australians. We do this by conducting policy and technical research and communicating key facts and evidence to policymakers and the public. We work to improve the long-term future of humanity by researching and advocating for policies and other actions that minimise catastrophic and existential risks, so we leave a positive future for others. 

Our approach

We operate at the intersection of policy research, public education, and advocacy. We build relationships across Australia and the Asia-Pacific.

We conduct original research including legal analysis to identify regulatory gaps, expert surveys and stress testing of proposed legislation, policy white papers and technical research. This research underpins credible and actionable recommendations for policymakers.

When governments conduct formal inquiries on topics that could shape our future, we respond with submissions. We present the problem clearly and recommend impactful policies based on evidence. We also educate and support Australians to have their own voice in these processes through workshops and community engagement. We empower people to advocate for the values that matter to them in a coordinated, strategic way.

Building broad coalitions

For some focus areas, we organise and facilitate coalitions. These bring together experts, communities, and advocates around shared concerns.

  • Australians for AI Safety brings together researchers, ethicists, technologists, and concerned citizens to advocate for evidence-based AI governance. Through open letters, policy scorecards, and community engagement, this coalition amplifies Australian voices on AI risks and opportunities.

  • Australians for Pandemic Prevention centres public health experts and professionals in advocacy for pandemic prevention. We provide coordination and communication support to help these experts share their knowledge with policymakers and the public.

  • CharitiesForImpact unites high-impact charities advocating for nonprofit sector reform and expanded DGR status. This enables greater philanthropic support for organisations working on humanity's most pressing challenges.

This approach allows us to build coalitions across political, professional, and ideological boundaries. It ensures the right voices lead on each issue.

Our values

At Good Ancestors we have chosen values that highlight what we believe in and the standards we want to hold ourselves to.

  • Evidence-based. We ground our policy recommendations in rigorous research, expert consultation, and transparent methodology. We quantify claims wherever possible and invite criticism.

  • Practical. We focus on actionable recommendations that can be implemented within Australia's existing political and institutional frameworks.

  • Forward-looking. We prioritise interventions that protect not just current Australians but future generations who cannot yet speak for themselves.

  • Cosmopolitan. We consider Australia's role in the world and value all lives, regardless of nationality, species, or generation.

  • Democratic. We believe in empowering all Australians to engage meaningfully with the policy conversations that shape our collective future.

  • Collaborative. We work across political spectrums and professional boundaries. We seek common ground and build coalitions for impact.

Our impact

Since our establishment in 2022, Good Ancestors has:

Conducted original research

  • Published the Australia AI Policy White Paper 2025-2028, an analysis of AI governance needs and policy recommendations

  • Conducted the AI Legislation Stress Test, engaging 64 experts to assess regulatory adequacy

  • Identified regulatory gaps through legal analysis, finding gaps in Australia's legislative frameworks

  • Developed novel methodologies for expert consultation and policy evaluation

Informed national policy

  • Provided evidence to the Senate Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence

  • Submitted policy recommendations to major government consultations on AI safety, pandemic prevention, and catastrophic disaster response

  • Informed briefings with government ministers and public servants

Mobilised public engagement

  • Coordinated open letters signed by leading Australian AI researchers, ethicists, and safety experts

  • Enabled Australians to participate in Government consultations through workshops in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, and online

  • Developed AI Safety scorecards used by tens of thousands of Australians during the 2025 federal election

  • Built networks of volunteers and expert contributors across AI safety, biosecurity, and policy reform

Built government relationships

  • Established relationships with parliamentarians across the political spectrum

  • Provided technical expertise to support evidence-based policymaking on emerging technologies

  • Connected international expertise with Australian policymakers and regulators

Advanced systemic reform

  • Advocated for expanded DGR status to enable greater philanthropic support for organisations working on existential risks and long-term flourishing

  • Built coalitions across the charitable sector

Our governance

Good Ancestors operates through two registered charities with aligned purposes.

  • Good Ancestors Policy Ltd (ABN 23 664 195 484) is our primary operating entity. It focuses on policy development, research, direct government engagement and education. The constitution establishes its purpose as promoting activities that better safeguard the world from existential risks and improve the long-term future of humanity.

  • The Good Ancestors Project Ltd (ABN 94 660 287 963) has a broader remit, yet a smaller footprint. It currently hosts some of our operations, such as our website.

Both are registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) and operate under ACNC governance standards.

Our governance framework ensures accountability to donors, stakeholders, and the communities we serve. It provides flexibility to respond to emerging challenges.

Our annual financial reports are available through the ACNC public register (Policy and Project). We operate with a lean team and aim to maximise impact per dollar invested in our mission.

Our funding

The heart of our organisation is our amazing community who engage with our work, volunteer and donate to support our efforts.

In addition to the support from individual donors in Australia we also receive funding from charitable foundations in the US and Europe (because they believe that Australia has an important role to play in managing the risks humanity is facing), and paid research projects for government organisations (such as our technical AI safety research with the UK AI Safety Institute).

Under current Australian tax law, donations to charities tackling existential risks, protecting future generations, or improving long-term wellbeing are not tax deductible. This is something we are working to change through our systemic policy reform work. Read more in our Donation FAQs.

Our team

We operate with a small and effective team. We combine expertise in public policy, technical research, community mobilisation, and technology. We have experience in government, the charitable sector, technology startups, software engineering, law, academia, and policy research.

Staff

  • Greg has 15 years of public service experience, including in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Attorney-General’s Department, the Department of Home Affairs and Emergency Management Australia.

    Greg’s diverse experience gives Good Ancestors insight into how Government makes decisions on complex issues, and hence how best we can engage policymakers and support them to be good ancestors to future generations of Australians.

    Greg leads Good Ancestors' research agenda, including our Australia AI Policy White Paper 2025-2028 and our AI Legislation Stress Test. Greg regularly briefs parliamentarians, ministerial advisers, and senior public servants on AI and other risks. He has given evidence to the Senate Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence and appeared on TV and radio. Greg maintains working relationships across the political spectrum and is a spokesperson for Australians for AI Safety.

    Key expertise: Government relations, national security policy, strategic communications, risk assessment, stakeholder engagement, policy research

  • Luke is the former CEO of Giving What We Can, where he grew the organisation to a global community of over 10,000 members who have donated ~$500 million USD to effective charities. Before leading Giving What We Can, Luke worked in technology startups and in growth roles.

    At Good Ancestors, Luke oversees operations, communications strategy, and coalition-building efforts, including supporting Australians for AI Safety, and contributes to policy research and development.

    Key expertise: Community building, digital campaigns, fundraising strategy, operations management, communications, software engineering, technology startups, AI tools, survey designDescription text goes here

  • Nathan brings research, startup, and technical experience to Good Ancestors. He is currently Chief Technology Officer of Effective Altruism Australia and was previously CEO of edtech startup FLUX. Nathan is a software engineer with experience building products and using AI tools.

    Nathan leads our technical research projects, including our Legal Zero-Days project. Nathan also brings an entrepreneurial mindset to problem-solving and ensures Good Ancestors runs efficiently despite being a small organisation.

    Key expertise: Operations management, technology strategy, software engineering, systems thinking, startup operations, research methodology, data analysis, design, AI tools

  • Emily brings research and consulting expertise to Good Ancestors’ policy work. Most recently, she worked on MIT's AI Risk Repository, a comprehensive database of over 1600 AI risks categorised by their cause and risk domain. She has also led health research prioritisation processes influencing ~$50M AUD in funding and conducted rapid-cycle surveys that informed Government COVID-19 policies. 

    Emily specialises in multi-stakeholder coordination and translating complex evidence into actionable recommendations. At Good Ancestors, Emily conducts policy research, synthesises expert input, leads government submissions, and ensures our analysis is rigorous and accessible to policymakers.

    Key expertise: Policy research, evidence synthesis, public surveys, research methodology, stakeholder coordination, government submissions

Board

Good Ancestors Policy and The Good Ancestors Project each maintain their own boards. Directors bring expertise in governance, strategy, risk management, nonprofit administration, and relevant policy expertise. Board members provide strategic guidance and ensure compliance with charitable obligations under the ACNC Act.

Board members of Good Ancestors Policy:

  • Greg Sadler

  • Nathan Sherburn

  • Bradley Tjandra

Board members of The Good Ancestors Project:

  • Bradley Tjandra

  • Luke Freeman

  • Nathan Sherburn

Network

Good Ancestors' is supported by a network beyond our core team, including:

  • Our community: We facilitate coalitions that coordinate individuals and organisations across our focus areas. Australians for AI Safety brings together researchers and citizens on AI governance. Australians for Pandemic Prevention centres public health experts in advocacy. CharitiesForImpact unites organisations working on systemic reform

  • Expert collaborators. We work closely with leading researchers, academics, and practitioners across AI safety, biosecurity, disaster response, and public policy. For example, our AI Legislation Stress Test engaged 64 experts, including researchers from universities, AI safety institutes, and industry, through a structured scenario analysis.

  • Government relationships. We maintain working relationships with parliamentarians across the political spectrum, senior public servants, ministerial advisers, and regulators.

  • International connections. We collaborate with international partners in AI governance, pandemic prevention, and existential risk research. This includes connections with researchers at leading universities and international AI safety organisations.

  • Volunteer contributors. Volunteers support our work across research, policy analysis, community engagement, and advocacy.

  • Coalition partners. We work with civic society organisations, professional networks, and advocacy groups to amplify diverse voices in policy conversations.

Work with us

We welcome volunteers with expertise in policy analysis, research, communications, community organising, and more.

For volunteering opportunities, visit our Volunteers page or email us your background and areas of interest.

For partnership enquiries or to discuss collaboration opportunities, contact us at contact@goodancestors.org.au

If you are interested in working for Good Ancestors, check out our Careers page.