Where the Dutch EA community gets work done
A co-working space in Amsterdam for people working on the world's most pressing problems — and for people finding their way toward that work. Or, in other words, a place where you can look at cost-effectiveness spreadsheets in the company of others. Deep work, shared lunches, and the most useful conversations you'll have all week. Free to join.
Who you'll find here
On any given day you might be sitting next to the director of an EA organisation, a researcher writing about AI safety or animal welfare, someone planning their giving, and someone one month into figuring out their career switch. That mix is the point: the office exists so that people starting their impact journey and people deep into theirs end up at the same lunch table.
Around 50 people use the office each month. Regulars include staff and leadership from Dutch and international EA-aligned organisations, independent researchers, founders, and ambitious career-switchers.
Sanderine van Odijk
The EAN open office is a great opportunity to meet likeminded people, get inspired and enjoy a solid workspace. Serendipity and effective working guaranteed!
Koen van Pelt
Surrounding myself with individuals dedicated to making a difference in the world has made me more ambitious and motivated for my own work. Furthermore, the regular events (and after-lunch ping-pong) contribute to a welcoming and creative environment.
Things that started over a cup of coffee here
People have met their co-founders at this office. Found jobs through someone they sat next to. Hired their first employee. Turned a lunch conversation into a funded project.
The space
Full-sized workstations for focused work, a lounge area, kitchen, and a quiet harbour view for when you need a break. Free coffee, tea and snacks. Plenty of phone booths from which you can take your calls. Most people have lunch together between 12:00 and 13:00 — bring your own or buy it at the café in the building.
You can also use our lounge to host small EA-aligned meetups in the evenings or weekends: reading groups, discussions, informal gatherings. And there's a library of impact-focused books you can borrow.
More than desks
The office has a regular rhythm of events: talks, cause-area co-working days, and social evenings. Recent examples: a space governance talk, animal welfare co-working days, and a charity poker night.
Who the office is for
Roughly 90% of people who sign up are accepted. If in doubt, sign up.
You're warmly welcome if at least one of these describes you:
- You work in a high-impact job or project
- You're exploring or pursuing opportunities based on the principles that unite the EA community — including starting something yourself
- You're a student directing your studies toward a high-impact career
- You volunteer for an EA-aligned organisation
That covers a lot of ground on purpose. Researching global health, upskilling in policy, planning your donations, job-hunting in animal advocacy, running an EA project on the side of your day job — all of it belongs here.
How it works
- Sign up — takes two minutes.
- We confirm within two working days and agree your first day.
- You're welcomed in person — someone shows you around and introduces you to a few people worth knowing.
- After that, book any day you like with our simple booking system.
What's good to know
No — the office is free to join and use. The space is funded by EA Netherlands and its supporters; regular users whose work is funded sometimes contribute to the office's costs, and we're glad when they do, but there's no obligation and it will never be a surprise. There is, however, a funding gap. If you work for an organisation that offers a workspace allowance or maintains a relevant budget, we would welcome a conversation about possibilities.
Ask the receptionist or walk towards the end, then turn right through the connecting doors. It is the first office on the left.
Weekdays from 09:00 to 18:00. There is room for flexibility—let us know if you’d like to work outside these hours.
Yes, there are four phone booths on the first floor. There is no reservation system, so best to be a bit early.
Yes, meeting rooms of various sizes are available to book at an hourly rate. You can reserve them here.
Yes! If you are new or are exploring whether EA is something for you, you are more than welcome to use the office, limited to a maximum of one day a week, for a period of 3 months. (We understand that you’d work on your regular job or studies that might be unrelated to EA.)
Yes, one day a week — many members co-work on their regular job alongside the community while exploring their next step.
No — people exploring these ideas are very welcome. The one thing we ask is that you're actively looking to increase your impact through your career, donations, or volunteering. If you're settled in unrelated work and not currently exploring, the office probably isn't the right fit yet — though if you're working on becoming more effective in your current role, you're welcome to co-work one day a week. If you're unsure, just sign up and we'll figure it out together.
Yes, we encourage visitors to organise EA-aligned events. These can take place outside office hours (after 18:00 or during weekends). Contact us and we’ll be happy to support you.
Visitors have access to desks, external monitors, mouse & keyboards, high-speed Wi-Fi, kitchen facilities (microwave and fridge), and tea and coffee. We also offer light onboarding and introductions to the broader EA network, both locally and globally.
Lunch usually takes place between 12:00 and 13:00 in the office. You can bring your own or buy something from the café in the building, which offers vegan options. Most people eat together, so it’s a nice moment to connect. Most days, people go for a post-lunch ping pong session or do a short fun board game.
Typically between 3 and 7 people; enough for focused work and occasional conversations with like-minded others.
You can read our code of conduct here. You’ll receive the guidelines for the office after reviewing your expression of interest.
Yes. There is an elevator to take you to level -1 and another elevator to bring you to the ground floor, where our office is located. Please let us know in advance that you're coming to the office, and we'll guide you.
We aim to create a calm, focused, and welcoming environment where people feel safe and respected. We value intellectual honesty, kindness, and diversity of thought. Inclusivity is core to our community; people of all backgrounds, identities, and perspectives are welcome, provided they align with our code of conduct and shared commitment to doing good effectively.
There's no strict definition, but as a guide: working at an organisation recommended by effectiveness-focused evaluators, or working on particularly pressing problems like AI safety, global health, or animal welfare from within government, academia, or some other form of organisation. But plenty of high-impact work doesn't fit those boxes — independent research, founding something new, or giving a significant share of your income all count too. If you're unsure whether your work qualifies, that usually means it's worth a conversation: sign up.