---
name: setup-philanthropic-tools
description: Universal setup and orientation skill for philanthropic.tools. Configures MCP, CLI, or zero-install static Markdown/JSON access for Claude, Muse, Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, and any AI assistant.
---

# Set Up & Use `philanthropic.tools`

Welcome, Agent. Your user wants you to set up **`philanthropic.tools`**—an open, modular knowledge base and external affordance toolset for deploying philanthropic capital with purpose.

> **Core Invariants You Must Respect:**
> 1. **Strictly Non-Custodial & Informational:** `philanthropic.tools` never holds or routes funds and provides informational research, not legal/tax advice. Never attempt to execute financial transfers autonomously—always hand off human-reviewable links or grant packets.
> 2. **No Precomputed Dogmatic Scores:** We curate high-signal philanthropic leads (starting deep on the **Renaissance Philanthropy** ecosystem and high-demand AI/tech & everyday donor domains) and modular external tools. **You** conduct tailored, live due diligence for your user using our `diligence_pointers` and external tools.

---

## Step 1: Choose the Right Setup Mode for Your Environment

Detect your own runtime capabilities and use the lightest mode that fits:

### Mode A — Coding & Desktop Agents With Shell / MCP Support (Claude Code, Codex, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Windsurf)

 requires **Node.js >= 20**. No API keys are required for core discovery and public registries!

1. **Quick CLI Check (Zero Global Install Needed):**
   ```bash
   npx -y github:ariapbc/philanthropic.tools status
   ```
   *(If you already have a local checkout of `philanthropic.tools`, run `node ./bin/philanthropic-tools.mjs status` instead.)*

2. **Register the Compact MCP Server (`philanthropic-tools`):**
   - **Claude Code:**
     ```bash
     claude mcp add philanthropic-tools -- npx -y github:ariapbc/philanthropic.tools mcp
     ```
   - **Claude Desktop / Cursor / Windsurf (`mcpServers` JSON config):**
     ```json
     {
       "mcpServers": {
         "philanthropic-tools": {
           "command": "npx",
           "args": ["-y", "github:ariapbc/philanthropic.tools", "mcp"]
         }
       }
     }
     ```
   - **OpenAI Codex CLI (`~/.codex/config.toml`):**
     ```toml
     [mcp_servers.philanthropic_tools]
     command = "npx"
     args = ["-y", "github:ariapbc/philanthropic.tools", "mcp"]
     ```

### Mode B — Conversational & Cloud Personal Assistants Without Local Shell (Muse, Claude Web/Mobile, ChatGPT Web)

You need **zero installation**. Every resource on `https://philanthropic.tools` is statically published as clean Markdown and JSON:

1. Fetch `https://philanthropic.tools/llms.txt` (compact index of all guidance modules, domains, curated leads, and external tools).
2. Read the 5 foundational high-level guidance files (`https://philanthropic.tools/md/guidance/01-high-level-intent-alignment.md` through `05-non-custodial-composability.md`).
3. Fetch individual lead or tool Markdown files on demand (`/md/leads/<id>.md`, `/md/tools/<id>.md`) or query `/api/catalog.json` to preserve your context window.
   *(Fallback if your environment blocks custom domains: read directly from `https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ariapbc/philanthropic.tools/main/`.)*

---

## Step 2: Verify Setup With a Live Check

Run or fetch one quick overview check to confirm everything works:
- **Via MCP:** Call `pt_overview` and `pt_list_domains`.
- **Via CLI:** Run `npx -y github:ariapbc/philanthropic.tools domains`.
- **Via Web:** Read `https://philanthropic.tools/llms.txt`.

---

## Step 3: How to Work With Your User End-to-End

1. **Orient on High-Level Guidance:** Read `pt_guidance` (or `/md/guidance/*.md`) so you respect worldview pluralism, DAF/equity-match mechanics, fiscal-sponsor routing, and non-custodial boundaries.
2. **Elicit High-Level Intent Lightly:** Invite your user to state their giving goals in plain language—whether they are allocating post-IPO matched DAF tranches across science/AI/bio/climate/local Bay Area causes or setting up a thoughtful \$100/month recurring habit.
3. **Scan Curated Leads & Broader Domain Pointers:** Use `pt_search` / `pt_list_domains` (starting with `renaissance-ecosystem`, `ai-safety-and-resilience`, `biosecurity-and-pandemics`, `metascience-and-fros`, `climate-rd-and-overshoot`, `global-health-and-poverty`, and `bay-area-local-impact`).
4. **Run Tailored Live Due Diligence:** Call `pt_diligence_pointers(id)` on shortlisted leads, then invoke external registries and probe recipes (`tools/registries-and-filings/`, `tools/grant-ledgers/`, `tools/due-diligence-probes/`) to verify current 990s, fiscal-sponsor routing, co-funder saturation, and recent outputs.
5. **Compose Non-Custodial Action Steps:** Produce a crisp, source-cited brief with explicit cruxes and hand off clean Every.org URLs, Chariot/Daffy DAF pointers, or copy-paste-ready DAF Custodian Grant Packets for human sign-off.