Introducing AI-Powered Nonprofits

AI-powered nonprofits (APNs) are deploying artificial intelligence in creative, powerful, and rapidly changing ways. Despite operating in disparate issue areas, APNs around the world are following similar patterns of innovation. Most excitingly, all of them are scaling their human impact at an unprecedented pace.

“Introducing AI-Powered Nonprofits,” presented in partnership with Fast Forward, is inspired by a quest to understand precisely how nonprofits are leveraging AI today. The series begins with an overview of the current APN landscape, then explores the groundbreaking work of nonprofits in three key sectors: climate, health, and education.

By spotlighting these vanguard organizations and providing a landscape to better understand their work, Fast Forward and their partners aim to inspire more innovators toward AI for humanity. While technological advancement often overlooks the needs of the most vulnerable, we see a need to prepare nonprofits and civil society for transformations stemming from AI. The more we provide support for all communities to explore, understand, and build with AI tools, the better equipped we will be to create a human-centered future that meets the needs of everyone. 

Fast Forward is the first organization dedicated to supporting tech nonprofits: tech startups operating with a nonprofit business model to prioritize impact. Since 2014, Fast Forward has supported a diverse portfolio of 102 tech nonprofits, many of which are at the forefront of AI for humanity. Fast Forward’s work is supported by leaders in the social sector, including some of the co-authors of this series: Google.org, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, and Salesforce.