OpenAI Foundation to Disburse $40.5 Million in Grants to Nonprofits

The OpenAI Foundation has announced the first recipients from the $50 million People-First artificial intelligence (AI) Fund it announced in September.

The Foundation will disburse $40.5 million in unrestricted grants to these 208 nonprofits from across the United States by the end of the year, and will announce $9.5 million in grants within months, it said in a Wednesday (Dec. 3) press release.

The OpenAI Foundation holds equity in OpenAI Group, which is currently valued at $130 billion, and is one of the best resourced philanthropic organizations in the world, according to its website.

Its People-First AI Fund invests in nonprofits “working to strengthen local communities and expand the opportunity of AI,” the release said.

The work the fund backs includes AI literacy and public understanding, community innovation and economic opportunity, per the release. The second wave of grants will focus on organizations that are already advancing “transformative AI work” in projects that can scale and create durable public benefit.

The first recipients from the fund were selected from among nearly 3,000 applicants, according to the release.

They include national networks advancing news literacy and veteran support, faith-based networks, rural capacity-building organizations, Native-led media and STEM education programs, per the release.

“The People-First AI Fund reflects our commitment to supporting a wide range of organizations advancing work that strengthens communities and expands opportunity,” Bret Taylor, chair of the OpenAI Foundation Board, said in the release. “We’re proud to support this first group of grantees and to continue work that is mission-driven and responsive to the people it exists to serve.”

OpenAI announced in July that it was launching an initial $50 million fund to support nonprofit and community organizations. It said it aimed to work with partners to leverage AI in areas such as education, economic opportunity, community organizing and healthcare.

In September, the organization announced that the application window for the first wave of grants was open through Oct. 8.

“This Fund is an early step in a larger vision: to ensure the Intelligence Age is shaped by listening, learning and building with — not for — communities,” it said at the time in a press release. “We look forward to working with our grant partners and learning from the approaches they pursue.”

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