Tools for AI Grantmaking

Getting Started with AI Philanthropy

• Why does funding tech and AI-powered nonprofits matter?

  Funding tech and AI-powered nonprofits is critical to scaling their impact. In Fast Forward's 2026 AI for Humanity Report, 90% of the AI-powered nonprofits we surveyed say they have a plan to scale, but only 24% say they have the resources to execute it. Asked what would most help sustain their AI work, 77% name multi-year unrestricted funding, 31 points ahead of any other answer.
  

  The pressure is growing. Respondents name the rising cost of AI tools and infrastructure as the top external threat to their work (45%), and 78% say they most wish philanthropy would fund long-term infrastructure so pilots can scale. Read the key findings to learn more.

• What should funders look for when evaluating AI-powered nonprofits?

  Evaluating an AI-powered nonprofit starts with the same first principles as any nonprofit investment: impact, strategic alignment, talent capacity, and a sustainable funding model. Technology adds an additional layer, but the fundamentals remain the same. Funders may want to look for organizations that treat technology as a core program cost, invest in AI fluency across the team, and actively improve their solutions based on community feedback.

  Beyond the fundamentals, there are a few AI-specific signals worth examining:

  • Community engagement and feedback loops. In Fast Forward's 2026 AI for Humanity Report, produced with support from Google.org, 76% of the AI-powered nonprofits surveyed say they collect ongoing feedback from the people they serve, and 51% bring community members into designing or shaping their AI tools.
  • Responsible AI practices. AI is changing how nonprofits deliver on their missions, but without clear policies, it’s risky business. It’s a good sign if a nonprofit already has frameworks in place for how they use and build AI with intention.
  • Collaboration and openness. Are the nonprofits collaborative and an established player in their space? 53% of AI-powered nonprofits open-source or share their tools with peers, compounding the return on every philanthropic dollar. Building that shared commons is one of the four recommendations for funders, from Fast Forward’s 2026 AI for Humanity Report.

  For a step-by-step checklist of what to look for, see our Philanthropist's Guide to Nonprofit AI Investments and curated Tools for AI Grantmaking.

• How do I know if an AI-powered nonprofit is ready for funding?

  Funding any nonprofit boils down to two questions: will funding help this organization increase meaningful impact, and does this organization have the right ingredients to pull this off? AI-powered nonprofits are no different. While these organizations must keep marginal costs low, AI tools for nonprofits are more plentiful and powerful than ever, removing many of the barriers that once slowed them down.

  With this in mind, funders need to assess whether these organizations have the leadership and strategy, in addition to a quality tech solution, in order to succeed. Funding AI-powered nonprofits only works if their solutions are impactful, sustainable, and scalable.

  Explore Fast Forward's portfolio of 100+ tech nonprofits to see what AI-powered impact looks like across healthcare, education, climate, and more.