Artificial intelligence is moving quickly into almost every part of society. It is changing how people work, how students learn, how businesses operate, and how creative work is produced. But while the technology is developing rapidly, another question is becoming increasingly important: who gets to have a say in how AI is built, governed, and used?
A new $10 million grant opportunity from Humanity AI is attempting to address that question by putting communities at the center of AI development. The initiative is inviting eligible U.S.-based nonprofits, collaborations, and other qualifying applicants to propose projects that give communities a meaningful role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence.
The opportunity focuses on three major areas: education, labor and the economy, and humanities, arts, and culture. Grants range from $75,000 to $1 million, and projects can receive support for up to three years. The initial application deadline is October 21, 2026, at 7:59 p.m. ET
For the nonprofit sector, this is an interesting development because the funding is not simply about helping organizations purchase AI tools or train employees to use them. Instead, Humanity AI is looking for projects where communities themselves help define the problems, shape the solutions, and influence decisions about AI.
Why Is Humanity AI Putting Communities First?
AI is often discussed as a technology issue, but its effects are much broader. A new AI system can influence what students learn, how workers perform their jobs, how artists create and receive credit for their work, and how organizations make important decisions.
This means that the people affected by AI are not necessarily the same people who build it.
Humanity AI says its open call is designed for projects where communities are “setting the agenda, not just informing it.” The initiative specifically wants to hear from people and organizations that may not traditionally consider themselves part of the technology sector, including workers, artists, students, educators, and community organizations.
This approach shifts the conversation from simply asking, “How can communities use AI?” to a broader question: “How can communities have a meaningful role in deciding what AI should do and how it should affect their lives?”
That difference is important for NGOs because many nonprofits already work with communities that experience major social and economic changes first-hand. Their knowledge can help identify problems that may not be visible from a purely technical perspective.
A $10 Million Opportunity for Community-Led AI
The open call represents a $10 million investment in U.S.-based community-led AI initiatives. Humanity AI is a collaborative philanthropic initiative backed by 10 foundations and has a broader five-year commitment of $500 million toward work intended to make AI serve the public good.
The new funding opportunity is specifically interested in projects that help communities shape AI in three ways:
- Shape how AI is governed and used
- Build AI on community terms
- Challenge AI systems or deployments that do not serve communities
These approaches create space for organizations that may not be developing AI models themselves.
For example, an organization working with teachers could help educators develop community-led rules for AI in classrooms. A worker-focused organization could help employees participate in decisions about workplace automation. An arts organization could develop approaches for protecting artists and cultural creators as generative AI becomes more common.
The technology is therefore only one part of the story. The other part is who has influence over it.
Education Is One of the Major Focus Areas
Education is one of the three central areas covered by the grant.
AI is already creating new opportunities and challenges for students and educators. It can help people access information, support personalized learning, and assist teachers with certain tasks. At the same time, schools and education systems have to think about questions involving student privacy, assessment, learning quality, and the appropriate role of AI.
Humanity AI says it is particularly interested in work led by students, educators, and organizations representing them. Projects can focus on shaping AI around the interests of learners and teachers, strengthening learning and creating safeguards against risks to people.
This could create opportunities for nonprofits that already work in education but want to address the wider impact of AI.
Instead of simply teaching students how to use an AI chatbot, for example, an organization could potentially explore how students should participate in decisions about AI in their schools. Teachers could also have a role in determining where AI is useful and where human judgment should remain central.
The focus is therefore on participation and decision-making, rather than AI adoption alone.
Labor and the Economy: Giving Workers a Voice
The second major area is labor and the economy.
AI is expected to influence many different types of work, from administrative tasks and customer service to professional and creative roles. Organizations are already exploring automation and AI-assisted workflows, while workers are having to think about how these technologies could change their responsibilities.
Humanity AI says it is particularly interested in work led by workers and worker-focused organizations. Its stated focus is on ensuring AI is used to enhance how people work rather than simply replacing workers.
That could include projects around workplace AI governance, worker participation, automation, workplace monitoring, or new approaches to AI deployment.
For NGOs and civil society groups working on employment, labor rights, or economic inclusion, this creates an opportunity to connect their existing work with the growing AI debate.
A project could, for instance, focus on giving workers a stronger voice when an employer introduces an AI system. Another could examine how workers understand and respond to algorithmic decision-making in their workplaces.
The central issue is not simply whether AI can perform a particular task. It is also how the introduction of AI changes people’s working lives and who gets to participate in those decisions.
Humanities, Arts, and Culture Are Also Included
The third focus area is humanities, arts, and culture.
Generative AI has created new possibilities for producing images, music, writing, and other creative material. At the same time, artists and cultural organizations are dealing with questions about ownership, attribution, creative rights, and how human work is used within AI systems.
Humanity AI says it is interested in work led by artists, writers, scholars, cultural heritage workers, and others working in the humanities and culture.
This could include projects that explore how AI can support human creativity while protecting creators and their work.
For cultural nonprofits, museums, arts organizations, and community-based creative groups, this means AI does not have to be treated only as a technology to adopt. It can also become an issue of cultural policy, community participation, and creative rights.
What Types of Projects Could Receive Funding?
The opportunity is deliberately broader than traditional technology grants.
Eligible projects can explore different ways of giving communities influence over AI.
Some possible directions include:
- AI governance: Developing community-led standards, policies, or accountability systems.
- AI auditing: Examining AI systems and identifying problems or risks that affect communities.
- Community-controlled data: Developing datasets or data practices with meaningful community participation.
- Community-led AI infrastructure: Building systems or tools around the needs identified by communities.
- Creative approaches to AI: Using art, culture, or creative practices to explore how AI affects society.
- Challenging problematic AI deployments: Helping communities question or respond to AI systems that conflict with their values or needs.
- Open-source or open-weight AI: Where AI models are central to the project, Humanity AI says it will give priority consideration to proposals using open-weight or open-source models.
This means a nonprofit does not necessarily have to build a new AI model to be relevant to the funding opportunity.
A project could instead focus on governance, community participation, accountability, research linked to action, data, or advocacy.
What Is Not the Main Focus of the Grant?
The open call also has clear boundaries.
Projects where AI literacy is the primary focus are outside the stated scope. Projects mainly designed to promote adoption of a particular AI tool are also not what the program is seeking. Research-only projects that do not advance community leadership or action are also outside the program’s parameters.
This distinction is particularly useful for NGOs preparing funding proposals.
Simply saying, “We want to introduce AI to our organization” would not capture the main purpose of this opportunity.
Instead, applicants need to connect AI with a real community issue and demonstrate how the people affected by that issue will have meaningful influence over the project.
The proposal needs to be about more than technology.
It needs to show community leadership, participation, and practical change.
How Much Funding Is Available?
The funding has been divided into three broad tiers.
Tier 1: $75,000–$150,000
This level may be suitable for focused projects, emerging organizations, smaller collaborations, or contained pilots.
Tier 2: $150,000–$500,000
This level is intended for projects that require more sustained staff capacity, coordination, development work, or organizational resources.
Tier 3: $500,000–$1 million
The largest funding tier can support more substantial initiatives requiring significant resources, partnerships, or infrastructure.
Applicants can propose projects lasting up to three years. Humanity AI says the tiers are intended to help applicants identify an appropriate funding level based on what their proposed work actually requires.
That is important because organizations should not necessarily ask for the largest possible grant. The funding request should correspond to the scale and requirements of the proposed project.
Who Can Apply?
This opportunity is primarily focused on the United States.
Eligible applicants include U.S.-based 501(c)(3) organizations, collaborations with an eligible U.S.-based lead organization and individuals or informal groups applying through a fiscal sponsor or other eligible nonprofit intermediary.
There is an important limitation for international NGOs.
Organizations and individuals based outside the United States may participate as part of eligible collaborations, but they cannot serve as the lead applicant, and eligible proposals must focus on U.S.-based communities.
This means NGOs in India, Africa or other regions should not assume that they can independently apply for this particular funding opportunity. International participation would need to fit within the program’s collaboration and geographic requirements.
What Should NGOs Consider Before Writing a Proposal?
For an NGO considering an application, the strongest starting point is the community’s problem rather than the technology.
Before beginning the proposal, organizations could ask themselves:
- What AI-related problem is affecting the community we work with?
- Who is most affected?
- Do community members currently have a voice in decisions about this issue?
- How will they participate in designing the project?
- Will they have actual decision-making power?
- What will the organization change through the project?
- How will success be measured?
- What will remain after the grant ends?
These questions can help an organization move beyond a general AI proposal and develop a more specific community-led concept.
For example, instead of proposing a general project called “AI Training for Workers,” an organization might explore how workers can participate in creating guidelines for AI deployment in their workplaces.
Similarly, instead of simply proposing “AI Education for Students,” an organization might explore how students and teachers can help develop principles for responsible AI use within their educational environment.
The difference is the role of the community.
Community Participation Needs to Be More Than Consultation
One of the most important ideas behind the funding opportunity is that communities should not simply be asked for their opinions after the major decisions have already been made.
Humanity AI is looking for projects where communities are defining goals, shaping approaches and driving the work.
That creates a higher standard for participation.
A survey can collect opinions. A consultation can gather feedback. But community-led work goes further by giving people meaningful influence over the direction of the project.
For NGOs, this can be a useful reminder when designing AI-related programs.
If a project is intended to benefit a particular community, the community should have a meaningful role in explaining the problem, identifying priorities and shaping the proposed response.
Why This Matters for the NGO Sector
For NGOs, one of the most interesting aspects of this funding opportunity is that it expands the definition of what an AI organization can be.
An NGO does not have to employ a large technology team to have something valuable to contribute to the AI conversation.
Organizations working in education, employment, culture, youth development, community rights and social justice may already have something that technology companies cannot easily replicate: direct relationships with communities.
They understand local concerns, social dynamics and the everyday consequences of policy and technological changes.
That knowledge can become important as AI moves into more areas of life.
An organization that has spent years working with teachers may understand classroom realities better than a technology company designing an education product from a distance. A worker organization may understand workplace concerns that are difficult to identify through technical testing alone. An arts organization may understand the cultural significance of creative work in ways that a general technology platform cannot.
This is one reason community organizations may have a growing role in discussions about responsible AI.
AI Funding Is Expanding Beyond Technology
The $10 million opportunity also reflects a broader change in philanthropic thinking about artificial intelligence.
Funding for AI has traditionally been associated with technology development, research, computing infrastructure and commercial applications.
But AI also creates questions about rights, work, education, culture, safety, governance and community participation.
Humanity AI’s broader initiative was established as a $500 million, five-year philanthropic effort focused on ensuring that people have a meaningful stake in the future of AI. Its founding partners include the Doris Duke Foundation, Ford Foundation, Lumina Foundation, Kapor Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Mellon Foundation, Mozilla Foundation, Omidyar Network, Packard Foundation and Siegel Family Endowment.
In May 2026, Humanity AI announced more than $18 million in new grants, including $8 million for initial grantees and another $10 million committed to the forthcoming open call.
The new open call is therefore part of a wider philanthropic effort rather than an isolated grant program.
Why Community-Led AI Could Become More Important
The rapid development of AI means decisions made today could influence how technology is used for years to come.
If schools adopt AI systems, those systems may influence teaching and learning practices. If workplaces introduce automated decision-making, workers may experience changes in how they are evaluated or managed. If cultural organizations adopt generative AI, questions around creativity and ownership may become more complicated.
These changes make community participation increasingly relevant.
People do not necessarily need to become AI engineers to have a role in shaping AI.
Teachers can help determine what works in classrooms. Workers can explain how technology affects their jobs. Artists can define what creative communities need. Students can describe how AI affects their learning experiences.
NGOs can help create the structures that allow those voices to become part of decision-making.
A Potential Opportunity for Collaboration
Have you considered this? Collaboration may be most effective of all, and can make a real difference in this kind of program. It could be that you work for a community organization that has good access to people that AI impacts, but not the computer expertise.
Or you work at a university or research center with computers expertise, but little community access.
Arts organizations understand the cultural issues; non-profits excel at advocacy and policy.
So, what’s the secret? Combining these strengths can lead to an even more robust project. Just keep in mind that partnerships will need to meet the eligibility criteria of the program (e.g., the lead partner must be a U.S.-based organization).
Thinking of teaming up?
Be clear on roles and responsibilities early on.
What About Regranting?
The program also allows eligible organizations to include regranting or subgranting as part of a broader community-led project.
However, regranting cannot be the sole purpose of the proposal. The main purpose still needs to be supporting community-led efforts to shape AI. The funding also cannot be used simply to pool money for investment in for-profit organizations.
This distinction could matter for foundations and larger nonprofit organizations considering a multi-organization approach.
The project should demonstrate what the broader initiative is trying to accomplish and why community-led AI work requires the proposed structure.
Important Dates to Remember
For organizations considering the opportunity, the current timeline is:
- September 10, 2026: Open call launched.
- September 14, 2026: Applicant informational webinar.
- October 21, 2026: Initial applications due by 7:59 p.m. ET.
- December 2026: Finalists expected to be notified.
- Early spring 2027: Grant awards expected to be announced.
Humanity AI notes that the later dates are estimates and may change.
Organizations should therefore check the official application page for the latest information before submitting.
The Bigger Question Behind the $10 Million
Have you ever thought that maybe the most significant part of the opportunity here isn’t the amount of grant dollars? Actually, it’s more about the questions it raises about the future of AI. As AI starts to be integrated into our lives, you’re likely to start seeing more communities rushing to get into the mix of how AI systems ought to be added to our schools, workplaces, and cultural centers.
Technology is racing ahead but community buy-in and engagement? Not so much So how do communities stay up to speed? An NGO can be a bridge between fast-moving technology and the slow-moving human experience. An NGO will help you understand what’s changing, communicate your concerns, mobilise, and be part of decision-making where it affects you.
Wouldn’t that give community organizations a big stake in the AI conversation even if they aren’t actively developing AI?
What This Could Mean for Future NGO Funding
The Humanity AI opportunity also provides an interesting signal about where some philanthropic funding may be heading.
AI-related funding is increasingly moving beyond the question of whether nonprofits should adopt technology.
The conversation is expanding toward questions such as:
Who controls the technology?
Who benefits from it?
Who is responsible when something goes wrong?
How can communities participate in decisions?
How can AI support people without removing meaningful human involvement?
For NGOs, these questions could become increasingly relevant when designing programs, advocating for communities or developing partnerships with technology organizations.
It may also create new funding areas around AI governance, digital rights, worker participation, responsible technology, community research and public-interest innovation.
Conclusion: Putting People Into the AI Conversation
Is your organization involved in AI and social impact? If yes, then the new Humanity AI open call for $10 million in funding should be on your radar! This Opportunity is open to qualified nonprofits and community-led organizations based in the United States.
$75,000 – $1 million grants to support your project for as many as three years. What is your project? Education, labor and the economy, and humanities, arts and culture. Applications due October 21, 2026.
Here’s the deal: this isn’t just about the money. This project is a milestone in the history of AI. AI is no longer just for the engineers and tech companies. AI is going to be a topic of discussion for teachers, workers, artists, students, nonprofits, and communities like yours.
What do you think? Should your community have a voice in the future of AI? Here’s the key takeaway: Those who are affected should have a hand in its design. As AI becomes an integrated part of our everyday lives, that conversation will be more important than the technology itself.
Official application: Humanity AI Open Call for Proposals
