AI accelerator launches to provide pro bono solutions to nonprofits & social businesses
Melanie May | 19 April 2024 | News
The AI for Changemakers Accelerator will select more than 100 nonprofit organisations and social businesses worldwide with a proven track record of addressing critical local and global challenges, to help amplify their impact through AI.
The AI for Changemakers Accelerator has been launched by the Tech To The Rescue Foundation, which is a global movement of more than 1,500 technology companies committed to supporting nonprofit organisations. The programme is supported via funding by AWS and Google.org.
Applications for the accelerator will open in stages, with each stage concentrating on different impact areas. Starting today (19 April), Tech To The Rescue is accepting applications from nonprofits and social businesses in two cohorts: disaster management and climate. The application deadline for the disaster management cohort is 30 April, with the deadline for climate-focused organisations set for the end of June. Future cohorts will centre on health, education, and economic opportunity.
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Tech companies interested in providing pro bono services to support the accelerator can register here.
The accelerator will provide participating nonprofits with access to:
- Six-week AI strategy bootcamps covering essential AI concepts and strategy development to help participants expand their knowledge and skills in AI, discovering the most promising applications within their organisation, and helping them craft their own AI strategy and submit AI implementation requests to companies.
- Matching platform, a flagship service of the Tech To The Rescue Foundation that will match AI implementation projects submitted by organisations with tech companies interested in developing them on a pro-bono basis.
- Demonstration day where nonprofits can pitch their ideas to potential donors, to help with sourcing follow-up funding.
- Access to expert mentors invited to the programme and thosefrom Tech To The Rescue’s network who will help guide participants on common pitfalls and how to develop secure and trustworthy AI product implementation.
- Access to AI-based products and services, including cloud computing credits, AI-powered Customer Relationship Management Systems (CRM) and team collaboration software for working on AI prototypes.
- Biannual hackathons, offering prototyping of innovative concepts and multinational collaboration.
A ‘community of practice’ consisting of impact leaders, AI innovators, and expert mentors will be on hand to ensure that AI solutions are innovative, responsible, and applicable.
Over the past three years, Tech To The Rescue has seen more than 1,500 companies join its community along with over 2,000 nonprofits.
Jacek Siadkowski, CEO and co-founder of Tech To The Rescue said:
“The power of AI is huge, but with high demand for AI talent, nonprofit changemakers are too often forgotten about. Whilst social changemakers are the crucial actors in solving modern challenges, to create lasting change they need access to funds, skills, knowledge and cross-sector support. It is now our job to mobilise tech companies and digital agencies to join the accelerator and offer pro bono tech support to nonprofits, in the spirit of Tech for Good.”
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.