Google.org Launches $30 Million Generative AI Accelerator for Nonprofits

Google.org Announces $30 Million GenAI Accelerator Program for Nonprofits

Google, through its philanthropic arm Google.org, has announced its next Generative AI Accelerator program. The accelerator, which has a $30 million budget, will support nonprofit organisations that use generative AI to unlock potential for everyone, everywhere. The accelerator is a six-month-long program that involves technical training, Google Cloud credits, and pro-bono support from Google employees, along with a portion of $30 million in funding. Organisations can apply by February 10 at g.co/Accelerator/GenAI. This is Google's second such initiative. The first one, held in 2024, brought together 21 nonprofits. These organisations built solutions across various sectors, such as climate, health, economic opportunities, education, and crisis response. The accelerator was designed to address barriers to implementing AI across nonprofit organisations. "Four in five nonprofits feel that generative AI applies to their work, and nearly half are not using the technology due to a lack of awareness, training, tools, and funding," Google announced. For instance, CareerVillage, which participated in the accelerator in 2024, is developing an AI career coach to help individuals with career paths. Climate Policy Radar, on the other hand, is building an AI-enabled search interface for a database containing climate laws and policies. Another participant, Full Fact, is using AI to summarise large volumes of health misinformation to reduce the burden on fact-checkers. Last year, Google.org awarded a $1 million grant to Karya, an Indian nonprofit that provides low-income communities worldwide with AI-driven learning and earning opportunities. Karya plans to utilise the grant to develop a skilling curriculum based on research and practical experience, which will be translated into 10 major Indic languages. The goal of Google.org's accelerator is to help organisations build AI solutions to serve more than 30 million people by 2028. Moreover, in October 2024, Google launched its AI Skills House initiative at the 10th edition of Google for India to empower 10 million Indians with AI training. Following this, Google.org recently announced a $4 million grant to the Central Square Foundation to promote responsible AI awareness across India's educational ecosystem.

An open call for the next Google.org Accelerator: Generative AI

Generative AI has real potential to make progress on many of humanity's most pressing challenges. Recent Google research shows that AI is driving progress towards all 17 of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). But barriers to tapping into this technology remain. A 2024 Google for Nonprofits survey found that while four in five nonprofits feel that generative AI is applicable to their work, nearly half are not using the technology due to a lack of awareness, training, tools and funding. To help address these barriers, Google.org launched a Generative AI Accelerator in 2024 that supported 21 organizations to build gen AI-powered solutions that collectively aim to serve more than 30 million people by 2028. Participants in the first Generative AI Accelerator built solutions across sectors, from tackling youth unemployment to advancing a more sustainable future to empowering people facing humanitarian crises. Their work spanned Google.org's three focus areas: Knowledge, Skills, and Learning; Scientific Advancement; and Resilient Communities. For example: