GitLab Foundation Announces Inaugural AI for Economic Opportunity Fund Grantee Cohort
November 16, 2023 — The GitLab Foundation today announced the inaugural AI for Economic Opportunity Fund grant recipients. After a rigorous review of more than 200 grant applications — including evaluation by an advisory board of tech industry representatives and philanthropic leaders — thirteen organizations were selected to collectively receive more than $2 million to scale innovations that drive high income gains and advance economic mobility through AI.
While AI-enabled tools and technologies continue to rapidly evolve, many organizations focused on social outcomes are often last in line to test and implement them — the GitLab Foundation’s AI for Economic Opportunity Fund enables frontline organizations to experiment with emerging technologies improve productivity gains and, ultimately, catalyze $1 billion in new income.
“AI’s impact on society cuts both ways. It has enormous potential to not only create new types of jobs and improve job quality, but also to exacerbate inequalities in our education and workforce systems,” said Ellie Bertani, CEO of the GitLab Foundation. “We are excited to recognize these thirteen organizations as exemplars in applying artificial intelligence to support learners and workers throughout their journeys into high-paying jobs.”
In the months ahead, the cohort will receive technical assistance from OpenAI and Tribe.AI as they scale their work, as well as gain access to opportunities to collaborate with and learn from one another. The Foundation will also support data management and documentation, ultimately distributing lessons learned from the initial grantee cohort to help advance the field and improve implementation of AI for economic opportunity.
The thirteen organizations receiving grants, and a high-level overview of their funded projects, are:
Benefits Data Trust — Launching Wyatt, a digital FAFSA adviser that guides students toward critical financial aid
Burning Glass Institute — Building an AI-driven job-to-job transition recommender system
CareerVillage — Expanding the CareerVillage AI career coach
CodePath — Reprogramming higher education to create the most diverse generation of AI-enabled engineers
DataKind — Optimizing financial health and financial inclusion among low-income and at-risk individuals in Colombia
Digital Green — Strengthening Kenya’s agricultural extension system through AI innovation
Immigration Policy Lab — Improving economic opportunities for refugees in the United States
EdTech For Learning — Bridging skills and opportunities for Navajo people with AI-enhanced employment matching
Humanitas Labs — Building responsible AI for the 211 ecosystem
Learning Collider — Innovating smart chatbots for new hire engagement, retention, income stability and upward mobility for hourly, low-wage workers
MDRC — Bridging the gap between nonprofits and advanced analytics for improved economic outcomes
mRelief — Increasing income through SNAP with an advanced document verification AI
Research Improving People's Lives (RIPL) — Improving economic mobility with an AI government research assistant
Return on Investment
2,119x ROI
This project is estimated to increase annual earnings by $5,573 per person, for a total additional lifetime earnings of $145,901 per person
Total lifetime earnings increase across all participants: $13,676,667,866
$2M invested
Learn more about the AI for Economic Opportunity Fund.
