Meet the 12 Nonprofits Being Awarded $1M in AI Grants at Tech:NYC’s Decoded Futures
It’s been a busy year here at Decoded Futures at Tech:NYC. We recently closed our third cohort, joined forces with OpenAI Academy on their Nonprofit Jam Day for 1,000 nonprofits across 10 cities, and have now selected 12 alumni nonprofits to help move beyond AI pilots and into large-scale implementation with $1M in grant funding in partnership with Google.org and The New York Community Trust.
Decoded Futures is at the center of the AI for Impact movement, bridging the gap between the nonprofit sector and cutting-edge AI technologies. We empower the social sector in New York City by providing the tools, knowledge, and partnerships needed to integrate AI into nonprofit operations.
Thanks to a $1 million grant from Google.org administered through the Decoded Futures Fund at The New York Community Trust, each nonprofit in the third cohort of Decoded Futures received seed funding of $5,000 each, and also the opportunity to apply for up to $100,000 in additional support. Of the applicants for the follow-on funding, 12 nonprofits received the remaining ~$900,000 between them:
HeartShare
All Star Code
DoSomething
Brooklyn Public Library (BPL)
Bronx Children’s Museum
Services for the UnderServed (S:US)
NPower
Welcome to Chinatown
Brooklyn Workforce Innovations (BWI)
Student Success Network (SSN)
United Neighborhood Houses (UNH)
Center for Supportive Schools (CSS)
The recipients of this follow-on funding represent the diversity and creativity of the city’s nonprofit sector, from social services and youth activation to arts and culture. Each project demonstrates how AI can serve as a tool for strengthening communities, expanding opportunities, and scaling impact. As examples:
Bronx Children’s Museum will pilot an AI storytelling tool that generates culturally relevant, illustrated children’s books. Integrated into literacy programs and museum activities, the initiative addresses both digital equity and literacy. The museum’s leadership was recently recognized in The New York Times as a new member of the Cultural Institutions Group and for its innovative approach to cultural programming.
Brooklyn Public Library is one of the nation’s largest library systems serving 2.7 million residents across 62 branches. With support from Decoded Futures, the Library will develop AI tools to improve multilingual navigation, staff scheduling, and business intelligence, building on a prototype created during the last cohort that helped non-English-speaking patrons access programs and resources. The initiative will strengthen digital inclusion, streamline operations, and expand equitable access to knowledge for Brooklyn’s diverse communities.
HeartShare serves children, adults with disabilities, and families through education, housing, and social services. With the grant funding, the org will launch AI With Care, a case management and analytics platform designed to streamline client intake, personalize services, and improve program evaluation across its extensive network.
Building on Success
These projects build on the momentum of the first three cohorts and extended programming.
Decoded Futures has quickly become a catalyst for nonprofit innovation. To date, Decoded Futures has supported 1,100 organizations across the U.S., and 95% of Decoded Futures cohort alumni are continuing to build AI solutions. The program has also created 200+ AI-powered tools prototyped for nonprofit use cases.
Recent milestones include partnering with OpenAI to bring the Decoded Futures curriculum to the national stage; the launch of the Decoded Futures Prompt Cookbook, a practical guide for nonprofits experimenting with generative AI; and the publication of the AI Adoption Report, which captures the lessons, opportunities, and challenges nonprofits face as they begin integrating AI into their work.
“New York, a global AI leader, is firmly driving the AI for Impact movement, and nonprofits across the city are showing that AI can be a force for equity and creativity,” said Julie Samuels, President and CEO of Tech:NYC. “These grant recipients reflect the best of what’s possible when technology is guided by community needs.”
"Nonprofits are addressing some of society's most pressing challenges, and Google.org is committed to empowering them with AI skills to help them accelerate their impact,” said Maggie Johnson, VP and Global Head, Google.org. “We’re proud to support Tech:NYC as they provide nonprofits with technical assistance and AI training at no cost. This will help nonprofits improve efficiency, focus on their mission, and reach even more people.”
“The New York Community Trust is proud to support Decoded Futures in their mission to help our community’s nonprofits develop new resources and tools, guided by their organizational needs and the communities they serve, ” said Julia Chang, Associate Director for Philanthropic Strategy at The Trust.
“Through Decoded Futures, we’re investing in the organizations that make New York work,” said Bryan Lozano, Director of the Tech:NYC Foundation. “These grants will help nonprofits scale proven AI solutions and ensure that the benefits of technology reach every neighborhood, library, and classroom. It’s about empowering local leaders to use AI to serve their missions more effectively.”
“AI has enormous potential to serve the public good, and the people closest to community challenges can help shape how it’s used,” said Jenni Warren, Program Director of Decoded Futures. “These grants recognize that nonprofits are essential voices in building a more equitable and imaginative AI future.”
For more information on Decoded Futures at Tech:NYC and to get involved, visit https://www.decodedfutures.nyc/