Humanity AI
Coalition of 10 funders (Ford, MacArthur, Mozilla, Omidyar…)
The $10M open call from this five-year, $500M pooled initiative went live on 10 September 2026. Communities Leading on AI funds US work where the people most affected — students, educators, workers, artists, cultural workers — are defining the goals and driving the work, not just being consulted.
Three issue areas: education; labor and economy; and humanities, arts, and culture. Three eligible approaches: shaping how AI is built, governed and used; building AI on community terms; and challenging AI that does not serve communities. Proposals must address at least one of each.
Out of scope: AI literacy, AI adoption, and research-only projects. Where AI models are core to the work, open-weight and open-source models get priority over closed ones.
Process: Phase 1 initial application closes 21 October 2026 at 4:59pm PT, screened by Lever for Change against five published criteria. Finalists notified December 2026 and asked for budget and measurement materials. Awards announced early spring 2027. An applicant webinar runs 14 September 2026.
- Deadline: Oct 21, 2026, 4:59pm PT / 7:59pm ET
- Amount / value: $75K–$1M per grant, from a $10M pool ($500M/5yr initiative)
- Tiers: $75K–$150K · $150K–$500K · $500K–$1M. No pre-allocation across tiers; apply at the level the work requires
- Duration: Up to three years; no cap on indirect rates
- Geography: US only — proposals must focus on US-based communities. Non-US orgs may join collaborations but cannot lead
- Focus: Education · Labor and economy · Humanities, arts and culture
- Eligibility: US 501(c)(3) lead applicants. Individuals and informal groups apply via a fiscal sponsor or as part of a collaboration. Tribal governments under IRC 7871 may apply directly. For-profits may join collaborations but cannot lead. 2026 Humanity AI grantees cannot apply as sole applicants
- Funders: Doris Duke, Ford, Kapor, Lumina, MacArthur, Mellon, Mozilla, Omidyar Network, Packard, Siegel Family Endowment. Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors manages the pooled fund
- Last verified: Sep 11, 2026
Always confirm details and deadlines at the official source before applying. Hand-verified by ImpactOpen.