by Jeroslyn JoVonn
December 11, 2025
The OpenAI Foundation is investing $40 million in nonprofits that promote the use and understanding of AI.
The OpenAI Foundation has announced a multi-million-dollar investment in community-based nonprofits whose work includes broadening access to AI.
On Dec. 3, the top AI platform unveiled its People-First AI Fund, pledging $40.5 million in unrestricted grants to 208 U.S. nonprofits that strengthen communities while advancing AI use. The first round of funds will be distributed by year’s end, with an additional $9.5 million in board-directed grants to be announced in the coming months.
“The People-First AI Fund reflects our commitment to supporting a wide range of organizations advancing work that strengthens communities and expands opportunity,” said Bret Taylor, chair of the OpenAI Foundation Board. “We’re proud to support this first group of grantees and to continue work that is mission-driven and responsive to the people it exists to serve.”
Nearly 3,000 U.S.-based organizations applied to the fund between Sept. 8 and Oct. 8, which the tech giant said highlights both the demand for support and the eagerness of community groups to shape how AI benefits their work and communities.
Through the People-First AI Fund, OpenAI seeks to back nonprofits driving transformative AI initiatives in areas like health, reflecting the fund’s commitment to people-first values and public impact.
The first 18 grant recipients serve communities spanning rural and urban areas. They include national networks for news literacy and veteran support, youth-led initiatives in the Midwest, faith-based groups in the South, rural development programs in California’s Central Valley, and Native-led media and STEM education projects in the Southwest.
Through the People-First AI Fund, OpenAI aims to support community organizations offering forms of AI literacy, public education, innovation, economic opportunity, and transformative programs. By providing flexible, unrestricted funding, it aims to tackle the priorities that communities identify as most important.
“Thank you to the community leaders who helped shape this Fund. We’re committed to learning side-by-side with grantees, sharing insights, and continuing to support efforts that improve people’s lives,” the foundation said.
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