GitLab Foundation: AI for Economic Opportunity Fund

Deadline: October 16, 2024 (Concept notes)

Building on the success of their inaugural year, the GitLab Foundation announces the continuation and expansion of the AI for Economic Opportunity Fund with a second round of funding focused on demonstration and scaling. 

The GitLab Foundation’s mission is to improve lifetime earnings through access to opportunities. The foundation invites applications for the AI for Economic Opportunity Fund—a partnership with the foundation, Ballmer Group, and Open AI —will leverage emerging AI technologies to create economic opportunity and drive income growth. The foundation seeks creative applications including but not limited to tools and services that improve economic opportunity across many applications, such as skill development, job matching, hiring systems, internal mobility, coaching, benefits access, de-biasing systems, data analysis and use, job quality, etc. Up to three concepts may be submitted.

In this second year, the fund has evolved into a two-phase initiative:
1) First phase, the GitLab Foundation will grant a minimum of $3.5 million to up to 14 demonstration projects. The projects will be focused on developing and deploying prototype tools, gathering user feedback, and building evidence of outcomes.
2) Second phase, Ballmer Group will provide funding to scale high-potential projects, awarding either one-year or two-year grants ranging from $500,000 to $1.5 million per year to a maximum of six selected grantees from the demonstration phase.

OpenAI will continuing providing financial and technical support to grantees, including additional funding, access to early product releases, credits, and technical advice. The foundation expects total awards over the next funding cycle to exceed $10 million. Applicants must be U.S.-based nonprofit organizations. Partnerships between multiple organizations, (e.g. nonprofits and for-profit startups, consultants, and other technology experts) are encouraged, as are collaborations between nonprofits and technical experts.

Concept note applications are due October 16, 2024. On October 25, finalists selected from these applications will be invited to submit a full application, which will be due October 31. For guidelines and application instructions, visit the GitLab Foundation at:

https://www.gitlabfoundation.org/futureofwork
GitLab Foundation
2261 Market Street 4927
San Francisco, CA 94114-1612
Email: elicia@gitlabfoundation.org