Humanity AI has launched a first-of-its-kind Open Call for Proposals seeking community-led efforts that shape how artificial intelligence is built, governed, and used for the common good.
The initiative comes at a time of growing public concern about the impact of AI on people’s lives, jobs, and communities. Humanity AI is particularly interested in supporting communities that are not simply being consulted about AI but are actively setting the agenda and leading efforts to determine how AI affects them.
The Open Call will provide grants ranging from $75,000 to $1,000,000, with applicants able to propose projects lasting up to three years.
About the Humanity AI Open Call
The Humanity AI Open Call is designed to support community-led work addressing the social, economic, cultural, and technological implications of artificial intelligence.
The initiative seeks applications from communities and organizations where those most affected by technological change are defining the goals, shaping the approach, and driving the work.
This includes communities of:
- Workers
- Artists
- Students
- Educators
- Writers
- Scholars
- Cultural heritage workers
- Other communities working in the humanities and culture
Humanity AI is also actively seeking applicants who may not traditionally have considered themselves participants in shaping the impact of AI.
Eligible Issue Areas
The Open Call focuses on three key issue areas.
1. Education
The education component supports efforts to shape AI around the interests of students, educators, and communities.
Projects may focus on developing and expanding knowledge, strengthening how people learn, and safeguarding people against risks associated with AI.
Humanity AI is particularly interested in work led by students, educators, and organizations representing them.
2. Labor and Economy
The labor and economy area focuses on ensuring that AI enhances rather than simply replaces workers.
The initiative seeks efforts that help create an economy where people can thrive and benefit from technological developments.
Humanity AI is particularly interested in work led by workers and worker-focused organizations.
3. Humanities, Arts, and Culture
The third issue area focuses on enhancing human creativity and understanding of the human experience while protecting artists and creators.
Humanity AI is particularly interested in projects led by:
- Artists
- Writers
- Scholars
- Cultural heritage workers
- Other people working in culture and humanities
- Organizations representing these communities
Eligible Approaches
Within the three issue areas, Humanity AI is funding community-led work that follows one of three approaches.
1. Shaping How AI Is Governed and Used
This approach supports efforts by communities and advocates to strengthen safeguards around AI and help define the rules governing AI deployment at local, regional, or national levels.
Examples could include educators establishing AI guidelines for schools or workers organizing around enforceable standards for responsible AI use in the workplace.
2. Building AI on Community Terms
This approach supports technical efforts that place community needs ahead of profits and focus on developing AI systems and infrastructure that communities can shape and control.
Examples include:
- Evaluations centred on overlooked communities
- Auditing approaches to ensure AI systems work as intended
- Datasets supporting broad and consensual participation in AI development
- Artistic and creative approaches to community-led AI infrastructure
- Projects that reimagine, audit, or challenge AI systems
Humanity AI prioritizes technical proposals focused on AI infrastructure. AI products using novel approaches may also be considered when they address a community gap and are co-designed with the communities they serve.
3. Challenging AI That Doesn’t Serve Communities
This approach supports community efforts to challenge AI deployments that are imposed on communities or do not align with their values and needs.
The goal is to elevate approaches that place human agency at the centre of decision-making about AI.
Examples include artists and cultural organizations using creative interventions to challenge dominant narratives about AI, or worker coalitions challenging AI surveillance in workplaces.
Priority Consideration for Open-Weight and Open-Source AI
Projects can be eligible whether or not they incorporate AI.
However, when AI models are central to the proposed methodology or deliverables, priority will be given to open-weight and/or open-source models rather than closed models.
Areas Out of Scope
Applicants should carefully consider whether their proposed project falls within the scope of the Open Call.
The following areas are specifically excluded:
AI Literacy
Projects primarily focused on providing people with knowledge and skills to use AI tools are out of scope.
AI Adoption
Projects primarily focused on promoting the spread of particular AI tools or systems are not eligible.
Research-Only Projects
Projects primarily focused on research without advancing community leadership and action are also out of scope.
Eligibility Requirements
The Humanity AI Open Call welcomes applications from:
- U.S.-based organizations
- U.S.-based collaborations
- U.S.-based individuals with eligible proposals focused on U.S.-based communities
Lead organizations must have 501(c)(3) status.
Individuals can apply with the support of a fiscal sponsor or another 501(c)(3) intermediary.
Applicants based outside the United States should carefully review the official FAQ and eligibility requirements before preparing an application, as the call specifically states that applicants and proposed work must meet the U.S.-based requirements.
Funding Amount
Humanity AI will provide grants ranging from $75,000 to $1,000,000.
Applicants can select the funding tier that best matches the resources required for their proposal.
Tier One: $75,000–$150,000
This tier may be suitable for:
- A fiscally sponsored project involving an individual practitioner
- A focused proposal
- A two-partner collaboration undertaking exploratory work
- An emerging organization launching an early initiative
- An established organization running a contained pilot
Tier Two: $150,000–$500,000
This tier may be suitable for projects involving:
- Individual practitioners whose work requires sustained time or production resources
- Collaborations requiring meaningful coordination or development costs
- Emerging organizations with full-time teams working on defined initiatives
- Established organizations dedicating staff capacity to a new area of work
Tier Three: $500,000–$1,000,000
This tier may be suitable for:
- Coalitions requiring substantial coordination and dedicated staffing
- Multi-year initiatives with significant technical development or infrastructure costs
- Emerging organizations building full-time teams around major initiatives
- Established organizations launching ambitious, resource-intensive pilots
Humanity AI is not pre-allocating funding between the tiers. Applicants are encouraged to request the level of funding their proposal actually requires.
Grant Duration
Applicants may propose projects lasting up to three years.
Where feasible, grants will be disbursed at the beginning of the grant period to support early resourcing.
Application Process
The application process consists of two phases.
Phase 1: Initial Application
Eligible applicants must submit their initial application by:
October 21, 2026, at 4:59 p.m. PT / 7:59 p.m. ET.
Applications will first undergo an eligibility screening by reviewers at Lever for Change, which is supporting the Open Call.
Eligible applications will then be evaluated according to the Open Call’s evaluation criteria.
Phase 2: Finalist Round
Top-rated applicants will be invited to submit additional application materials.
These materials may include:
- A detailed budget
- A measurement plan
- Additional information about the proposed work
Some applicants may also be invited to participate in an interview with Humanity AI staff and funders.
Application Timeline
September 10, 2026
Launch
Initial applications opened.
September 14, 2026
Applicant Webinar
An informational webinar is scheduled for prospective applicants.
October 21, 2026
Initial Applications Due
Applications must be submitted by 4:59 p.m. PT / 7:59 p.m. ET.
December 2026
Finalists Notified
Finalists will be contacted and invited to provide additional materials.
Early Spring 2027
Grantee Awards Announced
Humanity AI expects to announce the successful grantee awards.
The dates are estimates and may change. Humanity AI states that updates will be communicated as early as possible.
Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated according to five major criteria:
- Vision for the Proposal
- Vision for Community Leadership
- Clarity and Feasibility
- Potential for Impact
- Credibility and Experience
Applicants should therefore ensure that their proposals clearly communicate their vision, demonstrate meaningful community leadership, explain how the project can realistically be delivered, describe its potential impact, and establish the credibility and experience of those involved.
How to Apply
Prospective applicants are encouraged to begin by reviewing the organizational readiness tool to assess their eligibility.
Applicants can also review the complete list of application questions before submitting their proposal.
Start Application: Humanity AI Open Call application portal
Assess Eligibility: Humanity AI organizational readiness tool
Download Questions: Humanity AI Open Call application questions
Who Should Consider Applying?
This Open Call is particularly relevant to U.S.-based organizations, collaborations, and eligible individuals working with U.S.-based communities on projects involving:
- Education and AI
- Labor and the future of work
- Humanities, arts, and culture
- AI governance
- Community-led AI infrastructure
- Open-source or open-weight AI
- Community-led challenges to harmful AI deployment
- Human-centred approaches to AI development and use
The strongest fit will be projects where affected communities are not merely consulted but are actively defining the goals, shaping the approach, and leading the work.
Important Information for Applicants
Before applying, prospective applicants should carefully assess whether their project meets the Open Call’s requirements.
Applicants should pay particular attention to:
- U.S.-based eligibility requirements
- 501(c)(3) requirements for lead organizations
- The need for a fiscal sponsor for eligible individual applicants
- The three eligible issue areas
- The three eligible approaches
- Areas that are specifically out of scope
- The preference for open-weight and open-source AI when AI models form part of the core methodology or deliverables
- The appropriate funding tier
- The maximum three-year grant duration
- The October 21, 2026 application deadline
APPLICATION PORTAL
APPLY HERE
Conclusion
The Humanity AI Open Call 2026 provides a major funding opportunity for U.S.-based communities, organizations, collaborations, and eligible individuals working to shape the development, governance, and use of artificial intelligence.
With grants ranging from $75,000 to $1 million and project durations of up to three years, the initiative is designed to support community-led efforts across education, labor and the economy, and humanities, arts, and culture.
Applicants should ensure that their proposals place communities at the centre of the work and clearly demonstrate a strong vision, community leadership, feasibility, potential impact, and relevant experience.
Discover more on the OFY Webpage.
