Communities Leading on AI Open Call: Organizational Readiness Tool
About the Organizational Readiness Tool
The goal of the Organizational Readiness Tool is to allow potential applicants to develop a clear and candid understanding of whether or not they meet the eligibility requirements for Humanity AI's Communities Leading on AI Open Call and to make an informed decision about applying relative to their eligibility, capacity, and likelihood of success.
This Open Call is being executed with support from the Lever for Change team, who are providing administrative and implementation support. The Organizational Readiness Tool is a standard feature of Lever for Change Open Calls. The below Organizational Readiness Tool is structured according to Lever for Change best practices; however, the questions contained herein have been drafted specifically for this Open Call.
| Which of the following best describes your organization? | |
|---|---|
| Option | Response |
| A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in the United States or U.S. Territories. | We welcome applications from 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations across the United States and U.S. Territories. |
| A U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit fiscal sponsor applying on behalf of a fiscally sponsored project led by an individual, unincorporated group, or collaboration. | We welcome applications from fiscal sponsors applying on behalf of fiscally sponsored projects. Per the National Council of Nonprofits, a fiscal sponsor is a nonprofit organization that provides fiduciary oversight, financial management, and other administrative services to help build the capacity of a charitable project.
For the purposes of this Open Call application, the fiscal sponsor will be the Lead Applicant. Should the applicant be selected as an Awardee, the grant agreement will designate funds to the fiscal sponsor for the project specifically. |
| A collaboration between multiple individuals and/or entities. | We welcome applications from groups of individuals and/or entities, with one U.S.-based 501(c)(3) organization serving as Lead Applicant on behalf of all collaborators. A fiscal sponsor may also serve as Lead Applicant on behalf of a collaboration. The Lead Applicant must list all collaborators in their initial application. |
| I am an individual. | We welcome applications from individuals (such as artists, students, workers, scholars, or technologists) however they must apply through one of two pathways:
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| A public or private college, junior college, university, or other similar educational entity registered under section 501(c)(3) and section 509(a)(1) or (2) of the IRC that has received a tax determination letter from the IRS and which tax determination letter is in effect. | We welcome applications from private colleges, junior colleges, universities, and other similar educational entities under section 501(c)(3) of the IRC. |
| A private operating foundation based in the United States and/or U.S. Territories under section 501(c)(3) of the IRC that has received a tax determination letter from the IRS. | We welcome applications from U.S.-based private foundations that have received a tax determination letter from the IRS. Please note that proposals will need to demonstrate that the main purpose of the proposed work is to support community-led work to shape AI; funding cannot be sought for the sole purpose of regranting. For more information, please refer to the FAQs. |
| A U.S. tribal government. | We welcome applications from tribal governments treated as States pursuant to Internal Revenue Code Section 7871. These applicants may apply on their own as a single organization or as part of a collaboration in which a 501(c)(3) organization is the lead applicant. |
| A governmental entity. | State, local, and federal governmental entities including government units, instrumentalities, and federally funded institutions are welcome to collaborate on an application, however a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) organization must serve as Lead Applicant. |
| A for-profit organization, including limited liability corporations, benefit corporations, or hybrid organizations. | For-profit organizations may participate in collaborations with grantee organizations but may not serve as Lead Applicant. |
| An entity recognized as a 501(c)(4) organization. | This Open Call might not be a fit for you. 501(c)(4) organizations are not eligible to apply, nor may they serve as partners in a collaboration. 501(c)(3) organizations that have an associated 501(c)(4) arm but are otherwise eligible are welcome to apply, provided that they apply through their 501(c)(3) arm. |
| An organization based outside of the United States and U.S. Territories. | Humanity AI is a U.S.-focused effort. For this Open Call, individuals and organizations based outside the U.S. or U.S. Territories may participate as partners in collaborations but may not serve as Lead Applicants. All eligible proposals must focus on U.S.-based communities. |
| None of the above. | This Open Call might not be a fit for your organization. |
| Is your proposed work focused on one or more communities in the United States or U.S. Territories? | |
|---|---|
| Option | Response |
| Yes. | Great! In order to be eligible, proposals must focus on communities in the United States and/or U.S. Territories. |
| No. | This Open Call may not be a fit for your organization. Humanity AI is a U.S.-focused effort. In order to be eligible, proposals must focus on communities in the United States and/or U.S. Territories. |
| Understanding that work is often cross-cutting, which of the following issue areas best describes the focus of your work? Proposals may focus on more than one issue area. | |
|---|---|
| Option | Response |
| Education: Shaping AI around the best interests of students, educators, and communities to develop and expand knowledge, strengthen how people learn, and safeguard against risks to humans. | Great. This Open Call is focused on three issue areas central to Humanity AI’s work: education, labor and economy, and humanities, arts, and culture. Proposals may focus on more than one issue area. Within education, we are particularly interested in work led by students, educators, and the organizations who represent them.
Please also keep in mind that this Open Call is focused on community-led efforts. By community-led, we mean that members of the given community are demonstrably defining the goals, shaping the approach, and driving the work of the proposal. |
| Labor and economy: Ensuring AI is used to enhance, rather than replace, workers and to help create an economy that enables all of us to have what we need to thrive. | Great. This Open Call is focused on three issue areas central to Humanity AI’s work: education, labor and economy, and humanities, arts, and culture. Proposals may focus on more than one issue area. Within labor and economy, we are particularly interested in work led by workers and worker-focused organizations.
Please also keep in mind that this Open Call is focused on community-led efforts. By community-led, we mean that members of the given community are demonstrably defining the goals, shaping the approach, and driving the work of the proposal. |
| Humanities, arts, and culture: Enhancing human creativity and understanding of the human experience while protecting the work of artists and creators. | Great. This Open Call is focused on three issue areas central to Humanity AI’s work: education, labor and economy, and humanities, arts, and culture. Proposals may focus on more than one issue area. Within humanities, arts, and culture, we are particularly interested in work led by artists, writers, scholars, cultural heritage workers, and others working in culture and humanities, including organizations that represent them.
Please also keep in mind that this Open Call is focused on community-led efforts. By community-led, we mean that members of the given community are demonstrably defining the goals, shaping the approach, and driving the work of the proposal. |
| None of the above. | This Open Call may not be a fit for you. This Open Call is focused on three issue areas central to Humanity AI’s work: education, labor and economy, and humanities, arts, and culture. Proposals must address one of the three issue areas that are the focus of this Open Call. If your work falls outside these parameters, we encourage you to sign up for updates on future Humanity AI grantmaking opportunities. |
| Which of the following best describes the focus of your approach? | |
|---|---|
| Option | Response |
| Shaping how AI is governed and used: Efforts by advocates and communities to strengthen guardrails around AI use and define the rules that govern AI deployment at local, regional and/or national levels. | Great! Within the three issue areas of education, labor and economy, and humanities, arts, and culture, we’re funding community-led work to shape AI that adopts one of three approaches: shaping how AI is governed and used, building AI on community terms, and/or challenging AI that doesn’t serve communities.
For more information on eligible approaches, please see here. |
| Building AI on community terms: Technical efforts that focus on one or more of the three issue areas (education; labor and economy; humanities, arts, and culture) and center and advance community needs over profits motivating tech development. | Great! Within the three issue areas of education, labor and economy, and humanities, arts, and culture, we’re funding community-led work to shape AI that adopts one of three approaches: shaping how AI is governed and used, building AI on community terms, and/or challenging AI that doesn’t serve communities.
While this call prioritizes technical proposals focused on AI infrastructure, proposals focused on AI products that employ novel approaches and fill a gap in communities may also be considered. Eligible products must be co-designed with the communities they serve. For more information on eligible approaches, please see here. |
| Challenging AI that doesn’t serve communities: Efforts by communities to push back on AI deployments that feel imposed or misaligned with their values and needs, instead elevating approaches that center human agency in decision-making about AI. | Great! Within the three issue areas of education, labor and economy, and humanities, arts, and culture, we’re funding community-led work to shape AI that adopts one of three approaches: shaping how AI is governed and used, building AI on community terms, and/or challenging AI that doesn’t serve communities.
For more information on eligible approaches, please see here. |
| None of the above. | This Open Call may not be a fit for your organization. This Open Call is funding community-led work to shape AI that adopts one or more of three approaches: shaping how AI is governed and used, building AI on community terms, and/or challenging AI that doesn’t serve communities.
Proposals must address one or more of these eligible approaches. If your work falls outside these parameters, we encourage you to sign up for updates on future Humanity AI grantmaking opportunities. |
| Does your project primarily focus on any of the following? | |
|---|---|
| Option | Response |
| AI Literacy: Efforts that are primarily about providing the knowledge and skills to use AI tools. | This Open Call might not be a fit for you. Efforts that primarily focus on this approach are out of scope for this Open Call. |
| AI Adoption: Efforts that are primarily about promoting the spread of specific AI tools and systems. | This Open Call may not be a fit for you. Efforts that primarily focus on this approach are out of scope for this Open Call. |
| Research-only: Efforts that are primarily about research without advancing community leadership and action. | This Open Call may not be a fit for you. Efforts that are primarily about research without advancing community leadership and action are out of scope for this Open Call. |
| None of the above. | Great. This Open Call is funding community-led work to shape AI whose primary focus is one or more of the following: shaping how AI is governed and used, building AI on community terms, and/or challenging AI that doesn’t serve communities.
Proposals must address one or more of these eligible approaches. If your work falls outside these parameters, we encourage you to sign up for updates on future Humanity AI grantmaking opportunities. |
| Do you use AI tools in your proposed work? | |
|---|---|
| Option | Response |
| Yes. | Great. Everyday use of AI tools for drafting, editing, research support, or similar tasks in proposed work is permitted and will not affect how your proposal is reviewed.
If AI models are part of your proposed work’s core methodology or deliverables, reviewers will prioritize open-weight and/or open-source models over closed models. This is one factor among several in review and not an eligibility requirement. Open-weight and open-source models are, to varying degrees, publicly available for inspection and adaptation, unlike closed models, which remain under the control of the developer. Humanity AI is committed to a future where ownership and control over AI systems are broadly shared. For more detail, PBS NewsHour offers a short explainer on closed, open-source, and open-weight models. |
| No. | Great. AI use is not required for this Open Call. Everyday use of AI tools for drafting, editing, research support, or similar tasks in proposed work is permitted and will not affect how your proposal is reviewed.
If AI models are part of your proposed work’s core methodology or deliverables, reviewers will prioritize open-weight and/or open-source models over closed models. This is one factor among several in review and not an eligibility requirement. Open-weight and open-source models are, to varying degrees, publicly available for inspection and adaptation, unlike closed models, which remain under the control of the developer. Humanity AI is committed to a future where ownership and control over AI systems are broadly shared. For more detail, PBS NewsHour offers a short explainer on closed, open-source, and open-weight models. |
| Is your work community-led? Here, “community” may refer to a distinct group with common interests, characteristics, and/or histories. A “community-led” effort is one in which members of the given community are demonstrably defining the goals, shaping the approach and driving the work of the proposal. | |
|---|---|
| Option | Response |
| Yes. | Great! We are interested in receiving proposals from communities most affected by AI in the relevant issue area(s). This includes, but is not limited to, students, educators, workers, artists and writers, as well as communities defined by shared identity or lived experience. We will consider communities at local, regional, and national scales. Strong applications will demonstrate a clear vision for community leadership. |
| No. | This Open Call might not be a fit for your organization. We are interested in receiving proposals from communities most affected by AI in the relevant issue area(s). This includes, but is not limited to, students, educators, workers, artists and writers, as well as communities defined by shared identity or lived experience. We will consider communities at local, regional, and national scales. Strong applications will demonstrate a clear vision for community leadership. |
| Has your organization received funding from Humanity AI? | |
|---|---|
| Option | Response |
| No, we have not received funding from Humanity AI. | Great! We welcome applications from eligible organizations that have not previously received funding from Humanity AI. |
| Yes, we received a 2026 grant from Humanity AI. | Organizations that received a direct Humanity AI grant in 2026 are not eligible to apply as sole applicants but are welcome to apply as part of a collaboration. Priority will be given to collaborations with lead applicants that are not 2026 grantees. Current grantees of individual Humanity AI member philanthropies are fully eligible for this call. |
| We have received funding from one of the philanthropies participating in Humanity AI, but we have not received funding from Humanity AI directly. | Great! Grantmaking through individual foundations is independent of Humanity AI grants and will not affect your eligibility for this Open Call. |
| Does your team have the time and capacity to complete an application by the application deadline of Wednesday, October 21, 2026? | |
|---|---|
| Option | Response |
| Yes. | Great. Please review the Process and Timeline and FAQs for more information about the Open Call process. |
| No. | This Open Call might not be a fit for your organization. Please review the Process and Timeline and FAQs for more information about the Open Call process. |
| In what language do you intend to submit your application? Select one. | |
|---|---|
| Option | Response |
| English. | The entire application must be in English to be considered. We acknowledge and understand the barrier this places on those for whom English is not a first language. However, because of the review process, English was chosen to provide consistency across all entries and reduce the risk of translation error or misinterpreting an application. We appreciate your accommodation and understanding.
Please note, English language skills are not a criterion on which applications will be judged. We welcome and encourage those for whom English is not a first language to apply. |
| Another language (other than English). | The entire application must be in English to be considered. We acknowledge and understand the barrier this places on those for whom English is not a first language. However, because of the review process, English was chosen to provide consistency across all entries and reduce the risk of translation error or misinterpreting an application. We appreciate your accommodation and understanding.
Please note, English language skills are not a criterion on which applications will be judged. We welcome and encourage those for whom English is not a first language to apply. |
Thank you! Based on the information provided above, we encourage you to strongly consider if this Open Call is a good fit for your organization. Please take into consideration the information you have gathered from this tool including eligibility requirements, organizational capacity, the likelihood of your application being competitive, etc.
To return to the Open Call webpage, click here.
If you believe your application may be successful, please visit https://leverforchange.submittable.com/submit to register and submit a short application.
Applications for Communities Leading on AI must be submitted by 4:59 p.m. U.S. Pacific Time / 7:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
If your organization is not ready to participate in this Open Call, we hope you explore opportunities to apply for other future initiatives. Sign up to learn about future Humanity AI initiatives here.
