Big news from Materiom: the team just launched Materiom AI! The TL;DR: this generative AI chatbot is designed to speed up the discovery of bio-based ingredients and materials. Read more: www.materiom.org/resources/in...

Introducing Materiom AI chatbot for bio-based material discovery

Materiom AI is a generative AI chatbot for bio-based materials discovery, now available in beta on the Materiom Commons.

materiom.org

Fast Forward is growing! And we’re hiring a VP of Programs, VP of Fundraising and Partnerships, and Director of Corporate Fundraising and Partnerships in San Francisco. Full-time, in-office roles. Apply here → jobs.ffwd.org/jobs?filter=...

The Tech Nonprofit Job Board

Search job openings across the Fast Forward network.

jobs.ffwd.org

The browser wars shaped the internet. Now it’s AI’s turn. In this month’s AI for Humanity, we dive into how @mozilla.org is working to keep AI open, safe, and human-centered. Plus a look at Ersilia’s work in global health. Subscribe → aiforhumanity.substack.com/p/model-beha...

Model Behavior

Why Mozilla is putting their weight(s) behind open-source AI.

aiforhumanity.substack.com

What if the most powerful AI tools were built for classrooms that could benefit from them most? Even ones without internet.

Agentic AI sounds like the latest buzzword, but tech nonprofits like @careervillage.bsky.social & @digitalgreen.bsky.social are already putting it to work. Think career advice, on demand. Farming tips rooted in data, not guesswork. More in @diginomica.com: diginomica.com/career-coach...

From career coaching to farming - how two NGOs driving change with agentic AI

NGOs aren’t always thought of as being at the cutting edge of technology. But CareerVillage and Digital Green are two that are using agentic AI to make a real difference to their beneficiaries.

diginomica.com

Generative AI won’t fix healthcare gaps, but it can make life easier for family caregivers. @noorahealth.bsky.social is testing generative AI to deliver clear, personalized guidance after hospital discharge. More in Stanford CDH’s new report: cdh.stanford.edu/generative-a...

Congratulations to Mobile Pathways and Scrutinize for winning Ironclad’s 2025 Legal AI Innovators Award! (And for the Nasdaq feature!) Learn more: ironcladapp.com/blog/winners...

AI is changing how nonprofits operate, but without clear policies, it could be risky business. Fast Forward’s Nonprofit AI Policy Builder makes it easy to create a responsible, mission-aligned AI policy. Try it now: www.ffwd.org/nonprofit-ai...

Nonprofit AI Policy Builder – Fast Forward

Fast Forward empowers nonprofits building tech for humanity.

ffwd.org

We’re hiring. Fast Forward is looking for mission-driven leaders to join us in San Francisco. These roles are in-person at our office in The Presidio. Ready to drive real impact? Apply now:. jobs.ffwd.org/jobs?filter=...

The Tech Nonprofit Job Board

Search job openings across the Fast Forward network.

jobs.ffwd.org

Hey, you! Yes, you. Did you know your Instagram feed is missing something? Well, it is. It’s missing… us! We’re sharing stories, behind-the-scenes moments, and all things tech for good. If you love social impact, you’ll love what we’re posting on the grid.

Thrilled to be working with the incredible team at @ffwdorg.bsky.social and business development team and the other members of the 2025 tech nonprofit cohort!

Fast Forward@ffwdorg.bsky.social · last yr.

Meet Fast Forward’s 2025 Accelerator cohort! They're doing amazing work across healthcare, education, climate, and more. Plus, 70% of the cohort is an AI-powered nonprofit.

Check out our new Accelerator cohort in the San Francisco Business Times! @sarambee.bsky.social highlights the 10 organizations using tech to drive impact. Read more: www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco...

10 nonprofits selected for Fast Forward tech accelerator in San Francisco - San Francisco Business Times

San Francisco nonprofit tech accelerator Fast Forward has selected 10 organizations for its latest program which is supported by the philanthropic arms of companies like Google, Salesforce, Bloomberg, OpenAI, Okta and others.

bizjournals.com

Meet Fast Forward’s 2025 Accelerator cohort! They're doing amazing work across healthcare, education, climate, and more. Plus, 70% of the cohort is an AI-powered nonprofit.

How are funders approaching AI for social impact? Fast Forward contributed to @projectevident.bsky.social's new report on AI grantmaking. The big question: How do we balance innovation w/ responsibility? Find out here: projectevident.org/resource/fun... @schmidtsciences.bsky.social @schusterman.org

Funding the Future: Grantmaker Strategies in AI Investment - Project Evident

Project Evident’s new report, Funding the Future: Grantmakers Strategies in AI Investment, looks at how philanthropic funders are approaching requests to fund the use of AI. Made possible by Schmidt S...

projectevident.org

In Emerson Collective’s Technically Optimistic, Raffi Krikorian and Recidiviz’s Joshua Essex break down what good AI looks like: technicallyoptimistic.substack.com/p/applicatio...

Applications: Spotting Good Uses of AI Tools

By Joshua Essex, Chief Technology Officer of Recidiviz

technicallyoptimistic.substack.com

Tech should reflect the world we live in, but too often, it doesn’t. Jehron Petty is changing that. As CEO of ColorStack, he’s creating space for Black & Latinx CS students to thrive. Parkes Philanthropy just named him a 2025 Impact Icon. Congratulations, Jehron! parkesphilanthropy.com/impact-icons/

Impact Icons Parkes Philanthropy

Licensed Master Social Worker, Founder Beyond the Block NYC www.beyondtheblocknyc.org

parkesphilanthropy.com

15 nonprofit leaders and AI experts came together at Fast Forward’s Alumni Retreat for real conversations about AI’s role in social impact. While the world debates AI’s future, we focused on what matters now: ethics, responsible use, and real-world impact.

Rodrigo Camarena is empowering immigrants to protect their rights. Through Justicia Lab, he’s helped 500K+ immigrants. His latest project, the ¡Reclamo! app, has already recovered $1.5M in stolen wages. Learn more via the ABA Journal: www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/...

Change-Maker: Rodrigo Camarena is building tools to help immigrants become citizens and combat wage theft

Rodrigo Camarena has been advocating for immigrants since he was a child. By the time he was 8, this son of an electrical engineer father and an attorney mother was the family's translator, navigating the bureaucracy when they immigrated to northern Virginia from Mexico City via a work visa.

abajournal.com

Tech can be a tool for justice. Briane Cornish (finEQUITY), Sixto Cancel (Think of Us), and Idris Brewster (Kinfolk) are proving it — breaking down barriers in finance, public history, and foster care. This #BlackHistoryMonth, we’re celebrating Black founders driving change.

In the latest Humans of AI for Humanity by PJMF & Fast Forward, Dr. Michal Nachmany is using AI to clean up the messy world of climate legislation. As founder of @climatepolicyradar.bsky.social, she’s making data more accessible, transparent & inclusive. www.ffwd.org/blog/michal-...

Michal Nachmany: Unlocking Better Climate Legislation With AI – Fast Forward

Fast Forward empowers nonprofits building tech for humanity.

ffwd.org

Fast Forward’s portfolio made major strides in 2024: Quill reached 5% of K-12 students, Lenny Learning grew 10x, and Koko hit 160M impressions. We've secured $1B+ in follow-on funding and transformed 262M lives. Check out our 2024 Impact Report: www.ffwd.org/impact-report

Impact Report 2024 – Fast Forward

Fast Forward empowers nonprofits building tech for humanity.

ffwd.org

In partnership w/ Los Cien Sonoma County & Comcast Business, Fast Forward joined the "Bridging the Resource Divide with Technology" event to discuss solutions for Sonoma County’s youth mental health crisis.

Happy #BlackHistoryMonth! Today, we’re spotlighting leaders using tech to expand access to education and opportunity. Alexandra Bernadotte (Beyond 12), Demetrius Lancaster (Joy Education), and Tiffany Green (Uprooted Academy) are breaking barriers and redefining opportunity for students.

@vox.com's @adamclarkestes.com dives into AI agents. Kevin Barenblat weighs in w/ its real-world impact, pointing to @digitalgreen.bsky.social: "Giving the agent more flexibility to figure out the problem is helpful for people when they’re trying to solve problems." www.vox.com/technology/3...

AI wants to Google for you

The more agency we give AI assistants, the scarier they get.

vox.com

Technology Association of Grantmakers’ State of Philanthropy Tech Survey shows a clear opportunity: investing in nonprofit tech fuels efficiency, scalability, and impact. At Fast Forward, we’ve seen this firsthand.

Big shoutout to Jehron Petty, founder & CEO of ColorStack, for being named to The Creative Class of 2025 by The Creative Collective NYC! He’s building a more inclusive tech pipeline for Black and Latinx CS students — work that’s changing the industry for the better. theccnyc.com/creative-cla...

The GitLab Foundation just awarded $3.5M to 14 orgs using AI to expand economic mobility. Among them: Fast Forward alums Justicia Lab, Mobile Pathways & Recidiviz — leveraging AI for legal aid, immigration, & justice reform. More on the grantees here: www.gitlabfoundation.org/our-journey/...

GitLab Foundation Announces New AI for Economic Opportunity Fund Grantee Cohort — GitLab Foundation

January 30, 2025 — The GitLab Foundation announced fourteen new AI for Economic Opportunity Fund grant recipients today. After carefully reviewing more than 400 applications, these organizati...

gitlabfoundation.org

Swapna Reddy saw a broken system and built a better one. What started as one asylum case in 2015 became @asylumadvocacy.bsky.social — now supporting 680K+ asylum-seekers with legal aid, advocacy, and community. See how she’s making a difference in ABA Journal: www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/...

Helping Hand: Swapna Reddy is helping asylum-seekers navigate the immigration system

Legal Rebels - ABA Journal

abajournal.com

At @stanforduniversity.bsky.social’s "Innovation for All" event on March 5, Alex Bernadotte, Jaime-Alexis Fowler, Josh Nesbit, & Amanda Renteria explore how human-centered design and ethical AI can drive scalable social change. Register here: sto.stanfordtickets.org/haascenter/i...

Students don’t need bots. They need real connections. Ed-tech leaders Jared Chung (CareerVillage.org) and Tiffany Green (Uprooted Academy) are proving AI can strengthen the human touch. @the74.bsky.social has the story. www.the74million.org/article/stud...

Students Need Human Relationships to Thrive. Why Bots May Stand in the Way

Freeland Fisher: The possibility that kids may use AI counselors to avoid engaging with people is very real. Five ways to support human connections.

the74million.org