Salesforce Accelerator Selects 6 Nonprofits Using AI for Impact

Accelerator will provide mentorship, technology, and $2 million in funding to help six nonprofits accelerate AI solutions to supercharge their social impact

Salesforce will also partner with the Greenlights Grant Initiative to enhance access to federal funding for schools across the United States

Today, Salesforce announced the first six participants of its Salesforce Accelerator – AI for Impact, a philanthropic initiative to help purpose-driven organizations gain equitable access to trusted generative AI technologies. 

Significance: 74% of nonprofits say digital transformation is a “need-to-have” or “must-have,” but many lack the resources to fully understand, adopt, and invest in emerging technologies like generative AI. Through the Salesforce Accelerator – AI for Impact, participants will gain access to flexible funding, pro-bono expertise, and donated technology to accelerate their purpose-driven, AI-based community solutions. 

Go deeper:

• The Accelerator will distribute a $2 million pool across six U.S. and global organizations to advance equitable use of trusted generative AI.
• The selected organizations will participate in a customized program that includes six months of intensive coaching from Salesforce experts and pro bono volunteers, along with 1-on-1 consulting access for 12 months to provide guidance on topics ranging from generative AI, product design, and solution architecture. 
• The grantees will also gain access to a 24-month contract for donated Salesforce products to support the development of their proposed AI-driven initiatives.

Today’s participants will leverage the accelerator to:  

• Beyond 12 (U.S.): Automate and create tailored content sourced from more than 4,000 college websites, empowering thousands of college students to achieve their academic, personal, and career goals. Beyond 12 has helped more than 150,000 students from under-resourced communities graduate from college and pursue choice-filled lives. 
• CareerVillage.org (Global): Support the organization’s ‘AI Career Coach,’ which aims to put the world’s greatest career coach in the pocket of millions of young people globally and democratize access to career information. For over a decade, CareerVillage.org has equipped millions of learners of 190 countries with personalized career advice.
• CodePath.org (U.S.): Accelerate internal AI applications through AI-trained “coworkers” and build a streamlined data terminal to scale the organization’s work to eliminate inequities in the tech ecosystem. Since 2017, CodePath has supported 20,000 students at more than 500 colleges, helping to create a more diverse technology workforce. 
• College Possible (U.S.): Implement an AI-driven platform with personalized recommendations that enable coaches to more adequately serve students from underinvested communities. Since 2000, College Possible has served more than 85,700 students, boosting college degree attainment rates by 3x. 
• Per Scholas (U.S.): Experiment with generative AI to unlock access to careers in tech by expediting the development of resumes and cover letters that are customized for diverse skills and experiences. Since 1995, Per Scholas has launched more than 20,000 graduates into successful tech careers. 
• Teacher Development Trust (UK): Create immersive, AI-powered role-playing scenarios tailored for teachers and their coaches. Teacher Development Trust reaches over 4,000 educators across the UK, helping teachers create expert schools where students succeed.  

Soundbites: 

• “We must ensure purpose-driven organizations are granted equitable access to AI technology. Our latest accelerator aims to empower participants to push the boundaries of innovation and drive forward AI-focused solutions that better serve their communities.” – Becky Ferguson, CEO of the Salesforce Foundation and SVP of Philanthropy at Salesforce

We must ensure purpose-driven organizations are granted equitable access to AI technology. Our latest accelerator aims to empower participants to push the boundaries of innovation and drive forward AI-focused solutions that better serve their communities.

Becky Ferguson, CEO of the Salesforce Foundation and SVP of Philanthropy at Salesforce

• “We’re thrilled to tap into the transformative power of Salesforce Accelerator – AI for Impact, harnessing the latest technology to amplify our charitable mission. The support and resources provided will be transformational: a catalyst, driving significant change for the schools and communities that we serve.” – David Weston, Co-CEO, Teacher Development Trust 
• “We are excited that Salesforce has put together this AI-focused accelerator. For organizations like ours, trying our best to put the most cutting-edge tools in front of the people who deserve it the most is mission-critical, and being able to engage the best of Salesforce’s people and compare notes with our peers is a game-changer.” – Jared Chung, Executive Director, CareerVillage.org

Extending the impact: Today, writing a federal grant application is incredibly time consuming and complex, and hiring a professional grant writer is cost prohibitive for many school districts. Salesforce recently partnered with the Greenlights Grant Initiative (GGI) to help school districts across the U.S. access billions of dollars in federal funding by helping them navigate the grant process. By empowering this organization with a combination of resources including a multi-cloud Salesforce solution, GGI has been able to engage with thousands of underserved school districts, facilitating equitable access to federal funding.

Learn more:

• Learn more about the Salesforce Accelerator – AI for Impact here
• Read Salesforce’s research on trusted AI here 
• Learn more about Salesforce philanthropy
• Learn more about the Greenlights Grant Initiative
• Learn more about Salesforce AI here
• Read more news and stories from Dreamforce 2023