Robin Hood launched the AI Poverty Challenge in February 2024 with the purpose to scale what works and encourage more uses of AI that expand opportunity and support more people to achieve greater economic security throughout the United States. The AI Poverty Challenge aims to elevate voices of those on the ground and showcase a range of new and existing solutions that leverage the power and capabilities of AI technology for good.
The AI Poverty Challenge welcomes applications from nonprofit and for-profit entities located within the United States and U.S. territories. Individuals, government agencies, and non-U.S.-based organizations may serve as partners on a submission by an eligible Lead Organization. An organization can also serve as a partner on a team for multiple applications provided that each application proposes a separate, distinct solution.
Teams that are operating as fiscally-sponsored projects of a 501(c)(3) organization under formal fiscal sponsorship arrangements may each submit separate applications naming the 501(c)(3) organization as the Lead Organization on their applications. Regional or location-specific branches of larger organizations, as well as departments, schools, and programs within or based in a college/university, may each submit separate applications naming their parent organization as the Lead Organization on their applications. In all circumstances described above, the proposed solutions must be separate and distinct. There should be no overlap in team members. The intent of the policy is to ensure that any team is concentrating their best effort into a single application. We encourage teams to select a single project that best represents your organization's ability to deliver a solution that meets the scoring criteria.
Review the rules for more information.
Strong solutions for the AI Poverty Challenge will focus on one or more of our solution categories (Education, Financial Empowerment, and Workforce) and will meet the four criteria outlined in the scoring rubric.
You must first assess your fit and eligibility for the AI Poverty Challenge, then register no later than 5:00 PM Eastern Time on Wednesday, June 26, 2024. Registration is required and is a simple two-step process. First, create a username and password then check your inbox to confirm your registration. Next, complete the online registration form. Once you are registered, submit your application online no later than 5:00 PM Eastern Time on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.
Once the submission deadline passes, the AI Poverty Challenge team will perform an administrative review to confirm each submission meets the rules and application requirements before advancing to the Evaluation Panel. Judges will use the scoring rubric to provide scores and valuable feedback on their assigned submissions, and all scores will be statistically normalized to ensure fairness.
Robin Hood will review the top-scoring submissions to select up to nine Finalists based on considerations that may include, but are not limited to, Evaluation Panel resulting rank order, organizational capacity, geographic diversity, and demonstrated potential. The Selection Committee will recommend up to three awardees to receive $1 million each. Final decisions and selection of awards will be made by Robin Hood.
New and existing solutions are eligible to apply, however solutions in early development without a well-defined approach are not likely to be competitive. Please review the scoring rubric to learn more about how we define a strong proposal.
Award funds must be used for the project for which they are intended and may be dispersed to partners for project-related purposes. Award funds may not be used:
- For non-charitable purposes;
- To influence the outcome of any specific public election or to carry on, directly or indirectly, any voter registration drive (within the meaning of United States Internal Revenue Code ("Code") section 4945(d)(2));
- To carry on propaganda or otherwise to attempt to influence legislation within the meaning of Code Section 4945(d)(1);
- To distribute funds to any organization not related to the proposal;
- For the creation of any endowment or for the aggregation of philanthropic capital by organizations that regrant to nonprofit organizations;
- For the creation of a venture capital fund, or pooled funds to invest in or distribute to for-profit organizations.
Proposed solutions must be used consistent with the Competition Sponsor’s charitable purposes and may not result in impermissible private benefit, as defined under IRC Section 501(c)(3), to other people, organizations, or entities, other than incidental private benefit that is a necessary byproduct of the accomplishment of the charitable purpose. Non-charitable (for-profit) Applicants are encouraged to consult with qualified legal counsel. The Competition Sponsor will evaluate this on a case-by-case basis.
Yes, government entities are eligible and encouraged to participate, but cannot apply as a Lead Organization. Government entities must apply as a partner on a proposal submitted by an eligible Lead Organization. Please review the Rules for more information and email us if you have questions.
Existing organizations can propose their existing AI-related work. The proposal does not need to reflect a new project created for this challenge. One purpose of the challenge is to surface work already underway. The proposed budget must still cover actual expenses for the proposed work.
We understand many solutions could fall under more than one category. Please select the one category that most closely aligns with your proposed solution. If your project fits across more than one category, you can describe this in other areas of the application such as Problem Statement, Solution Description, Outcomes, and Other Considerations.
The competition sponsor is Robin Hood - funds will be disbursed by Robin Hood and awardees of the AI Poverty Challenge will enter into a direct and separate award agreement with Robin Hood. Please see Section 8 under the Rules for more information.
Guidance around charitable purpose can be found in our Rules. Proposed solutions will need to be consistent with Robin Hood’s charitable purposes and may not result in impermissible private benefit, as defined under IRC Section 501(c)(3), to other people, organizations, or entities, other than incidental private benefit that is a necessary byproduct of the accomplishment of the charitable purpose. For-profit applicants are encouraged to consult with qualified legal counsel as necessary.
When describing your solution, please be sure to clearly articulate your project’s charitable purpose, including who will benefit from the project and how that benefit will be accomplished through your work.
All proposed projects must be U.S.-based and relevant to issues facing residents of New York City. Please also note that individuals, government agencies, and non-U.S.-based organizations are not eligible to participate as the Lead Organization but may serve as partners on a proposed solution submitted by an eligible Lead.
An organization may only serve as a lead organization on one application. An organization may be a partner on more than one application if each one proposes a separate and distinct solution. And each application must be submitted by a different, eligible lead organization.
Teams that are operating as fiscally-sponsored projects of a 501(c)(3) organization under formal fiscal sponsorship arrangements may each submit separate applications naming the 501(c)(3) organization as the Lead Organization on their applications. We recommend including your organization name with the fiscal sponsor name in that Lead Organization field to help further identify your application.
Please note: Regional or location-specific branches of larger organizations, as well as departments, schools, and programs within or based in a college/university, may each submit separate applications naming their parent organization as the Lead Organization on their applications. Similarly, you may include your specific branch or department along with the parent organization in that field where you list Lead Organization on the registration form.
In all these circumstances, the proposed solutions must be separate and distinct. There should be no overlap in personnel/team members. Our intent here is to ensure that teams are concentrating their best effort into one application. We encourage teams to select a single project that best represents your organization's ability to deliver a solution that meets the scoring criteria.
Based on results of the Evaluation Panel and other factors that may include, but are not limited to, solution category, geographic diversity, and demonstrated promise or track record, up to nine finalists will receive $100,000 each.
Finalists will then have up to a three-month acceleration period to further refine and strengthen their solution.
After the acceleration period, the Selection Committee will review the finalists and make a recommendation to Robin Hood to select up to three, $1 million AI Poverty Challenge awards.
