Mozilla Is Funding AI That Strengthens Democracy — $50K Grants, Applications Close March 16

Most AI funding chases efficiency. This one chases accountability.

The Mozilla Foundation opened applications on February 12 for its Democracy x AI Cohort, a 12-month incubator program that will fund 10 projects building technology at the intersection of artificial intelligence and democratic governance. Each project receives $50,000, with two finalists advancing to a Sustain Track worth an additional $250,000 — bringing the total possible award to $300,000 per team.

Initial proposals are due March 16, 2026 at 11:59 PM Pacific. An info session is scheduled for March 5 at 11 AM Eastern for anyone considering applying.

What Mozilla Wants to Fund

The cohort targets three categories of work, each addressing a different pressure point where AI meets civic life:

Information ecosystem resilience. Projects that tackle misinformation, build collective verification systems, improve algorithmic transparency, or create new ways for communities to access trustworthy information. If your work helps people distinguish signal from noise in an AI-saturated media environment, this is your lane.

Institutional transparency. Government transparency tools, public data infrastructure, and accountability mechanisms that make institutional decision-making trackable. Think AI-powered open records systems, automated budget analysis tools, or platforms that make legislative processes legible to the public.

Civic space protection. Privacy-preserving tools, surveillance resistance infrastructure, and secure organizing platforms. Mozilla is explicitly interested in technology that protects activists, journalists, and marginalized communities from AI-enabled monitoring and control.

Who Should Apply

Mozilla isn't looking for ideas — they want working technology. Applicants need a functional prototype with demonstrated user adoption, even if it's early-stage. A committed team capable of executing over 12 months is required, and grantees should be ready to start working immediately without significant hiring.

There's an open-source commitment baked into the program. Selected projects must either release their code as open source or provide a clear roadmap to open-sourcing components during the grant period. Mozilla's rationale is straightforward: if public money builds civic infrastructure, the public should be able to inspect, modify, and build on it.

Eligibility is global, though applications must be in English, and teams must be able to legally receive funds from a U.S. 501(c)(3). Submissions are welcome from researchers, technologists, nonprofits, and advocates working at the AI-democracy intersection.

The Bigger Picture: Philanthropy's AI Moment

Mozilla's cohort isn't operating in a vacuum. It's part of a much larger philanthropic mobilization around AI governance.

Humanity AI, a coalition of 10 major foundations — MacArthur, Mellon, Ford, Packard, Mozilla, Omidyar Network, Kapor, Doris Duke, Lumina, and Siegel Family Endowment — has committed $500 million over five years to ensure people have a stake in AI's trajectory. The initiative's five priority areas (democracy, education, humanities and culture, labor, and security) overlap directly with Mozilla's cohort focus. Grants from the Humanity AI pooled fund, managed by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, are expected to begin flowing in 2026.

MacArthur has already moved, deploying $10 million in aligned grants to organizations including the AI Now Institute ($2 million for AI and national security work), Brookings Institution ($2 million for the AI and Emerging Technologies Initiative), and the Data & Society Research Institute ($500,000 for civic engagement and AI public discourse).

The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation announced $75.8 million across 149 grants supporting AI for public purpose in 13 countries. The Cooperative AI Foundation launched with $15 million from Macroscopic Ventures to fund research on cooperative intelligence.

For organizations working at the intersection of AI and public interest, 2026 is shaping up to be the most active philanthropic funding environment since the initial wave of responsible AI commitments in 2019.

How to Apply

The process is two-stage. Submit an initial project proposal by March 16. A shortlist will be invited to submit full proposals by April 15, with final selections announced June 1 and the cohort launching that same month.

Beyond funding, selected projects receive monthly cohort calls, expert mentorship, tailored workshops, and access to Mozilla's global network of technologists, activists, and funders. The 1:1 check-ins with Mozilla staff are structured for accountability, not just support — expect regular milestones and progress reviews.

For teams working on AI tools that serve democratic life rather than extract from it, this is one of the more targeted and well-supported funding opportunities available right now. The March 16 deadline leaves just under three weeks to prepare — and Granted can help you identify additional foundation and federal opportunities that align with your mission while you build your proposal.