Accelerator

Accelerator is sponsored by Fast Forward. The Fast Forward Accelerator is a three-month hybrid fellowship providing unrestricted seed funding, mentorship from tech and social impact leaders, and a curriculum covering product strategy, go-to-market, board development, and impact measurement. It is specifically for tech nonprofits.

Applications for the 2027 cohort open on August 17, 2026.

Accelerator – Fast Forward Evaluating an AI Proposal? Try our new tool. AI Proposal Assessment Tool Are you a tech nonprofit founder on a mission to change the world?

We're here to change your trajectory. Since 2014, Fast Forward has helped 100+ tech nonprofits scale through our Accelerator, so we know what works. Through the Accelerator, we’ll connect you with the capital, network, and community you need to scale your impact — both during the program and beyond.

You’re navigating a unique path as a tech nonprofit founder. From figuring out fundraising to making your first hire, it’s easy to feel like you're going it alone. But you’re not.

The Accelerator is here to help. Over three months, you’ll perfect your fundraising pitch, build a powerhouse team, and grow your impact. You’ll receive $25K+ in unrestricted funding and expert mentorship from leaders in tech and social impact.

The best part? You’ll join a community of founders who've been there, done that, and are ready to support you along the way. To learn more about the Accelerator, check out our FAQ .

Three months culminates in three minutes: Demo Day. After weeks of pitch bootcamp, you’ll take the Demo Day stage. There, you’ll pitch your plan and vision to hundreds of movers in social impact tech.

And trust us, you’ll be ready. Not only will you have a tight pitch — you’ll have a polished deck, a compelling mini-documentary, and a packed house of your new biggest fans. Check out our latest Demo Day to see the magic for yourself.

The Fast Forward journey doesn't end after the Accelerator — it's just the beginning. Through our Portfolio Services, we provide ongoing support to every tech nonprofit in our portfolio. From tailored programming, to peer circles, to one-on-one advising, our support never stops.

Plus, we continue to champion our portfolio to funders to ensure that capital is not a barrier to impact. Our portfolio is composed of 100+ tech nonprofits driving impact across every issue area, all collaborating to see our best tech solve social challenges. That's a whole lot of people power.

Accelerator Interest Form Submit the form below to stay updated on all things Accelerator. Is Fast Forward right for my tech nonprofit? Our flagship Accelerator is designed for the needs of early-stage tech and AI-powered nonprofits.

But early stage means different things across geographies and issue areas, so Fast Forward takes a holistic approach to evaluation. We have two hard requirements: 1) You are pursuing a nonprofit business model to fund your work. 2) You have at least a minimum viable product (MVP) built.

Past that, we also look at: Leadership: Visionary leaders who can navigate both the tech and nonprofit worlds. Tech Talent: Mission-driven tech talent in leadership roles or solid plans to bring tech guidance on board. Impact Potential: The scale and depth of the organization’s potential impact.

Scalability: Software-based solutions with high growth potential. Lived Experience: We believe leaders who have personally experienced a problem are best equipped to address it. Alignment: Organizations where we know Fast Forward’s skills and expertise can make a difference.

Got most (but maybe not all) of these? Just apply. Studies show that women and people of color often hold back if they’re not a ‘perfect’ match on paper.

We want to hear from you anyway — send in that app! What makes Fast Forward’s Accelerator different from other accelerators? Compared to other well-known accelerators like Y Combinator, Echoing Green, or Camelback, the Fast Forward Accelerator is the first and only one dedicated to tech and AI-powered nonprofits.

The program is designed to meet the specific needs of tech nonprofits as a result: Capital : We help tech nonprofits navigate the distinct fundraising landscape. We also provide them with $25K+ seed capital to help get them off the ground. Content : The Accelerator curriculum covers both tech development and nonprofit management.

The nonprofit track covers topics like board development, impact measurement, and volunteer management. On the tech track, we go deep on topics like product, GTM, and strategies for scaling. Cohort : Tech nonprofits face unique challenges.

Once they join the Accelerator, they don’t have to face those challenges alone. Upon joining, these nonprofits can collaborate, commiserate, and celebrate within their cohort and across our larger portfolio. What if I have other questions?

Check out our FAQ page for a full list of common questions and answers. Receive a $25K unrestricted grant to fuel your tech nonprofit. Plug into a powerful ecosystem of tech mentors, industry experts, and social impact leaders.

Collaborate with founders who have been in your shoes and can help you get where you’re going. Receive a $25K unrestricted grant to fuel your tech nonprofit. Plug into a powerful ecosystem of tech mentors, industry experts, and social impact leaders.

Collaborate with founders who have been in your shoes and can help you get where you’re going. "A great big thank you to Fast Forward for being the accelerator where the acceleration never stops." Jared Chung, Founder, CareerVillage.

org "The Accelerator has been a force multiplier for us. Fast Forward has given us so much: tactical advice, confidence boosts, and a powerful and empathetic community." Rebecca Nall, Co-founder, ineedana.

com "Being a tech nonprofit is hard work. It can be emotional and draining. Fast Forward was the guiding light we so desperately needed."

Rob Morris, Co-founder, Koko "A great big thank you to Fast Forward for being the accelerator where the acceleration never stops." Jared Chung, Founder, CareerVillage. org "The Accelerator has been a force multiplier for us.

Fast Forward has given us so much: tactical advice, confidence boosts, and a powerful and empathetic community." Rebecca Nall, Co-founder, ineedana. com "Being a tech nonprofit is hard work.

It can be emotional and draining. Fast Forward was the guiding light we so desperately needed." Rob Morris, Co-founder, Koko Ting Gao ’s mission is personal.

The co-founder of Lenny Learning grew up with a brother who faced serious mental health challenges. His teachers didn’t know how to support him — and they were not alone. Nine in 10 teachers feel unprepared to address student behavioral health.

The implication? Students in the classroom aren’t always getting the help they need. Along with fellow Yale grad Bryce Bjork, Ting launched AI-powered nonprofit Lenny Learning to fill the gap.

The platform empowers educators with tailored lesson plans (thanks to AI) that address their classrooms’ specific mental health needs. Lenny Learning has scaled 4X in the months following the Fast Forward Accelerator in 2024. They credit the program for supporting their rebranding and financial growth that has allowed them to catapult Lenny into a tool used nationwide.

Now, teachers are walking into the classroom with confidence, so students step out into the world with confidence too. Jared Walker didn’t mean to start Dollar For . After his family faced a medical crisis, they were left with a question too many Americans have asked: "How do we pay for this?"

Jared stumbled upon charity care, a little-known policy that wipes out medical debt for low-income patients. He shared it on TikTok, and the video exploded — thousands of DMs rolled in from people desperate for help. Seeing the need, Jared launched Dollar For to meet the moment and make debt relief simple.

When Jared joined the Accelerator, he had never led an organization — but he did have a Google Form, a big dream, and a whole lot of gumption. He credits the program for helping Dollar For move from startup to grownup. Today, Dollar For’s tech has helped relieve over $60M in medical debt, meaningfully changing lives across the U.S. Kiah Williams saw a crisis: too many people couldn’t afford the medication they needed.

Determined to fix it, she co-founded SIRUM . SIRUM redistributes unused medicine to patients in need. It’s a smart solution to a huge, solvable problem.

SIRUM wasn’t always the nation’s largest redistributor of surplus medicine. They joined Fast Forward’s first-ever Accelerator cohort in 2014 when they were just getting started. In the decade that followed, they changed the landscape of medicine redistribution.

They’ve received the Audacious Prize, which fueled the nonprofit to provide over 2. 3M prescriptions to those who need them, and expand their work into 10 states. Their story is proof that innovation can save lives.

Idris Brewster grew up in the spotlight — literally. His parents, both filmmakers, documented his life as a Black student in a predominantly white school. Multimedia storytelling has been a part of his life from the start.

So it's no surprise he co-founded Kinfolk , an archival platform that uses augmented reality (AR) to illuminate the often overlooked histories of Black, Brown, and Queer communities. Kinfolk creates digital, AR monuments that bring these powerful stories to life in public spaces. Before Fast Forward, Kinfolk was a scrappy collective, bringing their AR prototypes to rallies, art galleries, and community meetings across NYC.

Now, their monuments are transforming cities around the United States — for a fraction of the cost of taking down racist monuments. Kinfolk’s virtual landmarks have been featured in New York's MOMA, on Netflix, and in six cities. Thanks to Idris’s tech-driven storytelling, the world — both digital and physical — is giving these untold stories the spotlight they deserve.

Ting Gao ’s mission is personal. The co-founder of Lenny Learning grew up with a brother who faced serious mental health challenges. His teachers didn’t know how to support him — and they were not alone.

Nine in 10 teachers feel unprepared to address student behavioral health. The implication? Students in the classroom aren’t always getting the help they need.

Along with fellow Yale grad Bryce Bjork, Ting launched AI-powered nonprofit Lenny Learning to fill the gap. The platform empowers educators with tailored lesson plans (thanks to AI) that address their classrooms’ specific mental health needs. Lenny Learning has scaled 4X in the months following the Fast Forward Accelerator in 2024.

They credit the program for supporting their rebranding and financial growth that has allowed them to catapult Lenny into a tool used nationwide. Now, teachers are walking into the classroom with confidence, so students step out into the world with confidence too. Jared Walker didn’t mean to start Dollar For .

After his family faced a medical crisis, they were left with a question too many Americans have asked: "How do we pay for this?" Jared stumbled upon charity care, a little-known policy that wipes out medical debt for low-income patients. He shared it on TikTok, and the video exploded — thousands of DMs rolled in from people desperate for help.

Seeing the need, Jared launched Dollar For to meet the moment and make debt relief simple. When Jared joined the Accelerator, he had never led an organization — but he did have a Google Form, a big dream, and a whole lot of gumption. He credits the program for helping Dollar For move from startup to grownup.

Today, Dollar For’s tech has helped relieve over $60M in medical debt, meaningfully changing lives across the U.S. Kiah Williams saw a crisis: too many people couldn’t afford the medication they needed. Determined to fix it, she co-founded SIRUM . SIRUM redistributes unused medicine to patients in need.

It’s a smart solution to a huge, solvable problem. SIRUM wasn’t always the nation’s largest redistributor of surplus medicine. They joined Fast Forward’s first-ever Accelerator cohort in 2014 when they were just getting started.

In the decade that followed, they changed the landscape of medicine redistribution. They’ve received the Audacious Prize, which fueled the nonprofit to provide over 2. 3M prescriptions to those who need them, and expand their work into 10 states.

Their story is proof that innovation can save lives. Idris Brewster grew up in the spotlight — literally. His parents, both filmmakers, documented his life as a Black student in a predominantly white school.

Multimedia storytelling has been a part of his life from the start. So it's no surprise he co-founded Kinfolk , an archival platform that uses augmented reality (AR) to illuminate the often overlooked histories of Black, Brown, and Queer communities. Kinfolk creates digital, AR monuments that bring these powerful stories to life in public spaces.

Before Fast Forward, Kinfolk was a scrappy collective, bringing their AR prototypes to rallies, art galleries, and community meetings across NYC. Now, their monuments are transforming cities around the United States — for a fraction of the cost of taking down racist monuments. Kinfolk’s virtual landmarks have been featured in New York's MOMA, on Netflix, and in six cities.

Thanks to Idris’s tech-driven storytelling, the world — both digital and physical — is giving these untold stories the spotlight they deserve.