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"Gates Foundation Grand Challenges Request for Proposals: Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Accelerate Charitable Giving" is currently closed and not accepting applications.
This Grand Challenges RFP from the Gates Foundation's Philanthropic Partnerships Team asks a single question: how might AI support donors to give more and give sooner. It funds projects up to 150,000 US dollars for up to one year, with a deadline of 28 April 2026 at 11:30 AM PDT, and submission through the Global Grand Challenges application system. Three areas are in scope.
The first is donor-cause connection - AI tools that help donors discover causes, understand impact opportunities and build confidence in giving decisions. The second is intent-to-action - reducing the friction between deciding to give and completing a donation, including cross-border compliance and community engagement features.
The third, and the most structurally interesting, is foundational systems: philanthropic data infrastructure, standards and interoperability that would make AI systems in this sector more capable, which is a call for sector plumbing rather than an application.
Proposals must demonstrate responsible AI practices, feasibility testing, measurable success indicators and potential applicability across the wider philanthropic sector, with explicit weight given to projects that would benefit global health and development.
The eligibility rule that eliminates most academic applicants is worth reading twice: independent academic institutions are not eligible, and neither are individuals or government agencies. This is a call for nonprofits, civil society organisations and mission-driven for-profits, and awardees must conduct activities in English and take part in up to three learning convenings.
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Or search similar grants →According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Eligible applicants are nonprofit and civil society organisations, mission-driven for-profit entities with public-benefit alignment, and consortia or collaborative partnerships submitting through a single lead applicant. Individuals, government agencies and independent academic institutions are explicitly not eligible - this is the exclusion most likely to disqualify an otherwise strong proposal, and it rules out university-led submissions that are not partnered with an eligible lead. Awards are up to 150,000 US dollars for a duration of up to one year. Awardees must conduct project activities in English and participate in up to three learning convenings over the grant period. Proposals must address at least one of three areas: donor-cause connection, intent-to-action conversion, or foundational philanthropic data infrastructure, standards and interoperability. Every proposal must demonstrate responsible AI practices, a credible feasibility testing plan, measurable success indicators, and potential for broader application across the philanthropic sector, with preference for work that would benefit global health and development outcomes. The deadline is 28 April 2026 at 11:30 AM PDT and submission is through the Global Grand Challenges application system; the Gates Foundation runs a dedicated webinar for each RFP with details posted on the challenge page. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows awards are capped at 150,000 US dollars per project with a grant duration of up to one year, and because the RFP states a single ceiling rather than a band, amount_min and amount_max are both set to 150,000. That ceiling is the defining fact about this call: 150,000 dollars over twelve months funds a prototype, a feasibility test and an evidence write-up, and nothing larger. Anyone sizing a production platform build against this number will be outcompeted by applicants who scope honestly to a testable pilot. The call explicitly asks for feasibility testing, measurable success indicators and responsible AI practice, which is the language of a seed round rather than a deployment grant. The strategic value is disproportionate to the money, because the funder is the Gates Foundation's Philanthropic Partnerships Team rather than a program team - a successful project here is visible to the people who shape how the foundation itself thinks about donor engagement infrastructure, and the RFP's third pillar on philanthropic data standards and interoperability is a direct invitation to influence sector-wide plumbing. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
The published deadline was April 28, 2026, which has passed. Check the official notice for any future application windows before investing time in a proposal.
Gates Foundation Grand Challenges Request for Proposals: Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Accelerate Charitable Giving is funded by Gates Foundation, Philanthropic Partnerships Team, through the Global Grand Challenges platform. Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
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