Become a partner
Join our growing community of funders investing in a new direction for AI
Now is the time for philanthropy to step up.
Across Europe people are already working together to put our common interests at the heart of the AI transformation. They can speak up for the public in debates and make sure rules are upheld and effective so that AI is safe and fair for everyone.
But without our help, the tech lobbyists will drown them out and harm people, society and planet.
- Companies are putting addictive products in our children’s hands without proper testing or safeguarding. But young people want a say over the technologies they use.
- Governments are adopting AI in public services – from education to welfare, healthcare to policing – but without involving the public. That’s creating poor systems that erode rights and compound inequality.
- Data centres are being built without consulting local people – that means communities face rising bills for electricity and water, and irreversible loss of nature.
In Europe we can make sure society has a say.
Advanced regulation on AI could – if properly implemented and enforced – help make AI safer for everyone. And Europe is searching for a new, sovereign approach to AI founded on trust, safety and democratic values.
That’s why funders are investing in supporting a powerful community to show a different AI is possible.
Why funders are joining us
Invest together to have impact at scale
We get money quickly, efficiently and transparently to the groups around Europe that are best placed to shape the direction of AI and support them to grow their collective power.
Join a community with a shared mission
Partners with diverse missions and backgrounds work together through the European AI & Society Fund to find solutions to this fast-changing challenge.
Increase your expertise
Funding across geographies, sectors and causes has given us a balcony view of how AI is shaping all corners of society in Europe. With this insight, we advise and inform foundations’ grantmaking strategies, and raise awareness of core needs in the field.
“Learning from this community has been greatly beneficial to gain a holistic understanding of all that AI encompasses and how its deployment impacts the societal issues we care about.”
Patricia Meléndez, Oak Foundation
“As the world’s largest single market, the EU can challenge harmful business models, curb excessive market power, and rein in the outsized influence of a few dominant tech corporations. These challenges are greater than ever as scores of countries around the world race each other on AI. The forces we are up against are daunting, and no single organisation can take them on alone. That’s why partnership is at the heart of what we do.”
Guillermo Beltrà, Luminate Strategic Initiatives and Co-chair of the European AI & Society Fund Steering Committee
“We are on a mission to nurture ‘AI for the common good’, which means tapping into next-generation AI solutions to address societal challenges and improve the wellbeing of people and communities. Along this journey, we are thrilled to continue working with the European AI & Society Fund.”
Michele Osella, Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo
What it means to be in a pooled fund
How funders work with us
Our funding partners each make a financial contribution to the Fund.
We invest in a diverse portfolio of grantees across Europe, using agile and lightweight grantmaking practices to respond rapidly to a fast-changing environment.
Each of our partners joins our Steering Committee which helps set the strategic direction of our work and can join working groups, for example to select new grantees.
Our Committee meets four times a year, with at least two in-person events.
We don’t expect our funding partners to become experts on AI. But we do invite you along to our funders’ briefings so you can learn directly from our grantees about the risks and opportunities around AI in society.
We can also deliver specific talks and training to inform your grantmaking strategy. And we speak regularly at philanthropy events to share our insights.
Our impact
Our community is already helping make AI safer and fairer for everyone.
We’ve supported more than 60 organisations with almost €15m in funding to work across 27 countries.
The EU has restricted harmful AI systems – like predictive policing, live biometric surveillance and emotion recognition technologies – that invade privacy and stifle freedom of expression, after a coalition of our grantees fought for safeguards. Now they are working to see those laws enforced.
Our grantees fought for transparency from platforms, exposed Grok’s flood of sexualised imagery, challenged the Greek government’s surveillance of migrants, questioned Google AI Overview’s exploitation of publishers.
With your support we can sustain and build on their successes.
Recent victories for AI & society
Data centre plans challenged
Foxglove launched a legal challenge against a new hyperscale data centre being built. The UK government admitted a “serious error” in approving the project and the developer must now implement binding environmental protections.
Public-service AI brought under greater scrutiny
There are new guidelines for using AI responsibly in public services in the Netherlands after Algorithm Audit researched how to build systems that avoid discrimination against minorities.
Children protected from AI-related harms
Within a month of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism’s exposé into Character.AI chatbots pushing users, including children, to commit crimes or harm themselves, the Google-linked platform announced new safety measures.
Become a partner and help shape the future of AI
Reach out to our Senior Partnerships Manager, Peggye, for more information.
