What's Good in Tech: Help Us Map AI in the Social Sector

[Originally delivered to inboxes on April 24, 2025. Subscribe here to read it first.]

What’s Really Happening With AI in the Social Sector?

We’re finding out — and we want you in the picture.

Fast Forward is launching a research effort to capture how nonprofits are using AI today. We want to understand where it’s working, where it’s risky, and what support is needed. Your voice = essential. Your insights will shape a public report designed to guide those funding innovation in the nonprofit sector.

The survey takes just 10 minutes. You might even be featured in the report. And, there’s a chance to win a $100 gift card.

This is your moment to shape the AI-for-impact narrative — and make sure funders hear what’s actually happening on the ground.

In Nonprofit Quarterly and NonprofitPRO: How Nonprofits Can Use AI Responsibly

AI is officially in the nonprofit chat. But with great power comes the need for smart policies. In Nonprofit Quarterly, Ted Siefer reports that while over half of nonprofits are using AI, fewer than 10% have guidelines in place to steer its use. That’s a problem Fast Forward is ready to solve.

In Siefer’s words: “A nonprofit itself, Fast Forward recently took on the task of establishing its own AI policy. Recognizing that other nonprofits may be in the same boat, the organization decided to develop a tool to help nonprofits draft their own AI policies, the Nonprofit AI Policy Builder. It’s completely free, and — walking the talk — Fast Forward built it on top of an AI large language model (LLM), making it capable of engaging in conversations and generating highly customized policies.”

In NonprofitPRO, Fast Forward’s Kevin Barenblat doubles down and makes a compelling case for why nonprofits need an AI policy. Whether you're using AI for back-office tasks or frontline impact, an AI policy helps you use the tech responsibly — and in a way that reflects your mission.

How a GenAI Tutor is Changing Early Learning in India

Meet Appu, the voice-first AI tutor built by Rocket Learning in collaboration with Google.org Fellows. Appu helps kids ages 3–6 build foundational skills through conversation, storytelling, and play — no screen required. It’s already reaching thousands of families across India.

Appu is designed for impact: it runs on basic smartphones, speaks children’s home languages, and adapts in real-time to how each child learns. With plans to reach 50M families by 2030, Rocket Learning is revealing what’s possible when generative AI meets early education — joyful, personalized learning that starts in the home.