Fast Forward's 2024 Impact Report
2024 In Review
Cheers to Our 11th Year
Fast Forward empowers nonprofits building tech for humanity. Since 2014, we've supported 102 organizations through our accelerators and beyond.
This past year, our portfolio reached a staggering milestone: over $1B in cumulative follow-on funding. That funding is fueling innovations tackling some of the world’s most urgent challenges, like climate change, healthcare inequities, and educational barriers. And the result? 262M lives impacted — people who now have access to essential resources that once felt out of reach.
Behind these numbers are the builders. The founder who turned a personal struggle into a life-changing tool for thousands. The engineer who pivoted their career to build technology that saves lives. The leader who saw something fundamentally broken and decided to fix it.
85% of organizations have a founder who has lived experience with the problem they're solving. They represent diverse backgrounds: 75% have a founder who is a person of color, 26% have a Black founder, and 62% have a woman founder.
Breaking $1B is just one of our 2024 milestones. From a new brand identity to record partner campaigns to alums making history, we have a lot to celebrate. Let's get started!
New Look, New Resources, Same Mission
Did you notice the new digs? In 2024, we rolled out a fresh new look and website that celebrates the builders at the heart of our mission. This rebrand isn’t just about looking good (though we think it does!) — it’s about doubling down on what we’re here to do. That means more builder stories, updated playbooks, and brand-new resources!
New
Tools
For over a decade, we’ve been helping tech nonprofits scale. We’ve learned a lot along the way. The Tools hub is packed with the best of what we know, with guides for founders and funders alike!
New
Perspectives
Our Perspectives page is an ever-changing digital magazine covering the latest in tech for good. Stay in the know with press and perspectives from Fast Forward, our partners, and our builders.
Revamped
Tech Nonprofit Directory
The first and only Tech Nonprofit Directory got a makeover! Explore the world’s tech nonprofits and double-click on the issue areas, geographies, or technologies that matter most to you.
New
The Playbook on AI-Powered Nonprofits
The tech nonprofit world moves fast. So do we. Fast Forward’s playbooks help tech nonprofits scale impact and stay ahead in a rapidly changing landscape. Our latest, the Playbook on AI-Powered Nonprofits, is designed to help organizations responsibly harness AI for greater impact.
“Our organization exists because of Fast Forward. They provide the definitive resources that anyone needs to build something from scratch and keep it going, from their free tech nonprofit playbooks (that I refer to all the time), to their weekly email of funding resources, to the community they cultivate.”
Gabriella Wong, Founder & CEO, accesSOS
FFWD ‘20
Scaling Up & Coming Together
In 2014, Fast Forward launched as the first accelerator dedicated to tech nonprofits. We bet big on a simple idea: that tech could help solve the world's biggest challenges. Today, that bet has grown into something pretty incredible — we've helped scale over 100 tech nonprofits that are changing the world.
And here's what makes the Fast Forward community special: once you're in, you're in for life. It's a major reason 2024 was such a milestone year. We took everything we've learned about supporting tech for good and put it to work in three big ways: welcoming our largest Accelerator cohort ever, launching the Growth Platform, and bringing our portfolio together for our first Alumni Retreat in San Francisco. The feedback from our community says it all: 98% recommend a Fast Forward product or program to a fellow tech nonprofit.
Program Highlights
Accelerator
Our 2024 Accelerator brought together twelve incredible tech nonprofits — our biggest cohort yet! These founders have faced the challenges they're solving, with 92% bringing lived experience to their work. More than half are building AI-powered solutions that tackle society's biggest problems in bold new ways. The impact speaks for itself: they've already helped 3.5M people and raised $9.8M in follow-on funding. Curious how they're doing it? Check out their Demo Day pitches!
Program Highlights
Growth Platform
Tech nonprofits need support that grows with them. So, we built the Growth Platform, a one-stop hub where alumni can access everything from fundraising trainings to office hours to AI strategy consultations. In 2024, Fast Forward unlocked over 880 hours to help organizations scale their impact.
Program Highlights
Alumni Retreat
For the first time ever, builders from 45 tech nonprofits gathered in SF for our Alumni Retreat. This wasn't your typical conference — our alums drove the agenda, sharing wisdom, swapping resources, and building connections that'll fuel their impact for years to come. It was so valuable that it's now an annual tradition.
“The Fast Forward Accelerator helped us sharpen our focus and the way that we talk about our work. I can't imagine not being part of the Fast Forward community. I'm forever grateful for the guidance and support of the team.”
"Being part of the Fast Forward community has been instrumental to the success of Unlocked Labs, providing invaluable insight, support, and expertise when we needed it most. The Alumni Retreat is just one of those powerful supports, a place where we can all come together, learn, strategize, and share the joys of the work being done in the face of uncertain times. The Retreat is truly one of my favorite times of year."
AI for Humanity
The AI-powered nonprofit (APN) space is booming. We are now tracking 250+ APNs working in 40+ countries — a growing wave of organizations using AI to reach further, faster.
We accelerated this momentum by growing the AI for Humanity movement. We launched an aptly named newsletter, AI for Humanity, which brings builder stories and insights to thousands of readers. We created practical guides and articles to help the sector navigate AI's potential. And we hit the stage at key AI events, bringing funders and innovators together. The trajectory of AI — and whether or not it benefits humanity — will depend on the choices we make today. It's going to take all of us working together to get there.
Thought Leadership
AI-Powered Nonprofits in Stanford Social Innovation Review
“Introducing AI-Powered Nonprofits,” a series published in Stanford Social Innovation Review, was inspired by a quest to understand precisely how nonprofits are leveraging AI today. The series dives into an overview of the current APN landscape. Then, in partnership with organizations like Google.org, Salesforce, the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, and more, we explore the work of nonprofits in three key sectors: climate, health, and education.
Newsletter
AI for Humanity
While the world was debating AI's future, Fast Forward saw something different: well-intentioned builders already using AI to solve real problems. That's why co-founder Kevin Barenblat launched the AI for Humanity newsletter, spotlighting the nonprofits putting AI to work for humanity's best interests.
Co-Written Series with PJMF
Atif Javed
After seeing how language barriers affect refugees' access to essential services, Atif Javed built Tarjimly. His nonprofit connects refugees with volunteer translators in real time through AI. We share stories like Atif's in our monthly Humans of AI for Humanity series.
Event
TEDAI
Fast Forward made its TEDAI stage debut! Co-founder Kevin Barenblat hosted a panel with three builders: Rikin Gandhi of Digital Green, Gemma Turon of Ersilia, and Vishal Sunil of Rocket Learning. Each shared how they’re using AI to drive hyper-local change.
Builder Story
Tiffany Green
Navigating the college admissions process without support inspired Tiffany Green to found Uprooted Academy. The AI platform pairs academic guidance with wellness tools, helping underserved students chart their path to higher education.
Funder Resource
Philanthropists' Guide to Nonprofit AI Investments
Our checklist covers all the questions a funder might want to ask from understanding technical capacity to ethical considerations to ensuring funding creates lasting impact.
Event
Fund.AI
What happens when major foundations come together to talk AI for good? We found out at Fund.AI, which Fast Forward co-hosted with the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, Google.org, and the GitLab Foundation. Two days of deep conversations with philanthropy leaders set the stage for bold action in supporting tech nonprofits building with AI.
Portfolio Powerhouses
Tech nonprofits showed up big in 2024. From changing broken immigration systems to unlocking climate data, they didn't just make headlines — they made history. Major policy wins, groundbreaking innovations, and global recognition followed. Here's a look at some of the wins that caught the world's attention.
Yahoo
Extended Work Permits for Asylum Seekers
Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) and their Work Permit Coalition scored a major win. Thanks to their joint campaign, the Biden administration permanently increased the automatic extension period for work permits for eligible noncitizens from 180 days to 540. This will protect hundreds of thousands from processing delays.
USA TODAY
Restored Americans' Voting Rights
Free Our Vote works to restore voting rights for people with felony convictions. Their efforts increased voter turnout among previously disenfranchised individuals in multiple states.
COP29
Released Unprecedented Emissions Data
At COP29, Climate TRACE’s Al Gore and Gavin McCormick (also the founder of WattTime) unveiled the first-ever global monthly emissions inventory. This dataset empowers local leaders to take targeted action and accelerate the transition to a net-zero future.
Fast Company
Named a Best International Tech Innovation
Fast Company named Adalat AI one of the best international tech innovations. Their work is fast-tracking justice by automating legal write-ups in courtrooms across India.
TODAY
Featured on The TODAY Show
The beloved morning news segment covered how Quill is helping students at New York’s Bronx Academy of Letters become better readers and writers. Quill’s free AI-powered tool provides students with instant writing feedback.
SF Chronicle
Provided Abortion Seekers
with Reliable Information
When finding abortion care became even more complex post-Roe, ineedana.com was there to help. Their comprehensive database of reproductive services helps people access accurate, personalized information about providers, legal considerations, and care options.
The New York Times
Improved Patient Care in Asia
Noora Health's innovative "Care Companion" program transforms anxious family members into confident caregivers through hospital-based training. By teaching everything from post-surgery care to hand hygiene, they're improving patient outcomes and reducing complications across India, Bangladesh, and Indonesia.
Partnerships with Purpose
Our partnerships powered big impact in 2024. Through Impact Verticals, we teamed up with funders to accelerate tech nonprofits in critical areas. These partnerships go beyond funding, wrapping organizations in the support they need to scale. Our Signature Funding Campaigns empowered companies to put their values into action, helping employees direct corporate funding to tech nonprofits. In 2024, these campaigns raised $1.8M for over 40 organizations changing the world through tech. Plus, we hosted events and Pitch Camps with partners, bringing together professionals to shape what's next for tech nonprofits and social impact.
To learn more about how you can get involved, visit our Partner page.
Signature Funding Campaign
BlackRock Pay It Forward
BlackRock’s Pay It Forward campaign gives every employee $50 to support innovative entrepreneurs. This year, a record 58% of BlackRock employees stepped up. The campaign raised $658K — bringing BlackRock's total impact to $2.3M since 2021.
Signature Funding Campaign
HPE Accelerating Impact
HPE's Accelerating Impact campaign turned employee passion into global change, with 31K team members directing $1.2M to 21 tech nonprofits worldwide.
Employee Volunteering
Pitch Camp
Virtual Pitch Camps connect tech nonprofits with experts from leading companies to perfect their pitches. In 2024, we hosted Pitch Camps with six companies and magic happened: 98% of participants left with stronger pitches, and 100% of corporate volunteers are ready to come back for more.
Event
Google.org Impact Summit
The Google.org Impact Summit brought together some of the top voices in social impact. Fast Forward co-founder Shannon Farley hosted a panel, Funding AI Responsibly. We left so inspired, we wrote a blog post on easy, responsible ways nonprofits can use AI.
Event
TAGLocal Events
In partnership with Technology Association of Grantmakers (TAG), Fast Forward hit the road to share technical stories of AI's impact in the nonprofit world. We spoke at sessions in NYC, DC, Chicago, and SF alongside alums, showing funders how tech nonprofits are putting AI to work for good.
Impact Vertical
Hewlett Foundation: Supporting AI in Climate and Democracy
We're thrilled to team up with the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation to power up four APNs. These organizations are receiving unrestricted funding from Hewlett, and Fast Forward provides the coaching and connections to scale.
Impact Vertical
Salesforce: Championing AI-Powered Nonprofits
Through our AI for Humanity initiative, Fast Forward is backing nonprofits using AI for good. This year, Salesforce joined us to support six incredible organizations in climate, education, and workforce development. Together, we're providing these builders with essential tools and expertise to use AI responsibly and effectively.
“Fast Forward is driving progress by equipping tech nonprofits with the support they need to grow and thrive. Ballmer Group is committed to investing in organizations that advance economic mobility and address systemic inequities. In partnership with Fast Forward, we’re ensuring these nonprofits have access to the funding and expertise required to create positive change for children, families, and communities around the world.”
“Fast Forward has been instrumental in supporting tech nonprofits solving today’s most pressing challenges. At Okta, we’re proud to support their work through our five-year partnership, strengthening the tech for good ecosystem and addressing the critical cybersecurity needs of nonprofits. Together, we’re equipping mission-driven organizations with the tools and resources to scale their impact securely and sustainably.”
“Through our annual Pay It Forward campaign, BlackRock employees have the opportunity to support visionary leaders in Fast Forward’s portfolio, channeling resources to tech nonprofits they feel most passionate about. Our partnership with Fast Forward allows our team to champion bold ideas and contribute meaningfully to building a better future. I’m continually inspired by the innovative organizations in this community and proud of the impact we’re creating together.”
A Look Forward
This community is proof that when we invest in solutions built for humanity, the returns are immeasurable. And while we’ve come pretty far, the world we want to see is still being built. 2025 will bring challenges we can’t predict. But here’s what we do know: When we come together, we move mountains. So let’s keep going.
