The Boston-based Patrick J. McGovern Foundation has announced grants totaling $66.4 million in support of 148 organizations working to advance AI and data science solutions to address urgent and complex challenges.

The grants will support organizations in more than a dozen countries working to develop products, platforms, and policies that demonstrate AI’s potential to be a force for good, with many leveraging data analytics and machine learning (ML) to tackle complex social issues affecting frontline communities, including climate change, human rights abuses, and health inequity. Awards include more than $12 million for global organizations and partnerships working to advocate for community-grounded, safe, secure, and responsible AI development through policy and research, including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Center for Democracy and Technology, and the AI Safety Fund—a joint effort between Google, Microsoft, Anthropic, and Open AI.

Recipients include Berkeley Earth, which was awarded $300,000 to create high-accuracy, city-specific climate projections at scale; Conservation International Foundation, which will receive $1.5 million in support of data-driven conservation efforts; Open Climate Fix Ltd, which was awarded $600,000 to pilot the use of ML-enabled renewable energy forecasting in Rajasthan, India; Curious Learning, which will receive $42,000 in support of A Global Literacy Project Inc. with the pilot implementation of AI into Curious Learning’s existing library of digital learning tools; the American AI Forum, which was awarded $1 million to help close the opportunity gap in AI education, literacy, and skills development; and Benefits Data Trust, which will receive $500,000 to design AI tools that responsibly expand access to public benefits and services.

“Our latest round of funding strengthens our support for what we call the ‘missing middle,’ the vast space of opportunity to leverage AI and data solutions for positive social impact in the near future,” said McGovern Foundation president Vilas Dhar. “We’re proud to invest in and partner with organizations developing purpose-driven AI and data approaches driving measurable and meaningful change in the lives of people around the world.”

For a complete list of recipients, see the McGovern Foundation website.

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