Top of the Class
The AI-powered nonprofits helping students and workers ace their next chapter.
With graduation season in full swing, I’m attending my fair share of graduation parties. There’s cake, “Graduation (Friends Forever)” by Vitamin C on repeat, and a whole lot of talk — from kids and parents alike — about what comes next. Whether you’re 18 or 48, transitions are tough, and the questions keep getting bigger: Should I go to college? Which path fits my passions? Am I happy at my job?
This month, I’m spotlighting AI-powered nonprofits (APNs) helping people navigate those turning points, whether it’s applying to college, making it through, or facing a make-or-break moment at work. The future of work isn’t just about skills or tech. It’s about helping people move forward with more clarity, confidence, and support.
P.S. In three weeks, our 2025 Accelerator cohort will have their version of a graduation: Demo Day! Register for the 90-minute virtual program here. You won’t want to miss it.
Rooting for the Future
Most high schoolers receive just 45 minutes of guidance counseling across their entire four years — less time than an episode of Severance to discuss their future. That short window can make a long-term impact. Uprooted Academy was built to change that. The organization pairs AI with personalized human support to help students prepare for the future. Each student starts with an assessment that maps their goals. The platform then creates a tailored action plan, whether they’re aiming for a four-year university, community college, or straight-to-workforce success. If a student is experiencing high stress while executing their plan, the platform's AI intervenes with targeted activities like breathwork and mindfulness exercises in a digital wellness room. So far, Uprooted has helped over 11,000 students, and it’s only just taking root.
"Much of the conversation focuses on AI replacing jobs, but that’s only part of the story. AI is also equipping us to build radically more personalized, responsive workforce and education systems to meet this evolving labor market. For the first time, we can offer every student a world-class mentor, enable true skill-based hiring without degrees, deliver hyper-personalized coaching, match benefits proactively, and much more." - Matt Zieger, Chief Programs & Partnerships Officer, GitLab Foundation
Beyond Ready
Beyond 12 helps first-gen college students stay the course to graduation by combining human coaching with AI-powered insight. Their app, MyCoach, turns college success into bite-sized nudges and timely reminders, while near-peer coaches offer the kind of I’ve been there support that builds confidence and momentum. Behind the scenes, an AI engine flags when students may be struggling and prescribes targeted outreach so schools can step in when needed. It’s a model that’s working: students coached by Beyond 12 are twice as likely to earn their degrees. Now, as a winner of the Robin Hood AI Poverty Challenge, they’re scaling their model to deliver even more support. With Beyond 12 in their corner, more students are turning tassels — not turning back.
"When we think about [AI], we need to put human dignity, human well-being — human jobs — in the center of consideration." - Dr. Fei-Fei Li
When Work Doesn’t Work
Work stress is everywhere, but support? Not so much. Empower Work is a nonprofit textline helping people navigate the hardest moments on the job, from toxic managers to ethical dilemmas to career crises. Their platform combines trained peer counselors with an AI assistant that guides users through their next steps, offering summaries, resource suggestions, and skill-aligned advice. It’s confidential, free, and designed with equity at its core. Empower Work has supported over 450K workers so far, with 91% reporting improved mental health. When the workplace feels like too much, Empower Work is there to lighten the load.
Quick Bytes
Other Sector Stories
You’ve probably seen the news: Bill Gates is giving away virtually all his wealth over the next 20 years to the cause of saving and improving lives around the world. It’s a massive commitment, and one that raises the bar for what legacy-minded philanthropy can look like. As he said, “The work of making the world better is and always has been a group effort.” This kind of bold giving couldn’t come at a more urgent moment. Caps off to Bill Gates and the Gates Foundation.
The learning doesn’t stop after graduation. The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation launched a new AI learning hub for the social sector. It’s a free, self-paced platform designed to help nonprofits and funders get smarter about AI — from technical foundations to ethical deployment. Well worth the bookmark.
While the AI world obsesses over machine learning, Sal Khan is focused on human unlearning: bias, polarization, and bad internet discourse habits. His nonprofit Schoolhouse just launched Dialogues, a peer-led program where high schoolers practice civil conversations on complex issues. Sal hopes that one day, Dialogue Clubs are as common as Debate Clubs…and just as good for your transcript.
Jim Fruchterman makes a compelling case for why RAG is a safer, smarter approach for nonprofits deploying AI — especially when lives, livelihoods, and trust are on the line. With examples from Digital Green, it’s a great read for anyone ready to graduate from AI theory to responsible practice.
APN Funding News
Collective Intelligence Project announced its Global Dialogues Challenge, an open call for responses to a new dataset on global perspectives on AI. Submit benchmarks, visualizations, artistic work, or analysis. Apply by July 11.
AWS opened its AWS Imagine Grants, which includes The Pathfinder – Generative AI award. The award will provide support for a highly innovative, mission-critical project that leverages generative AI. Apply by June 2.
There’s still time to apply to New Rising Ventures’ Responsible AI Funding Cycle, offering $50K grants to early-stage nonprofits using AI to serve the public interest. Apply by June 13.
Let’s Talk
I am living and breathing AI for humanity these days. If you are too, let’s talk!