40 SPECIAL INITIATIVES
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Innovation is core in our fight against poverty. Special Initiatives help our grantmaking leverage new technologies and to explore and scale new applications for emerging programs and approaches that will seed future opportunities for upward mobility.
up, while others fell behind. Research shows that better teacher training and a strong curriculum can help students make big gains in learning. To fix this, the Fund focuses on three areas: (1) helping teachers use technology to improve reading skills, (2) teaching kids how to think and solve problems using computers, and (3) using AI to help schools and nonprofits work more efficiently. Decoded Futures, launched in 2024, connects NYC nonprofits with tech experts to use AI in ways that improve their work and help communities.
The Robin Hood Learning + Tech Fund is a 10-year, $50 million partnership between the Overdeck Family Foundation, Siegel Family Endowment, and Robin Hood. It helps teachers use technology to make learning more engaging and effective, ensuring all students—especially in New York City—get the education they need to succeed in school and life. Many students struggle because teachers lack training in key areas like reading instruction and problem-solving with computers. During the pandemic, children with access to quality digital learning kept
The AI Poverty Challenge aims to harness artificial intelligence to combat poverty and broaden opportunity by identifying innovative solutions that enhance economic mobility. Robin Hood’s AI Poverty Challenge aims to identify breakthrough solutions that deliver results rather than allow the technology to exacerbate inequities and inequality. Open to nonprofits, for-profits, and government agencies across the United States, the initiative sought impactful AI applications in education, financial empowerment, and workforce development.
In September 2024, nine finalists were selected, each receiving $100,000 to advance their AI-driven projects addressing poverty-related challenges. In January 2025, these finalists participated in a virtual demo day to showcase their solutions. Subsequently, three awardees have been chosen to receive $1 million each to further scale their initiatives. Meet the final three awardees below. We are grateful to our lead sponsors, the GitLab Foundation, the Bezos Family Foundation, and Deloitte.
Successful ventures can then join the Catalyst Program, an incubator providing funding, mentorship, and resources to accelerate growth. Both programs are powered by BRL’s Design Insight Group— a network of over 5,000 New Yorkers with lived experience in poverty. Your support helps Robin Hood stay at the forefront of innovation fostering marketable, scalable solutions centered around the lived experiences of New Yorkers in need.
Blue Ridge Labs (BRL) bridges the gap between technology and real- world challenges faced by low-income communities. Too often, tech solutions are developed without community input, leading to ineffective results. BRL changes this by engaging low-income communities with innovators to co-design solutions that tackle poverty directly. Each year, BRL’s five-month Fellowship Program supports entrepreneurs in refining, scaling, and testing new tech solutions.
Beyond 12
CodePath
The Legal Aid Society
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