The Rising Fund: Responsible AI Funding Cycle Grant

The Rising Fund: Responsible AI Funding Cycle Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: New Rising Ventures
Amount: US $50,000
Last Updated: May 16, 2025

Summary

The Rising Fund by New Rising Ventures is a transformative initiative aimed at empowering social entrepreneurs who are reimagining democracy through innovative AI solutions. With a focus on enhancing equity and community engagement, this funding cycle seeks to support early-stage organizations that can catalyze meaningful change. By providing $50K in unrestricted grants and additional resources, the fund aims to strengthen civic life and build social power for marginalized communities across the U.S.

Overview

New Rising Ventures Mission New Rising Ventures is the 501(c)(3) affiliate of New Media Ventures. New Rising Ventures supports early-stage, nonpartisan entrepreneurs and activists transforming our democracy through innovation and bridges a critical gap not fulfilled by traditional grantmakers or venture capital. Our signature four activities include investments and grantmaking, portfolio support, field building, and convenings. What We Do New Rising Ventures finds, funds, and supports social impact entrepreneurs who are growing new organizations that serve the public interest. Social entrepreneurs working on mission-oriented projects face unique barriers to funding and scaling their organizations: access to capital, introductions and networking opportunities, experienced advice, and peer-to-peer relationships that serve as a critical layer of support. Likewise, many funders lack the reach and deep industry expertise to find and evaluate great mission-oriented startup opportunities. New Rising Ventures brings founders and funders together and provides charitable and educational support to increase the scalability of companies providing opportunities to better lives for Americans. Democracy is more than casting a vote—it is the daily engagement with the structures that impact the majority. To build a truly equitable democracy, we must create social power in places where political interventions fall short. This means addressing the day-to-day realities that people face, like climate, education, women’s healthcare, the economy, incarceration, and cultural change—issues that remain critical regardless of electoral outcomes. By investing to build social power through innovation, we can create more avenues for people to have agency in their lives. As such, New Rising Ventures proudly supports brilliant, experienced individuals thinking of and building new ways to make life easier for the most marginalized across all demographics. The Rising Fund With the launch of The Rising Fund, New Rising Ventures is making a bold, multi-year commitment to back the builders, dreamers, and innovators who are stepping into the gaps—those reimagining democracy not just as a political system, but as a foundation for shared power and collective infrastructure. At NRV, we believe we’re living through a rare and urgent moment—one where transformation isn’t just possible, it’s essential. The systems we’ve inherited aren’t enough—and they were never built for all of us. We’re here to back those bold enough to rethink what’s possible and build toward something better. In the years ahead, our investments and programming will be anchored in three core principles: Catalyzing Inflection Points: Identifying and investing in key moments where change is possible, accelerating movements that turn disruption into transformation.Radical Reconstruction: Dismantling inequitable systems and building new models rooted in justice and collective power.Amplifying Ownership: Shifting control over resources, technology, and narratives in bold ways. Responsible AI Funding Cycle AI is rapidly shaping our democracy, economy, and daily lives, but who is it serving? As we begin to phase in these core principles, we’re seeking innovators building AI-driven solutions that protect communities, advance equity, and shift power away from extractive systems. We’re especially interested in solutions that: Strengthen trustworthy media ecosystems:AI-powered tools or platforms that counter disinformation, democratize information access, amplify trusted sources, challenge corporate influence over media and culture in new and unexpected ways, etc.Reimagine civic engagement: AI applications that foster democratic participation, make institutions more accessible, bolster community organizing or create new pathways for community-led decision-making, etc.Enhance civic life and public interest technology: AI innovations that strengthen community infrastructure, or improve access to essential resources in areas like worker and immigrant rights, climate resilience, reproductive and LGBTQ+ protections, and beyond. Additionally, we are looking for: Early-stage organizations with bold ideas and community-rooted leadershipSolutions with strong potential to scaleOrganizations where a $50K grant/investment would be truly catalyticTeams based in the U.S. or working toward national impact Award Information $50K in unrestricted grants. Additionally, NRV supports the portfolio through: A network of founders where leaders ask questions, identify problems, and surface solutions in community.Webinars and one-on-one coaching to help new leaders navigate organizational and operational challenges, like setting goals and managing cash on hand.Catalyzing additional funding by connecting them to donors at our events and at other times of the year when possible.Virtual and in-person events

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Nonprofit criteriaWe are only able to fund organizations with:National impact in the U.S.: We can only fund nonprofit organizations (c3, and fiscally sponsored projects) headquartered in the US, with a focus on the US.At a stage where $50K in funding would be catalytic (as a proxy, we use an annual operating budget of <$1.5M).For-Profit criteriaWe prioritize and seek out early-stage startups that meet the following criteria:Stage: Seed-stage companies that have raised less than $2 million and operate with an investable legal structure.  Innovation: Startups offering innovative solutions or scalable tech tools with strong growth potential.  Impact: Startups dedicated to empowering historically overlooked communities and building their social power.  Funding Need: Startups for which $50K in funding would be transformative. (As a guideline, we consider those with total fundraising to date under $2.5 million.)  Location & Focus: Based in the U.S. or working to create a significant national impact.