AIMS Philanthropy Project: Studying AI, Machine Learning & Data Science Technology for Good

Abstract

This project investigates philanthropic activities related to Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Data Science technology (AIMS). Advances in AIMS technology are impacting the field of philanthropy in substantial ways. This report focuses on methods employed in analyzing and visualizing five data sources: Open Philanthropy grants database, Rockefeller Foundation grants database, Chronicle of Philanthropy article database, GuideStar Nonprofit Database, and Google AI for Social Good grant awardees. The goal was to develop an accessible website platform that engaged human-centered UX user experience design techniques to present information about AIMS Philanthropy (https://www.aims-phil.org/). Each dataset was analyzed for a set of general questions that could be answered visually. The visuals aim to provide answers to these two primary questions: (1) How much funding was invested in AIMS? and (2) What focus areas, applications, discovery, or other purposes was AIMS-funded directed toward? Cumulatively, this project identified 325 unique organizations with a total of $2.6 billion in funding for AIMS philanthropy.