Center for Civic Futures and partners commit $8.5M for AI solutions that improve safety net program delivery

BALTIMORE — As governments confront rising demand and rapid change, Center for Civic Futures (CCF) is announcing $8.5 million in awards supporting artificial intelligence (AI) projects poised to strengthen how public services are delivered nationwide. The awards are being made through CCFs’ $20 million Public Benefit Innovation Fund (PBIF), which supports the development and deployment of AI-enabled tools that make it easier for people to access essential public benefits.

This new round of funding is made possible by PBIF’s anchor funders, Ballmer Group and the Gates Foundation, whose early investment laid the groundwork for the next chapter of experimentation and learning. To grow the pool of funding available to organizations at this critical time, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation is joining as a funder. Families and Workers Fund—a coalition of 20 donors working together to help end poverty and boost upward mobility—will also fund applicants from the open call.

PBIF is housed within CCF, a fiscally sponsored project of the Digital Harbor Foundation, and is a partner fund of Renaissance Philanthropy.

This summer’s highly competitive open call received more than 400 applications from 45 states, reflecting both urgency and momentum in the field. After a rigorous review process, seven projects were selected for two-year awards.

"The groundswell of ideas in this open call was a clear signal that agencies, nonprofits, and community partners are ready to shape how emerging tech shows up in public systems,” said Cass Madison, Executive Director of Center for Civic Futures. “This support will help meet that demand by giving teams space to test AI responsibly, learn quickly, and share what works so the entire field can move forward with greater confidence.”

Collectively, these partners have committed $8.5 million to support the below AI-enabled projects over two years. The goal is to run promising experiments and better understand how AI could help improve how governments and community organizations deliver essential programs like food assistance, Medicaid, housing, and unemployment services. Together, these awardees reflect practical, people-centered applications of AI emerging across the benefits-access ecosystem:  

Multi-State Cohort for Open-Source AI Innovation & Scaling with the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA)

This multi-state cohort, anchored by Maryland, will develop and continuously improve AI tools to streamline work verification for SNAP and Medicaid, removing barriers and improving benefit access. The products will be developed as an open source, modular codebase in partnership with Nava PBC to enable adoption with state agencies across APHSA’s network.

Performance and Computational Policy Labs with State of Maryland Department of Labor
This collaboration will test new ways to use AI to improve service delivery, including tools like staff training simulators and systems that help agency staff navigate complex regulations. The project aims to make it easier for residents to access support while giving caseworkers better tools to manage work effectively.

Learning Collider with AffordableHousing.com
The partners will develop and pilot an AI-powered Housing Navigator that helps renters complete program-specific housing applications, understand eligibility and preferences, and navigate property- and program-level requirements. The tool will also support waiting list management and guide families through the steps to secure housing and higher-opportunity neighborhoods. By simplifying complex rules and reducing administrative barriers, the project aims to improve access to stable, affordable housing nationwide.

State of New Jersey Office of Innovation
This project will expand the state’s GenAI platform with new tools aimed at simplifying access to state programs. This includes support for Human Services, Labor, Agriculture, Economic Development, Maternal and Infant Health, the Business Action Center, and other departments that oversee crucial programs such as Medicaid, Unemployment Insurance, and more. Each tool addresses a specific barrier—such as record matching for cross-program eligibility, document validation and processing, and internal decision memo generation—to help residents access benefits faster and with fewer errors. The project will also explore how New Jersey’s innovations can be implemented in other states.

Promise with State of Mississippi
This collaboration will deploy AI tools aimed at helping applicants meet new SNAP work verification requirements with less administrative friction. The tools will guide people through document verification and other data collection avenues, support documentation and verification of common exemptions, and automate agency checks behind the scenes.

Public Policy Lab with States of New Mexico and Oregon
This project will develop and deploy AI tools that generate clear and compliant written notices for recipients of SNAP benefits. The approach aims to augment and improve the current manual process of updating the many different types of program notices and make them easy to understand, actionable, and accessible along the way. Helping states communicate more effectively will reduce confusion, and minimize administrative errors. The work is starting in partnership with New Mexico and Oregon with the potential for additional states to join. 

Student Basic Needs Coalition at Wisconsin Universities, Technical Schools, and Tribal Colleges

Only one in three eligible students is enrolled in SNAP. SBNC will partner with Law for Learners to use AI to help college students, including tribal students, within the State of Wisconsin identify, verify eligibility, and apply for programs such as SNAP and Medicaid. The tool will guide applicants through the state’s process using an AI-generated roadmap and chatbot and will submit their application directly to the state using document verification, helping ensure that more students receive the support they qualify for so having enough to eat isn’t a blocker to completing their education. 

The response to this year’s open call made clear that, alongside a strong pipeline of practical solutions, there is a growing need for shared infrastructure and evaluation tools across the public sector. 

To address this, PBIF will also support Vals AI in developing SNAP-focused benchmarks measuring how well generative AI models answer benefit-eligibility and enrollment questions for both applicants and caseworkers. These are the next-generation systems  that power tools like chatbots, virtual assistants, and benefit screeners. The project will also benchmark a number of emerging state-built tools. 

The benchmarks will provide government agencies, vendors, and practitioners with a common, practical framework for comparing models, identifying gaps, and making more informed decisions about how to deploy AI.

In addition, all PBIF awardees will participate in a shared learning cohort where states, researchers, and community-based organizations will work together to identify best practices and refine ideas across sectors. Each team will also receive technical assistance in AI and machine learning, data ethics, privacy, security, pilot design, and business strategy. This shared learning approach reflects CCF’s belief that responsible innovation requires collaboration across states, researchers, and community partners.

This next chapter of PBIF continues thanks to the support of our anchor funders and supporters, and the partnership of Digital Harbor Foundation and Renaissance Philanthropy.

The next PBIF open call for proposals will launch in spring 2026, shaped by upcoming listening sessions with government agencies and community partners.

For more information about partnership opportunities, contact info@centerforcivicfutures.org. To stay informed about future open calls and updates from Center for Civic Futures, join our mailing list or follow us on social media.

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Center for Civic Futures began in 2023 as the Center for Public Sector AI (CPSAI), and was created to help state governments navigate the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. Its mission is to help governments harness emerging technology responsibly and strengthen the systems people rely on every day. It is fiscally sponsored by the Digital Harbor Foundation. More information, including staff and advisors can be found at https://www.centerforcivicfutures.org/ 

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