Public Interest Tech Fund

What is Public Interest Technology?

To enable technology to achieve its potential and address the most pressing issues of our time, we need to make dramatic, sustainable changes to the ways we develop and use technology. The field of public interest technology (PIT) aims to do just that by working to design, develop, and deploy technology to serve the public good.

However, this requires essential infrastructure, including the physical, digital, social, and financial structures needed to foster and build a technology ecosystem that is equitable, accountable, and responsive to societal problems and needs.

Our Work

The Public Interest Technology Infrastructure Fund pools and deploys resources from philanthropists who want to improve the technology ecosystem’s capacity to develop and utilize technology in ways that support the public interest. The Fund invests in organizations that are on the frontlines of creating effective, efficient, and equitable technology infrastructure.

The Fund’s resourcing approach is inclusive, strategic, and results-based. The three main principles that guide the Fund’s investments are advancing justice, accountability, diversity, equity, and inclusion; maximizing the influence and resources of multiple funders; and ensuring scalability.

Our Strategy

The Fund deploys investments according to four strategic pillars.

Shifting Mindsets

Encouraging the public and private sectors to use technology to advance the public good, leading to stronger tech policies and systems.

Innovation

Building the tools, platforms, and incentives for government agencies and tech companies to innovate to enhance the public interest, leading to the development of new systems and platforms that more effectively serve the public.

Capacity Building

Supporting the development of a strong, diverse, and skilled workforce of cross-disciplinary technologists, leading to reduced bias and more technology designed for and used by diverse populations.

Resourcing

Raising and directing philanthropic capital to support field-building efforts related to the Fund and other PIT initiatives, leading to the overall growth of the PIT field.