Programs
Depth at home, and breadth across the nation.
Digital Harbor Foundation’s reach reflects both a thriving local presence and a rapidly expanding national presence, with a portfolio of more than 25 mission-driven projects active in 25 states and 8 countries.
The Support Backbone
Impact Studio
The Impact Studio is a launchpad for mission-driven innovators advancing technology for the public good. Through this platform, social entrepreneurs, researchers, technologists, and civic leaders receive the operational backbone they need — finance, compliance, infrastructure, and strategic guidance — so they can focus on what matters most: impact.
In 2025, the Impact Studio supported more than 25 active projects spanning civic technology, climate science, digital equity, AI research, education, and government modernization. Together, these initiatives raised over $54 million, engaged partners across 25+ states and 8+ countries, and touched millions of lives through better data, stronger public systems, and new pathways to opportunity.
Shared systems in finance, human resources, compliance and governance, and strategic partnership development reduce administrative burden — and create a network effect: knowledge-sharing across disciplines and geographies that accelerates innovation.
“The Impact Studio model allows innovators to do what they do best — solve big problems — while we take care of the details that make growth and accountability possible.” Samantha Musgrave Director of Development Partnerships
Philanthropic Operator Funds
Catalytic capital for cutting-edge solutions
These funds are primarily focused as regranted dollars to support other individuals and organizations working on innovative solutions to complex problems.
Learning Engineering Virtual Institute
LEVI Math is a high-impact initiative dedicated to doubling the rate of middle school math learning for students from low-income backgrounds by 2027. By supporting a global network of seven flagship teams — including Carnegie Mellon University and Khan Academy — the institute is developing and scaling evidence-based tools, such as AI-driven tutoring platforms and digital assistants, that have already demonstrated the potential to nearly double learning gains in domestic and international pilots.
Recoding America Fund
The Recoding America Fund aims to modernize government and expand American competitiveness by improving how public institutions function. Launched in October 2025 with support from Arnold Ventures, Hewlett Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and others, it works with state and federal officials on operational reforms — strengthening hiring, procurement, and digital infrastructure — while building the field of organizations and donors focused on bold government reform.
Fiscally Sponsored Projects
Accelerating innovation nationally and globally
These projects operate under the Foundation’s legal and financial infrastructure while working toward missions of their own — leveraging Digital Harbor’s shared operational, financial, legal, and compliance systems to focus on mission delivery rather than administrative burden.
AI Alliance
Advancing open-source AI to ensure everyone can benefit by developing models, agents, data, safety tools, applications, and advocacy that foster an open and responsible AI ecosystem.
AI ResearchAmple Carbon
Accelerating gigaton-scale carbon removal by transforming coal-fired power plants into BECCS facilities that use purpose-grown biomass and agricultural residues to generate energy while capturing and permanently sequestering carbon.
Climate ScienceArête Glacier Initiative
Advancing cutting-edge research to monitor, forecast, and reduce glacier-driven sea-level rise by closing critical gaps in our ability to understand and respond to glacier change. Raised $5.5 million in 2025 and featured in MIT Technology Review and at The Atlantic Festival.
Climate ScienceCenter for Civic Futures
Equipping state, territorial, and tribal leaders with the knowledge, tools, and networks to make informed technology decisions — including AI literacy frameworks for HHS leaders and the Public Benefits Innovation Fund open call.
Gov Tech & AIFoster Insights
Helping child welfare agencies use data to improve outcomes for children and families by translating complex data into actionable insights that inform strategy, elevate child-centered measures, and drive better decisions in real time.
Gov TechGiveTeam
Guiding donors through personalized charitable planning that connects them with high-impact local nonprofits — a finalist in the 2025 Wealth Management Industry Awards and ThinkAdvisor Luminaries Awards.
PhilanthropyIllinois Digital Service
Founded in 2025, the Illinois Digital Service brings a human-centered approach to state government technology, designing user-friendly, accessible public services that better meet residents' needs. In its first year, ILDS redesigned the Illinois Department of Labor's online "front door" for labor complaints in just 76 business days.
Government ModernizationImagine Network
Spur and sustain systemic innovation with rigor, at scale, in collaboration with others. Their community of education systems leaders build the skills and mindsets needed to create a future-ready learning environment for students to prepare them for college, workforce, and beyond.
EducationLouisiana Public Service Engagement
Sustain and scale direct service, outreach, and public education on utility issues for the people served by the Louisiana Public Service Commission in District 3.
Public ServicePrometheus x Talent
Unlocking hidden STEM talent by investing in emerging leaders through public-interest technology fellowships and catalytic grantmaking. The portfolio has supported more than 40 innovators while expanding access to opportunity and ensuring diverse talent helps shape the future of AI and technology.
Talent & FellowshipsSpringtail AI
Advancing machine learning for scientific discovery by developing novel model architectures that improve how algorithms learn, reason, and describe scientific processes. In 2025, the team released two foundational whitepapers and an open-source library introducing its "strange loop" architecture.
AI ResearchTequity4All
Advancing equitable computer science and AI education across Maryland through robotics programs, the Elementary School CS Ambassadors program, and ADAPT — an AI-driven tool for personalized CS instruction.
CS EducationThe Blue Hour Collective
Dedicated to expanding economic opportunity and wealth creation by increasing access to training and trusted networks across the investment ecosystem.
Capacity BuildingThe Cyber Foundation
The Cyber Foundation is working to create a framework for cybersecurity best practices for family offices. Family offices have unique opportunities and challenges in the cybersecurity space. This includes providing family officers with resources, education, and community. The Cyber Foundation seeks to fill the gap between corporate cybersecurity programs and organizations with fewer resources that need trusted partners and a framework by which they can measure the quality and efficacy of their cybersecurity programs.
CybersecurityTools Competition
One of the world's largest edtech competitions, reaching 50 million learners worldwide. Awarded $3 million to 20 new winners in 2025 and launched a new Dataset Prize for equity in AI development.
Innovative LearningUkraine Math & Science Achievement Fund
Expanding access to world-class higher education for students whose academic journeys have been disrupted by war, supporting more than 50 talented Ukrainian scholars with full-ride scholarships to Cambridge, Imperial College London, MIT, and other leading universities.
ScholarshipsUnemployment Insurance Technology Coordinating Coalition
Convened 25+ organizations — unions, think tanks, legal aid groups, and civic-tech companies — to modernize one of the nation's most critical safety nets, with funding from Arnold Ventures.
Safety Net TechAlumni Projects
A selection of projects that have graduated from our fiscal sponsorship
Data Funders Collaborative
Expanding member learning and collaborative funding opportunities around data infrastructure, AI readiness, quality, and privacy.
Digital Public Works
Working to make public benefits easier to access by reducing the administrative burden of income verification. Digital Public Works has partnered with states to deploy the Digital Consent-based Income Tool (DiCIT), enabling governments to verify eligibility for SNAP and other benefits without requiring paper documentation.
FactorNYC
Factor seeks to create pathways into roles at venture-backed, tech-enabled firms, with a focus on communities that are currently underrepresented in both jobs and leadership at such firms in New York City.
Last Mile Education Fund
Most scholarship programs seek to identify ‘top’ talent and reward them with support—as long as they stay on top. The Last Mile Education Fund takes an investment approach, identifying young people already committed to technology and engineering fields, providing support for challenges they face beyond their control, and incubating them to be the next generation of innovators.
Tatta Bio
Tatta bio is a non-profit research project focused on building open-source artificial intelligence models and datasets to accelerate biology research. Tatta bio brings together computer scientists and biologists to solve the fundamental challenge of reading DNA: the "language" of biology.
Direct Service Projects
Anchoring Baltimore’s digital future
Our direct service projects deliver hands-on programs that serve Baltimore residents, youth, and educators directly. Together, these three divisions represent Digital Harbor Foundation’s local digital equity ecosystem — strengthening Baltimore’s capacity to connect, learn, and thrive in a technology-driven world.
Tech Lab
A hub for creative STEM learning and workforce readiness — serving youth, educators, and community members through maker education, tech apprenticeships, and national STEM initiatives.
Learn more Innovative Education
Waves
Waves expands internet access and affordability for residents of affordable housing communities. Waves doesn’t just connect buildings — it connects lives.
Learn more Technology for the Public Good
Harbor Navigators
Harbor Navigators mobilizes AmeriCorps members to deliver digital skills training to Baltimore residents — helping older adults, job seekers, and families navigate online learning, telehealth, and essential digital services.
Learn more Digital Equity for Everyone