Submittable Teams with Microsoft to Advance 'AI for the Greater Good', Shaping the Future of Responsible AI in Social Impact

MISSOULA, Mont. & SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Submittable, the software company helping thousands of organizations worldwide launch, manage and measure social impact programs, today announced its ‘AI for the Greater Good’ initiative.

This initiative defines Submittable’s principles for developing responsible AI technology for grant management and CSR efforts as well as helping organizations adopt AI intentionally. It also invites social impact practitioners to get hands-on in shaping Submittable’s current and future AI tools.

‘AI for the Greater Good’ builds on Submittable’s partnership with Microsoft, aligning with Microsoft’s ‘Responsible AI Principles’ and emphasizing AI’s transformative power for enhancing communities.

“In the realm of AI in social impact, Submittable is a leading example of the future where nonprofits can achieve more than ever before,” said Justin Spelhaug, Corporate Vice President of Tech for Social Impact at Microsoft Philanthropies. “As nonprofits harness the potential of artificial intelligence, Submittable is mindful that technology alone is not the destination—it’s the vehicle. Submittable is purposefully navigating the journey guided by AI principles in collaboration with customers and Microsoft's Tech for Social Impact.”

To address concerns about AI’s reliability, equity and authenticity, Submittable’s new initiative promotes practical and informed AI development and adoption.

“The excitement around AI adoption is tempered by concerns about ensuring critical funding reaches the right places,” said Anne Nies, Director of Machine Learning/AI/Data Science at Submittable. “From the fear of losing human agency in grantmaking to the authenticity and accuracy of AI-generated content, these concerns highlight the need for Submittable to prioritize robust AI governance and ethical frameworks.”

Introducing ‘AI for the Greater Good’

‘AI for the Greater Good’ goes beyond merely distributing information on the ethical deployment of AI. It represents Submittable’s core commitment and guiding principles to develop AI tools with a positive societal impact. This initiative focuses on establishing significant collaborations with both existing and potential customers, exploring their true needs and addressing their concerns.

To foster a deeper understanding and facilitate hands-on collaboration in crafting AI tools that make a difference, Submittable invites those interested to register the "AI for Foundations: A Primer for Pragmatists" webinar on May 21, 2024 at 12 p.m. MT, and to become a part of the company’s research group.

Leveraging Microsoft Azure and Azure OpenAI Service, Submittable develops solutions in partnership with Microsoft TSI to enhance social impact.

“Our goal with ‘AI for the Greater Good’ is to provide people with the tools and resources they need to be stronger advocates as grantees, make more informed decisions as reviewers, steward resources more effectively as administrators, or participate more actively in CSR efforts,” said Sam Caplan, Submittable’s Vice President of Social Impact.

Submittable's Commitment to Building Trust and Accessibility

Submittable is also pleased to announce three new ‘AI for the Greater Good’ features available to customers. These include:

• Form Auto Fill - Allows applicants to track commonly used grant application answers and autofill repetitive forms.
• Smart Import - Applicants can easily upload W2s which are automatically parsed into form fields allowing grantors to view submitted documents and parsed information for reporting.
• AI Assistant - Administrators can create AI-generated Submittable forms in English, Spanish, German and French for immediate use or as a starting point for more complex forms.

Recognizing the important role of trust in the adoption of AI technologies, Submittable involved customers early on to gather feedback on the company’s new AI features. Customers were asked to evaluate each feature in its current direction, baseline usability, and to identify opportunities for future development. Nearly all (89%) said they would be likely to use the new features, and all (100%) agreed that the new features would save time.

“I think we'll save a whole lot of time and increase our capacity and ability to submit more grants or speak more clearly to a wider breadth of funders,” said Betsey Brock, Seattle Arts & Lectures, Development Director. “I'm excited to give it a go."

To learn more about Submittable’s ‘AI for the Greater Good’ visit https://www.submittable.com/ai/.

About Submittable

Submittable is a growing social impact platform used by thousands of companies, governments, and philanthropic organizations to manage their social impact programs and maximize their impact.

Submittable has helped big and small organizations worldwide run 134,000 programs and collect nearly 22 million applications to date, and is backed by Accel-KKR, Next Coast Ventures, True Ventures, Next Frontier Capital, StepStone Group, and a few other amazing investors. To learn more about how Submittable is simplifying and accelerating mission-driven work, visit submittable.com.