Nonprofit Research Institute · Launching 2026

Closing the gap between
who builds AI and
who it actually serves.

MOBAI Institute researches, builds, and teaches the tools that make AI work for the 67 million Americans who speak a non-English language at home, the 61 million adults living with a disability, and the 1.5 million nonprofits that serve them — without the budget or staff to figure it out alone.

67M Americans who speak a non-English language at home — yet 94% of leading AI tools default to English-only
82% of nonprofits now use AI, but fewer than 1 in 10 have any written policy or staff training
$0 cost to access all MOBAI research, tools, and curriculum — now and forever
Our Position

AI is not inherently inclusive — it reflects the priorities of who builds it. We exist to change who sets those priorities.

Founding Commitments

Three specific, public,
measurable goals.

We publish annual progress reports against each commitment. No vague mission statements — only accountable targets.

1 Research & Publication

Publish the first annual AI Accessibility Index — scoring 100 tools across language coverage, disability access, and cost barriers.

No systematic public benchmark exists for how AI tools perform across languages and disability accommodations. We build one — peer-reviewed, open-access, updated annually. First edition: December 2026.

2 Workforce Development

Train 1,000 AI practitioners from underrepresented communities through a two-year applied research fellowship by end of 2028.

The best fix for AI that ignores certain communities is practitioners from those communities building the systems. Our fellowship places 200 members per year in paid applied research and development roles.

3 Capacity Building

Deliver free AI adoption consulting to 500 nonprofits serving non-English-speaking and disability communities — by 2029.

Structured 12-week engagements: AI readiness assessment, vendor evaluation, usage policy templates, and staff training. Free for qualifying 501(c)(3)s, funded by foundation grants.

Programs & Research Areas

Four active programs —
research and practice, combined.

MOBAI Institute is an applied research organization. Each program combines original research with direct community application. All research is published under Creative Commons licensing. All tools are open-sourced.

Program 01
MOBAI Learn — Multilingual AI Literacy

Free curriculum available in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, and Tagalog. Designed for public libraries, workforce development centers, and adult education programs. CEFR-aligned. Train-the-trainer certified.

Education
Program 02
AI Accessibility Index & Audit Standards

Original research developing the methodology, scoring rubric, and auditing protocol for evaluating AI tools across language, disability, and economic criteria. Collaborating with NIST AI RMF working groups.

Applied Research
Program 03
Nonprofit AI Adoption Program

Structured consulting for mission-driven organizations. Includes AI readiness assessment, vendor evaluation frameworks, usage policy templates, and staff training. Free for qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations.

Capacity Building
Program 04
Policy Engagement & Public Comment

Evidence-based submissions to NIST, FTC, EEOC, and Congressional AI proceedings. Quarterly roundtables connecting community organizations directly with federal AI policymakers and standards bodies.

Advocacy
Who We Serve

Three overlapping populations — and a fourth that amplifies all of them.

Populations the existing AI ecosystem consistently fails to design for.

"The communities with the most to gain from AI are consistently those with the least access to it."
01

Non-English Speaking Communities

67 million Americans speak a non-English language at home. Most AI tools, documentation, and training exist only in English. We build and certify multilingual alternatives.

02

People with Disabilities

61 million American adults live with a disability. AI interfaces routinely fail WCAG 2.2 standards. We audit tools and publish compliance data publicly so communities can advocate with evidence.

03

Low-Income & Rural Communities

AI capability increasingly tracks income. Subscription costs, broadband requirements, and device constraints lock out millions. We prioritize low-bandwidth, low-cost, and offline-capable solutions.

04

Nonprofits & Social Service Orgs

1.5 million nonprofits collectively serve hundreds of millions of Americans. Helping them adopt AI responsibly is the single highest-leverage intervention in this ecosystem.

Flagship Research · 2026

The AI Accessibility Index

No public benchmark currently exists for how AI tools perform across languages, disability accommodations, and cost barriers. We're building one — with a rigorous, peer-reviewed methodology developed with disability rights advocates, language community leaders, and academic researchers.

The Index evaluates 100 widely-used AI tools across four dimensions: Language Coverage, Disability Accommodation, Economic Accessibility, and Documentation Equity. First edition: December 2026. Open access, forever.

Register for pre-publication access →
100
AI Tools Evaluated

Covering widely adopted AI tools across productivity, health, education, and employment sectors

4
Scoring Dimensions

Language Coverage · Disability Access · Economic Accessibility · Documentation Equity

12+
Languages Tested

Including Spanish, Mandarin, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Korean, Arabic, Haitian Creole, and Portuguese

Free
Always Open Access

Published under Creative Commons. No paywall, no registration required, no embargo period

Get Involved

Three ways to contribute
to more equitable AI.

For Individuals

Volunteer & Contribute

Join research teams, contribute translations and accessibility audits, or mentor fellows. We particularly need native speakers of Spanish, Mandarin, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Arabic — and professionals with backgrounds in disability rights, NLP, and community organizing.

Apply to Volunteer
For Organizations

Partner or Participate

Apply for our free Nonprofit AI Adoption Program, co-host AI literacy workshops, contribute data to the AI Accessibility Index, or become a research partner. We work with organizations of any size and sector.

Explore Partnership
For Donors & Funders

Fund the Research

As a pending 501(c)(3) nonprofit research organization, donations are fully tax-deductible. We publish detailed program budgets and annual impact reports. Institutional funders: letters of inquiry accepted on a rolling basis.

Support Our Work