Why Decoded Futures Exists
(and Why You’ll Want to Stick Around for Our Substack)
We’re standing at one of those rare, tectonic shifts in society.
AI isn’t just another gadget. It’s a cultural revolution, on the scale of the industrial era and it is changing how we work, learn, and lead. It is redefining who gets to shape the future.
But here’s the problem: nearly all that momentum is taking place in the private sector. It’s being used to optimize ads, scale profits, and build the next viral app. Meanwhile, the people solving society’s hardest problems, often with the fewest resources, are barely in the room.
That’s not just a missed opportunity. It’s a systemic failure.
Decoded Futures is here to change that.
We’re NYC’s AI-for-social-impact lab: part sandbox, part bootcamp, part matchmaking service between nonprofit leaders and technologists. Our mission is to ensure nonprofits and community organizations don’t just keep up with AI. They help lead it.
(Learn about our program here.)
We Know This Works Because We’re Doing It.
We’ve already helped over 80 nonprofit organizations go from AI-curious to AI-capable. That looks like:
A $1.3M grant application won by an alum powered by AI learning through our program.
Phonics books that once cost $3,000 a set will be free and accessible to every child in New York City thanks to a custom GPT built to democratize literacy.
An alum equipped (and charged) to lead their 600 person organization in leveraging AI to increase their impact across NYC.
(See more Decoded Futures case studies.)
That is the power of applied AI. Not just dashboards, but real outcomes for real people. We’ve tested toolkits, run cohorts, and published insights in partnership with some of New York’s most mission-driven organizations.
Our team has spent the better part of 15 years in the trenches of the tech-for-good movement: building programs at major foundations, leading civic tech initiatives, and supporting community organizations through digital transformation. We've seen what works and what doesn't, and we know that building capabilities is a moving target when you're at the frontier of new technology.
(Check out our AI Adoption Report from our pilot cohort to see what we’ve learned so far.)
We’re Here to Build Bridges.
We know that learning together is one of the most critical needs in this early phase of AI. With support from our funders, the Tech:NYC ecosystem, and a growing network of technical mentors, Decoded Futures is creating a rare space. It is a place where the people solving society’s toughest problems can work alongside those building its most powerful tools.
And this Substack is your invitation into the room. We’ve created this space to share what we're learning and, more importantly, to invite all of you to share what you're seeing, too.
What You’ll Get Here
This is your front-row seat to the intersection of AI and social impact. You can expect:
Stories from the field: what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next
Lessons from our cohorts and pilots
Frameworks and tools you can use
Honest reflections on building with (and sometimes around) technology
If you care about social impact, innovation, and what it means to lead in a time of radical change, you’re in the right place.
Stick With Us.
Decoded Futures is where AI meets impact and we are just getting started.
Subscribe. Share. Or join us:
Technologist: Volunteer your skills to support nonprofits with AI
Nonprofits: Partner with us to explore AI
Reach out to fund this work to ensure the AI revolution benefits everyone
- The DF Team