Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund is a coalition of 14 organizations that make grants to left-of-center groups that campaign in support of content moderation on technology platforms ostensibly on behalf of young people. ¹

Background

Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund is a grantmaking project organized by Hopelab and consists of 14 partner organizations. In its initial press release, it stated that it would give to organizations that advocate for new methods of content moderation on technology platforms. ²

Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund hosts an annual cohort of its grantees. ³ It also has a Steering Committee that consists of five member organizations that make the grantmaking decisions, one of which is Prince Harry of the United Kingdom and Meghan Markle’s Archewell Foundation. ^{4 5}

Grantmaking

Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund states on its website that it exclusively provides grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, with awards ranging from $25,000 to $200,000. It solicits organizations to apply if they are advocating for content moderation on technology platforms under the guise of protecting human rights, promoting so-called “equitable access” to technology, and addressing what it describes as “harmful impacts” of technology. It also solicits organizations to apply if they are using technology platforms to address unspecified “social, cultural, political, or environmental” problems. ⁶

As of November 2023, Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund states that its 14 partner organizations have committed $2 million to distribute and have identified at least 26 grantees. ^{7 8}

Partner Organizations

In February 2023, Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund announced the following groups as its initial funding partners, raising $1.5 million: Omidyar Network, Hopelab, Susan Crown Exchange, the Archewell Foundation, Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, Data Funders Collaborative, New Media Ventures, Oak Foundation, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, Pivotal Ventures, and Reynolds Lookup Fund. ⁹

After its initial round of partners, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Carmel Hill Fund, and Flourish Impact Fund later joined Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund to help it reach its goal of $2 million in funding for 2023. ^{10 11}

1. “RFP Info.” Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund. Accessed November 13, 2023. https://www.rtyouthpower.org/rfp-info.
2. “First of Its Kind Fund to Power Youth Leadership in Responsible Technology.” Hopelab, February 16, 2023. https://hopelab.org/press-release/first-of-its-kind-fund-to-power-youth-leadership-in-responsible-technology/.
3. “Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund.” Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund. Accessed November 13, 2023. https://www.rtyouthpower.org/.
4. “RFP Info.” Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund. Accessed November 13, 2023. https://www.rtyouthpower.org/rfp-info.
5. “Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund.” Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund. Accessed November 13, 2023. https://www.rtyouthpower.org/.
6. “Who We Are.” Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund. Accessed November 13, 2023. https://www.rtyouthpower.org/who-we-are.
7. Vanderhoof, Erin. “Harry and Meghan Announce the Winners of $2 Million in Grants for Responsible Tech.” Vanity Fair, August 2, 2023. https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2023/08/harry-and-meghan-grants-for-responsible-tech.
8. “Who We Are.” Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund. Accessed November 13, 2023. https://www.rtyouthpower.org/who-we-are
9. Kanter, Beth. “First of Its Kind Fund to Power Youth Leadership in Responsible Technology.” Omidyar Network, February 15, 2023. https://omidyar.com/first-of-its-kind-fund-to-power-youth-leadership-in-responsible-technology/.
10. Kanter, Beth. “First of Its Kind Fund to Power Youth Leadership in Responsible Technology.” Omidyar Network, February 15, 2023. https://omidyar.com/first-of-its-kind-fund-to-power-youth-leadership-in-responsible-technology/.
11. “Partners.” Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund. Accessed November 13, 2023. https://www.rtyouthpower.org/partners.