Key Takeaways
- The Rockefeller Foundation and OpenAI Foundation launched Cities Deliver on October 14, 2026, with $50 million for AI in city public services.
- Grants range from $500,000 to $2 million over 24 months, and proposals close November 29, 2026.
- The initiative aims to reach up to 100 million city residents worldwide.
- The $50 million equals about 13% of the $380 million the Rockefeller Foundation reported in charitable disbursements for 2024.
The Rockefeller Foundation and OpenAI Foundation launched Cities Deliver: AI Solutions for Public Services on October 14, 2026, a $50 million open call for nonprofits that help city governments use artificial intelligence to meet residents' needs, according to the Rockefeller Foundation's announcement.
Seed and Scale Grant Sizes in the Cities Deliver Open Call
Cities Deliver is a global open call with two grant stages. Seed grants of $500,000 to less than $1 million help an organization refine an idea with a city partner, build and test a prototype with real users, and run a pilot in a city. Scale grants of $1 million to $2 million go to solutions that a city has already piloted with early results, so they can reach more residents or expand to additional cities. All grants run over 24 months.
Eligible applicants are nonprofit and civil society institutions that work with city governments. Proposals, including a short video, are due November 29, 2026, according to the OpenAI Foundation's post on the initiative.
How Much of the Rockefeller Foundation's Giving the $50 Million Represents
The release does not say how the $50 million is split between the two foundations. The Rockefeller Foundation's most recent Form 990-PF, a tax return that private foundations file with the IRS, covers the fiscal year ending December 2024. It reports charitable disbursements of $380,348,831 and total assets of $6,401,585,166, according to ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer.
Dividing $50 million by $380,348,831 gives 13%. If the $50 million were paid evenly over 24 months, the yearly share would be $25 million, or about 6.6% of 2024 disbursements. These are comparisons from the filing, not a forecast of what either foundation will pay out.
Three Years of City AI Work Behind the Launch
Cities Deliver builds on a 2023 convening that the Rockefeller Foundation and OpenAI organized. It brought together more than 40 civic leaders from six continents. The Rockefeller Foundation then supported city projects in Cali, Colombia, Cape Town, South Africa, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation, said: "Over the past three years, we've seen what happens when city leaders, researchers, and local innovators build with AI around real problems."
Why City Governments Need Help Adopting AI
According to the UN's 2025 estimates, 45% of the world's 8.2 billion people live in cities, as cited in the PR Newswire release. The release says city governments face high implementation costs and uncertainty around data protection when they adopt AI. Anna Makanju, Head of Civil Society & Philanthropy at the OpenAI Foundation, said: "Cities are on the front lines of some of the biggest challenges facing communities, and the organizations working alongside them understand what it takes to deliver solutions that work."
The initiative aims to reach up to 100 million city residents. Spread across the full $50 million, that goal works out to about $0.50 per resident. The release is a goal, and it does not say how many residents each grant will reach.
People Also Ask
What is Cities Deliver: AI Solutions for Public Services?
Cities Deliver is a $50 million initiative launched on October 14, 2026, by The Rockefeller Foundation and the OpenAI Foundation. It funds nonprofit and civil society groups that work with city governments to use AI in public health, economic mobility, environmental resilience and civic engagement.
How much can a Cities Deliver grant provide?
Cities Deliver grants range from $500,000 to $2 million over 24 months. Seed grants cover $500,000 to less than $1 million, and scale grants cover $1 million to $2 million for solutions already piloted in a city.
When is the deadline to apply to Cities Deliver?
Applications for Cities Deliver close on November 29, 2026. Proposals must include a short video, according to the OpenAI Foundation.
Sources: Rockefeller Foundation, PR Newswire, OpenAI Foundation, ProPublica.