Every week I speak with social impact organizations that are curious about our programs but hesitant to apply. Not because they lack ambition or ideas, but because they have very practical questions that need clear answers first.
I get it. You are running a mission with limited resources. Before you invest time in an application, you want to know exactly what you are signing up for.
So here are the four questions I hear most often, answered as honestly and completely as I can.
By Angelika Nocoń, SIO Engagement Manager at Tech To The Rescue
This is probably the number one question we receive, and the answer depends on which program you are considering.
For the AI Impact Lab: No, you do not need a working AI solution. What you do need is a clearly defined challenge, bottleneck, or idea where you believe AI could help. Maybe your team spends hundreds of hours manually sorting beneficiary data. Maybe you see an opportunity to predict demand for your services. Maybe you have an idea for automating a process that currently limits your reach. That is enough. The AI Impact Lab is designed to help you turn that idea into a functional prototype.
For the AI Scaling Program: Here, you need to be further along. A working prototype or minimum viable product (MVP) is enough. You do not need a polished, production ready system. But you should have something that demonstrates your AI concept works in practice, even if it is still rough around the edges.
The key for both programs: You need a clear AI implementation idea. Not a vague sense that "AI could be useful." The more specific you are about what you want AI to do and why, the stronger your application will be.
Our programs are free to participate in. The tech expertise, mentoring, workshops, and community support you receive through Tech To The Rescue come at no cost to your organization.
Tech partners who build with you do so on a pro bono basis. In some cases, if your organization has budget available and both sides agree, a low bono arrangement is possible, but this is never a requirement.
However, there is one cost you need to plan for: maintaining the solution after it is built. This includes things like cloud storage, hosting, domain registration, and any ongoing subscriptions or services your AI tool requires to run. These costs vary depending on the solution, but they are real and you should budget for them from the start.
We want to be upfront about this because we have seen organizations get excited about building something powerful, only to struggle with keeping it running afterwards. Planning ahead makes all the difference.
This is where the two programs differ significantly.
AI Impact Lab
The Impact Lab is an intensive, structured experience. Here is what it looks like:
You will start with approximately 3 weeks of pre bootcamp work to prepare your organization, align your team, and refine your challenge statement. Then comes the core experience: a 7 week synchronous online bootcamp with sessions twice per week, each lasting about 4 hours. These sessions are led by tech experts and designed to move you from idea to prototype.
It is demanding, but it is also transformative. Organizations that commit fully to the process come out the other side with something tangible and a team that understands AI in a completely new way.
AI Scaling Program
The Scaling Program is more flexible. You decide how actively you want to engage. There are events, resources, community activities, and expert support available, and you can participate in everything or adjust based on your team's capacity.
The one non negotiable: your main point of contact or project manager should be available for a minimum of 5 hours per week. This ensures continuity, keeps the momentum going, and makes the collaboration with your tech partner productive.
You do not need a large team, but you do need the right people at the table.
AI Impact Lab: 3 people
First, a main point of contact or project manager. This person will be the bridge between your organization and the program. They coordinate, communicate, and keep things moving. This can be your CEO, but it does not have to be.
Second, a domain expert. Someone who deeply understands the challenge you are trying to solve. They bring the context that makes the AI solution relevant and effective.
Third, a tech person. This does not mean you need an AI engineer. Someone with basic technical literacy who can engage with the tech aspects of the bootcamp and communicate with developers is enough.
AI Scaling Program: start lean, grow as needed
At the beginning, you need a main point of contact or project manager to engage with the program activities, participate in the community, and coordinate your organization's involvement.
Once you are matched with a tech partner and the build phase begins, you will also want a tech person from your side who can collaborate with the tech team effectively. But this comes later in the process, not from day one.
If you have read through these answers and thought, "We could do this," I would love to hear from you. Our application process is straightforward, and our team is always happy to answer additional questions before you apply.
Both the AI Impact Lab and the AI Scaling Program accept direct applications when the application window is open. You do not need an invitation or a referral.
And if you are not quite ready yet, that is completely fine too. Join our newsletter to stay updated on upcoming cohorts, success stories from organizations like yours, and tips for preparing a strong application.
The most important step is the first one. And sometimes that first step is simply asking the right questions
