OpenAI announces nonprofit commission advisors

At OpenAI, we believe AI should help people solve humanity’s hardest problems—and that includes empowering the organizations on the front lines of that work. That’s why we’re working to ensure that our already existing nonprofit is backed by resources that could be historic, and powered by our AI technology. 

Today, we’re announcing the members of our recently formed nonprofit commission: an experienced group of advisors convened to inform OpenAI’s philanthropic efforts.  As we’ve said, OpenAI’s nonprofit isn’t going anywhere—and this commission will be key to expanding its reach and impact. The commission’s goal is to help ensure that our nonprofit becomes a force multiplier for communities and mission-driven organizations tackling urgent global challenges—from health and education to public service and scientific discovery.

We’re pleased to announce that Ms. Dolores Huerta, Ms. Monica Lozano, Dr. Robert K. Ross and Mr. Jack Oliver have been appointed as advisors to our Nonprofit Commission. The Commission advisors bring decades of experience working closely with community-based organizations, and will help launch an engagement process to gather learnings and feedback from a wide range of stakeholders as OpenAI seeks to expand its philanthropic efforts. Mr. Daniel Zingale serves as the Commission’s convener.

The advisors will receive learnings and input from the community on how OpenAI's philanthropy can address long-term systemic issues, while also considering both the promise and risks of AI, including:

• Advising the Board on guiding a transparent community engagement process that includes impacted communities and everyday people, alongside nonprofit and philanthropic leaders.  
• Bringing together top insights from people and organizations focused on health, science, education, and public services, including in OpenAI’s home state of California.  This input will be critical as OpenAI builds out its capacity to invest potentially historic resources that are expected to grow with the company.   
• Submitting findings to the Board within 90 days as a key milestone in the ongoing community feedback and collaboration process.

“A guiding principle for this effort will be putting AI to work in service of a flourishing democracy and a thriving, inclusive economy,” said Dr. Ross. “AI may offer new ways to make headway on challenges long seen as intractable—issues that have stalled progress in communities for far too long,” he said.

This commitment reflects OpenAI’s broader goal of unlocking unprecedented scale and impact for nonprofit organizations.  By harnessing AI’s transformational power, nonprofits can put their resources to better use– whether through research, discoveries, diagnoses, drug development, teaching, or tracking progress and outcomes– enabling them to reach farther and drive deeper impact than ever before.

Dolores Huerta is a legendary labor leader and civil rights activist who has worked for more than 50 years to advance social justice. In 1962, she co-founded the United Farm Workers union with Cesar Chavez, leading successful efforts to improve working conditions and secure equal rights for farmworkers. In 2002, she founded the Dolores Huerta Foundation to train community organizers and support civic engagement in underrepresented communities across California.  Ms. Huerta is the recipient of many honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award, and the Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship.

Monica Lozano is a nationally respected leader with over 40 years of service in education, media, and community empowerment. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ms. Lozano previously served as CEO of ImpreMedia, and publisher and editor of La Opinión, the largest Spanish-language newspaper in the US, which was founded by her grandfather, a Mexican immigrant. She recently served as President and CEO of College Futures Foundation championing equitable access to college education for California’s low-income students and students of color. Ms. Lozano has chaired the California State Board of Education, the Board of Regents of the University of California and the Weingart Foundation, and currently serves on the boards of important for-profit companies and non-profit organizations. Recognized among Fortune’s 50 Most Influential Latinas, she is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Robert K. Ross is a nationally recognized leader in public health, philanthropy, and social change.  He served for more than two decades as president and CEO of The California Endowment, a statewide foundation working to expand access to health and wellness in underserved communities.  Dedicating his career to driving systemic change to uplift and improve the well-being of underserved communities, Dr. Ross has also held senior public health roles in California, advised two U.S. presidents, and served on national and state boards focused on education, healthcare, and diversity in philanthropy. He holds degrees in medicine and public administration from the University of Pennsylvania.

Jack Oliver is a leader in government, technology, business and advocacy. He previously served as Co-Chairman of Bono’s ONE Campaign, a Gates Foundation-supported global advocacy organization dedicated to combating poverty and disease. Active in public service, Jack is involved with organizations such as the Robin Hood Foundation Leadership Council, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the George W. Bush Presidential Library Advisory Council. He spent 11 years as a Senior Advisor at Barclays and was a Managing Partner of Dock Square Capital. Mr. Oliver is currently a Managing Partner at Finback Partners and serves as Attorney at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP.

Daniel Zingale, who will convene the advisory group, has held senior leadership roles across California, including advising Governors of both parties.  He served as Senior Vice President of Healthy California at The California Endowment, led the state’s Department of Managed Health Care, and served on the Agricultural Labor Relations Board. He was also a pioneering voice for people living with HIV and a longtime advocate for human rights.  Mr. Zingale continues to prioritize vulnerable communities as a current member of the state’s Delta Stewardship Council and is a part-time strategic adviser to Sacramento Advocates.

See our recent blog post for more information on OpenAI’s recently formed nonprofit commission.