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CloudflareJocelyn WoolbrightAnnouncement
Building for good: How civil society organizations are automating on Cloudflare
Summary
Cloudflare awarded $7.5 million in credits to 30 civil society organizations to build automation tools using Workers AI and AI Gateway on its global network. LebTown replaced manual editorial workflows with a custom management system, and Kaya Guides built a WhatsApp mental health app processing 500,000 messages monthly with real-time counselor feedback. Larger groups like Freedom House and Article One received volunteer engineering support to build tools for tracking transnational repression and assessing human rights risks from factory audits. Cloudflare’s developer services include automatic DDoS protection and data minimization, addressing privacy and cost barriers that have limited AI adoption in the sector. The program is now open for a second cohort of non-profit organizations to apply for up to $250,000 in credits.
Context
Civil society organizations face financial strain after reductions in government funding, with many reporting layoffs and program closures. A CIVICUS survey found that over half of respondents viewed privacy concerns as a barrier to AI adoption, and 48% cited financial constraints. These groups hold sensitive data and are disproportionately at risk of cyberattacks, according to Cloudflare data.
Approach / What changed
Cloudflare’s Impact program awarded $7.5 million in developer service credits to 30 civil society organizations, providing access to Workers AI, AI Gateway, and a serverless architecture that scales with demand. The program also assembled volunteer engineers to build custom automation tools for larger organizations like Freedom House and Article One. Applications are automatically protected from DDoS attacks and unauthorized access, and the architecture avoids idle infrastructure costs.
Takeaways
Cloudflare awarded $7.5 million in credits to 30 civil society organizations for building automation tools using its developer services, including Workers AI and AI Gateway.
Kaya Guides built a WhatsApp-based mental health app that processes 500,000 messages monthly and uses AI to provide real-time feedback to counselors during calls.
Cloudflare’s developer services include automatic DDoS protection and data minimization, addressing privacy and cost barriers that have limited AI adoption in the sector.
FAQ
What security protections do Cloudflare's developer services provide for civil society organizations?
Cloudflare's developer services incorporate automatic DDoS protection and data minimization. Applications running on the global network are automatically protected from distributed denial-of-service attacks and unauthorized access to internal systems.
How much credit can non-profit organizations receive through Cloudflare's startup program?
Each non-profit organization can receive up to $250,000 in credits for Cloudflare's developer services through the startup program.
What is the application process for the second cohort?
Organizations can apply by visiting the startup program application page and selecting the non-profit checkbox. The program is now open for a second cohort.
Source and freshness
- Source
- blog.cloudflare.com
- Published
- Added to Yomu
Summaries are generated from the original by a language model. Check the original before relying on it.
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