A measurable equity gap
The Deaf employment rate runs 23 percent below the hearing rate, and 40 percent below for Black Deaf workers. Communication access is the lever, and it is one that technology can actually move.
A working beta already exists
Your gift is the difference between a beta and a released app.
DeafAI is not raising money for an idea. The Virtual Personal Interpreter is built and Deaf users are testing it right now. What stands between that and a public release is engineering time.
DeafAI, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. FEIN 33-3594114. Every gift is tax deductible.
Ways to give
What your gift actually pays for.
Every dollar goes into building the interpreter. These figures come straight from our published development budget.
$250
Funds a day of development work, or a review session with the Deaf solution analysts who test our accuracy.
Give $250$500
Funds a week of work with our ASL interpreter and Deaf educator, the people who make sure the app reads real signing rather than textbook signing.
Give $500$5,000
Funds a full development sprint, a measurable step toward public release that we will report back on.
Give $5,000
Give any amount
Prefer to give monthly? Choose the recurring option on the donation form. Recurring gifts are the most valuable kind, because they let us commit to development months in advance.
Transparency
Our full development budget.
This is the same budget we submit to foundations. We publish it because you should be able to see exactly what you are funding before you give.
$300,000
Program management and software development. AI architecture, coding, and building the mobile and web interface. This is the overwhelming majority of every dollar raised.
$30,000
Subject matter experts. A part-time ASL interpreter and Deaf educator, plus two part-time Deaf solution analysts who keep the app accountable to real signers.
$20,000
Legal and accounting. Nonprofit compliance and intellectual property work, so the technology stays owned by the mission.
$20,000
Marketing and fundraising. Reaching Deaf users who need the app and donors who can fund it.
$10,000
Grant writing. Early-stage work has to be funded by external investment, and pursuing it well takes real effort.
100%
Toward the mission. Operations are virtual. There is no office overhead, and the board serves without compensation.
Why this is not a forever ask
Donations get us to a product that funds itself.
We are not asking donors to underwrite this indefinitely. Charitable funding is what carries DeafAI through the phase where the technology has no revenue yet, because it would be wrong to ask an economically disadvantaged community to pay for its own development.
Once the interpreter is released, DeafAI moves to a diversified model: a nominal user subscription, corporate white label licensing to retail, healthcare, and government organizations that want to serve Deaf customers and comply with ADA guidelines, and a donor membership program.
That licensing revenue is designed to fund continued development and allow the app to be offered to Deaf users at little or no cost. Your donation is what makes that flywheel possible.
The funding path
Today
Grants and donations
Foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, and individual gifts fund the build.
On release
Nominal subscriptions
Deaf users subscribe at a low cost, which also accelerates training data collection.
Scaling
Enterprise licensing
White label versions licensed to businesses, healthcare, and government fund ongoing development.
Foundations and corporate partners
The case for institutional support.
DeafAI is seeking $250,000 in foundation and corporate funding toward the current development phase. Here is the short version of why this project is fundable.
Execution risk already retired
This is not a proposal to start building. The app is built and in beta with Deaf users. Funders are buying acceleration of proven work, not the chance that a team can ship.
Transparent evaluation
We track interpretation accuracy, average session time, error frequency and resolution, user satisfaction, and partnership integrations. Findings are reviewed quarterly and shared with partners, with semiannual reports and a performance dashboard for funders.
A path off charitable funding
Enterprise licensing is designed into the product from the start, so grant support builds toward sustainability rather than dependence. Funders are recognized in campaign content, on this site, and in press releases.
For corporate partners
The DeafAI application allows organizations to provide accommodations for Deaf customers in line with ADA guidelines, and makes it practical to employ more Deaf people. We are opening white label licensing pilots across retail, services, healthcare, and government.
- Custom versions that connect your hearing employees with Deaf customers
- Sponsorship recognition in campaign content, on our website, and in press releases
- A concrete accessibility commitment your customers and employees can see
Contact us
Get in touch.
Whether you are a foundation, a company exploring licensing, a journalist, or a Deaf signer who wants to help shape the app, we want to hear from you.
Emailinfo@deafai.net
Phone770-262-6644
Mailing addressDeafAI, Inc.
305 Trilith Pkwy, Suite 300 #1954
Fayetteville, GA 30214
305 Trilith Pkwy, Suite 300 #1954
Fayetteville, GA 30214
Tax status501(c)(3) nonprofit · FEIN 33-3594114
Determination letter available on request
Determination letter available on request
Send us a message
Be part of the bridge.
750,000 Deaf Americans depend on ASL. Most hearing people cannot sign back. You can help change what happens next.
DeafAI, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. FEIN 33-3594114. Every gift is tax deductible.