How do I apply for the OpenAI API nonprofit discount?

Visit openai.com/index/introducing-openai-for-nonprofits/ to read about the nonprofit program. For ChatGPT Business or Enterprise discounts: click 'Apply Now' and complete verification through Goodstack. Goodstack verifies your nonprofit status (usually within a few business days) and applies the discount to your billing. For API credit grants: visit help.openai.com and search for the Researcher Access Program or contact OpenAI sales. Describe your organization's social-impact use case and request API credits for your project. OpenAI reviews applications individually; approved organizations receive credits added to their API account. Standard API access can be set up immediately at platform.openai.com with pay-as-you-go pricing while waiting for grant approval

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Automation & Productivity

OpenAI API Nonprofit Discount & Pricing

No standard API nonprofit discount, but nonprofits can apply for API credit grants ($2,500-$10,000) through OpenAI's social-impact programs; ChatGPT Business is discounted ~75% via the nonprofit program

SPECIAL NONPROFIT PRICING

Nonprofit Discount

Special Pricing

Nonprofit Program (ChatGPT) + API Credit Grants

Verification

501(c)(3) or Manual Review

Simple verification process

Renewal Terms

Auto-Renews

Automatically renews each year

Last verified: Mar 7, 2026

Official nonprofit program from OpenAI API • View nonprofit terms

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About the Tool

What is OpenAI API?

The OpenAI API provides programmatic access to OpenAI's most powerful AI models, including GPT-4o, o1, and o3, enabling developers and organizations to build custom AI-powered applications. Rather than using a pre-built interface like ChatGPT, API access lets nonprofits integrate AI capabilities directly into their own tools, workflows, and internal systems with full control over the user experience.

With the API, nonprofits can automate content generation pipelines, build custom chatbots for donor or client engagement, process and analyze large document sets, generate personalized communications at scale, and connect AI capabilities to existing databases and platforms. Pricing is pay-per-token, meaning organizations only pay for what they use, with no monthly minimums required.

OpenAI has a formal nonprofit program that provides discounts on ChatGPT Business and ChatGPT Enterprise plans. While the raw API does not have a dedicated nonprofit pricing tier, nonprofits can apply for API credits through OpenAI's social-impact grant programs. Organizations building tools for social good may qualify for $2,500 to $10,000 in API credits through OpenAI's researcher and social-impact access programs.

Access to Latest Models

Use GPT-4o, o1, o3-mini, and other leading models through a single API with consistent pricing and versioning controls.

Pay-Per-Token Pricing

No monthly minimums or subscription fees for API access; nonprofits only pay for tokens consumed across requests.

Custom Application Building

Embed AI directly into nonprofit websites, CRMs, grant management systems, or internal tools with full control over the interface.

API Credit Grants for Social Impact

Nonprofits building tools for social good can apply for $2,500 to $10,000 in API credits through OpenAI's researcher and social-impact access programs.

Learn More About OpenAI API

Eligibility Requirements

Registered nonprofit, NGO, or social-impact organization
For ChatGPT Business/Enterprise nonprofit pricing: verification through Goodstack (OpenAI's verification partner)
For API credit grants: social-impact or research use case required; reviewed case-by-case by OpenAI
U.S. 501(c)(3) status or international equivalent typically required

How to Apply

1
Visit openai.com/index/introducing-openai-for-nonprofits/ to read about the nonprofit program
2
For ChatGPT Business or Enterprise discounts: click 'Apply Now' and complete verification through Goodstack
3
Goodstack verifies your nonprofit status (usually within a few business days) and applies the discount to your billing
4
For API credit grants: visit help.openai.com and search for the Researcher Access Program or contact OpenAI sales
5
Describe your organization's social-impact use case and request API credits for your project
6
OpenAI reviews applications individually; approved organizations receive credits added to their API account
7
Standard API access can be set up immediately at platform.openai.com with pay-as-you-go pricing while waiting for grant approval

Included Features

Access to these OpenAI API features

Access to all OpenAI models via API including GPT-4o, o1, o3, and GPT-4o-mini
Pay-per-token pricing with no subscription or monthly minimum required
ChatGPT Business plan at approximately $8/user/month for verified nonprofits (vs. $30 standard)
ChatGPT Enterprise at approximately 50% off standard enterprise pricing for verified nonprofits
API credit grants of $2,500-$10,000 available for qualifying social-impact applications
Function calling, structured outputs, and JSON mode for building reliable automated workflows
Vision capabilities for image analysis and document processing
Fine-tuning support for organizations needing custom model behavior
Assistants API for building stateful AI agents with file retrieval and code execution
Batch API for processing large volumes of requests at 50% reduced cost
Built-in content moderation and safety features

Limitations

No standard nonprofit discount on raw API token pricing
API credit grants are competitive and awarded case-by-case
ChatGPT Business/Enterprise nonprofit discount applies to user-seat plans, not API usage
Requires technical staff or developers to build and maintain API integrations
API rate limits apply based on account tier

Learn More About OpenAI API

Explore our detailed guides and comparisons to get the most out of OpenAI API's AI features

OpenAI API Tool Page

Full review of OpenAI API capabilities for nonprofits

Explore the complete OpenAI API feature set, model options, pricing tiers, and how nonprofits can build custom AI-powered applications using GPT-4o, o1, and other models.

View Tool Details

ChatGPT Nonprofit Discount

ChatGPT Plus and Team discounts for nonprofits

ChatGPT offers nonprofit pricing through the OpenAI for Nonprofits program, providing access to GPT-4o, advanced data analysis, and custom GPTs at reduced rates for qualifying organizations.

View ChatGPT Discount

Anthropic Claude API Nonprofit Discount

Claude API access with nonprofit pricing

Anthropic offers nonprofit credits and discounts on Claude API access for qualifying organizations, with models suited for writing, analysis, and custom AI application development.

View Claude API Discount

Make Nonprofit Discount

Visual automation platform for building AI workflows

Make (formerly Integromat) offers nonprofit pricing for its visual workflow automation platform, which can integrate with the OpenAI API to build powerful automated AI pipelines.

View Make Discount

FAQ & Terms

How much is the discount?

Who is eligible?

Registered nonprofit, NGO, or social-impact organization. For ChatGPT Business/Enterprise nonprofit pricing: verification through Goodstack (OpenAI's verification partner). For API credit grants: social-impact or research use case required; reviewed case-by-case by OpenAI. U.S. 501(c)(3) status or international equivalent typically required

What's included?

Access to all OpenAI models via API including GPT-4o, o1, o3, and GPT-4o-mini, Pay-per-token pricing with no subscription or monthly minimum required, ChatGPT Business plan at approximately $8/user/month for verified nonprofits (vs. $30 standard), ChatGPT Enterprise at approximately 50% off standard enterprise pricing for verified nonprofits, API credit grants of $2,500-$10,000 available for qualifying social-impact applications, Function calling, structured outputs, and JSON mode for building reliable automated workflows, Vision capabilities for image analysis and document processing, Fine-tuning support for organizations needing custom model behavior, Assistants API for building stateful AI agents with file retrieval and code execution, Batch API for processing large volumes of requests at 50% reduced cost, Built-in content moderation and safety features.

Terms & Conditions

•Nonprofit pricing for ChatGPT plans requires Goodstack verification
•API credit grants reviewed individually and not guaranteed
•API pricing applies standard pay-per-token rates unless credit grant is approved

Last Verified: 3/7/2026 • Always verify current terms on the official program page.

Note: Prices may be outdated or inaccurate.