Pilar: Leveraging AI for Equitable Access to Community Resources
Pilar is the codename for a modular AI platform our team is building to support the vital work of nonprofits and community organizations. It's designed to meet people where they are, connecting with them on platforms they already use, like SMS, WhatsApp, or Facebook Messenger, to provide safe, reliable, and judgment-free access to the resources they need.
Many in our community feel ignored, dismissed, or mocked when asking for help. The tools meant to serve them are too often built on assumptions of digital privilege, requiring a smartphone, reliable internet, or the digital literacy to interact with websites or download apps. This is what people call the "last mile" problem in social services. The help might technically exist, but it's buried under inaccessible platforms, or outdated systems. For many in our community, "online access" doesn't mean convenience, it means navigating a website or downloading an app that wasn't translated correctly or designed to work on older devices, and giving up halfway through because nothing makes sense.
This project is being built by people who know these barriers firsthand. As first-generation college students and immigrants ourselves, we're not coming into this space with abstract ideas about equity, we're bringing lived experience, technical skill, and an understanding of what's at stake when people are told to figure things out on their own. Pilar is a bandage for a wound. It's not the definite solution, but something that could help. It's digital infrastructure for our community. Pilar was born right here in our community, with support from the Spanish Speaking Citizens' Foundation in the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland, California.
Core Components of Pilar
1. The Bridge
The Bridge is more than just a connection point—it's a direct line between the community and reliable, vetted information. For the organization, this means reducing the time staff spend answering repetitive questions and ensuring community members always receive consistent, accurate answers. Every interaction is logged with full transparency and a user data sharing consent layer, so the organization can see exactly where answers came from and identify gaps or outdated information. This not only improves trust with the community but also provides a record of real-world use cases that can be shared with funders or partners to demonstrate tangible reach and impact.
2. The Content Coach
The Content Coach works quietly in the background to ensure that the organization's resources stay relevant, correct, and easy to access. By proactively flagging broken links, missing information, and outdated materials, it reduces the manual upkeep that normally eats up staff time. Over time, the Coach learns from real user conversations, identifying the types of questions or misunderstandings that occur most often. For the organization, this translates into a self-improving content ecosystem that keeps public information sharp and ensures the community always receives up-to-date guidance.
3. Independent Agents
Independent Agents allow the organization to expand its service offerings without adding staff hours. From tools that detect scams to ones that help people understand their tenant rights, these agents empower users to solve problems directly while freeing up human staff to focus on complex cases. The organization benefits by having a growing library of practical, ready-to-use solutions that can be launched quickly in response to community needs—whether that's during a crisis or as part of ongoing programming.
4. Insights & Impact Analytics
Every message sent through The Bridge, refined by The Content Coach, or resolved by Independent Agents generates valuable, structured data. With Pilar's built-in analytics engine, the organization can track top-requested resources, detect emerging needs by topic, analyze seasonal trends, and monitor handoff resolution rates. This transforms day-to-day text conversations into a real-time needs map for the community. The organization can use this data to adjust programming, allocate resources more effectively, and present funders with clear, evidence-based impact reports—all without adding extra steps for staff or community members.
Guiding Principles of Pilar
1. Accessibility
Our commitment to meeting people where they are won't stop with text messages. We know literacy can be a major barrier, which is why our long-term vision includes a voice agent, allowing someone to simply make a phone call and speak naturally to get help. And if the right solution involves a web portal, an app, or something else entirely, we'll build it. Pilar isn't limited by format, it's shaped by purpose.
2. Explainability
We should be able to understand why a specific answer was given, what source it came from, and what logic or retrieval led to it. We're exploring Explainable AI (XAI) techniques to avoid black-box decisions, using methods like Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and Chain-of-Thought (CoT) prompting. But we know these aren't nearly enough on their own. That's why Pilar is designed for full auditability from the ground up: every interaction is logged, every retrieval step is visible, and human oversight is always in the loop to ensure accountability, improve outcomes, and maintain trust over time.
3. Augment, Never Replace
Technology is a tool, not a replacement for human connection. Pilar is not here to replace caseworkers or support staff; it is here to act as a tireless, patient front door, helping more people get the initial support they need so that human experts can focus on the cases that require their direct attention.
4. Sustainability Model
Our success is directly tied to the success of the communities we serve. Unlike traditional software that charges high fixed fees regardless of impact, our model aligns our incentives with our partners' goals. When our partners grow their reach and help more people using Pilar, we grow with them. Success is shared, not extracted.
5. Ethics and Responsibility
We are committed to being a true partner, not just a software vendor. This means fair and transparent policies, like avoiding abrupt price hikes and offering discounts to causes with limited resources. It means we practice active listening, constantly evolving Pilar based on the real-world needs of our partners. The information our partners entrust to us is theirs, and theirs alone. We only use it to provide answers on their behalf. We will never monetize, share end-user data, display advertising or sell data. Our focus is on delivering real value through information.
Built with Californian love in Oakland, CA ❤️