In the past year, organizations have been inundated with information about using AI to transform their operations. Recent advancements in generative AI technology have created new opportunities for both positive and negative impacts on society and the environment. To ensure that AI is used to support humanity, organizations working in the public interest must be supported in learning about, developing, influencing, and deciding when to use AI technologies.
However, adopting AI is not an easy task. Organizations need to identify problems that AI can solve and then design, develop, or deliver the appropriate tool. They must also ensure that the tool minimizes bias and errors. Most importantly, leaders must manage the organizational change required to adopt this new technology.
A recent survey found that nearly 90% of business leaders are waiting for the AI hype to die down before integrating AI into their organizations. Many researchers, developers, leaders, and regulators have also expressed concerns about the ethical impact of AI programs. Nonetheless, there are many examples of AI positively impacting businesses, individuals, and communities.
Nonprofit organizations play an essential role in supporting individuals and communities to create a more equitable world. They face many demands, from fundraising and payroll to communication and service delivery. As a result, it can be challenging for nonprofits to prioritize experimenting with new technologies. In some cases, it may even be irresponsible to use a new AI tool that lacks sufficient data and algorithmic safeguards and could further disenfranchise vulnerable populations.
Adopting AI for the sake of AI will likely lead to unfinished projects that do not live up to their promises, as we have seen with other technologies. Organizations must consider whether AI is the appropriate way to address challenges, or if there are other tools that are a better fit. It is crucial to take the time to answer essential questions and ensure proper safeguards are in place before integrating AI into an organization.
At the same time, nonprofit organizations should also reap the efficiency and efficacy benefits of AI that many businesses have seen. AI today has already helped nonprofits support more students in finishing college, detect wildfires earlier and initiate crisis response, and better communicate with the communities they serve. Finding the right use case for AI can help nonprofits deliver programs better and can strengthen internal operations.
No one person or one team can contain all the answers for nonprofits in perpetuity. In order to navigate the dynamic environment they find themselves in, nonprofits and their staffs should seek communities of other nonprofits and tech experts to learn, support each other through successes and setbacks, and continue to advocate for responsible tech development in line with values of equity and positive impact.
Navigating the waters of change can be made easier by working together. Working in collaboration with other nonprofits offers three key advantages:
1. Community is important for nonprofit staff
Nonprofit organizations focus their resources on supporting the communities they serve. This helps these communities to achieve their goals and aspirations. However, nonprofits also need to build a support network among themselves to navigate the challenges of building and maintaining mission-driven organizations that serve both their staff and communities. It can be exhausting for nonprofit staff to work day after day for sustainable change, often on issues that will outlive them. Having a community to identify effective people management strategies, find partners for coalitions, and share best practices for community building can alleviate the burden on any one person or organization and contribute to a stronger and better-functioning nonprofit sector.
Research has shown that diverse teams generate the best ideas. Supporting nonprofit communities should involve people with different backgrounds and roles, both inside and outside the nonprofit sector. If nonprofit organizations aim to create a more equitable world, their support communities should reflect an equitable community as well.
2. Information is great—examples, directions, and support are better
There is a wealth of information available about AI and how nonprofit organizations can use it. Articles and presentations have defined what AI is and discussed how it can be used to inspire audiences to imagine the possibilities for their organization or sector, and even offer tips on how to get started. However, like most tech projects, AI projects require time, effort, and iteration. Even if a solution seems clear at the outset, questions will inevitably arise during implementation such as how to solve a specific error message, how to redirect the team when the initial design did not meet expectations, and how to determine when AI is not the right solution for a problem. Having someone to vent to or celebrate with throughout the process can be beneficial.
Not all organizations will explore AI tools at the same pace, and having access to people who are at the same stage or have more experience can provide encouragement. Moreover, not all organizations or the communities they serve have equal access to data, technology, and tech tools. Translating physical and emotional community care into digital and technological care requires effort, and learning from individuals who have experience doing this work will help create best practices that can be applied across many organizations.
3. Now is the time to shape the future of nonprofit organizations—and the field of AI
The world is not static, and neither are nonprofit organizations. The technical and nontechnical skills people need to be successful five years from now are different than the skills needed to be successful today. By participating in an expanding community, nonprofit staff invest in themselves to develop new skills. They can apply their new technical knowledge along with enhanced communication and teaching skills within their organizations. This professional development benefits individuals and the nonprofit sector overall.
The field of AI is also not static: it has evolved over the past decades, and it will continue to change with new research developments. Because of their focus on people, nonprofit staff and organizations should advocate for their perspectives that center humanity to be represented in AI development. Being part of a community can be a place to learn from AI ethics leaders, document instances of AI harms, and write new use cases. These insights can all be gathered to expand an affirmative vision of AI that truly does serve humanity.
Because of the life-changing nature of the services nonprofits provide, the stakes for nonprofits’ use of technology are high. Understanding when and how to deploy technology in ways that prioritize community interests takes time, intentionality, and structure. The nonprofit sector’s explicit focus on humanity provides an opportunity to model what inclusive innovation can look like. By actively participating in a nonprofit community, mission-driven individuals can contribute to a growing body of knowledge, learn from others, and collectively build a stronger, more equitable world for us all.
Updated Feb 08, 2024
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