Using AI for impact: Top 10 Tips for Nonprofits
Artificial intelligence isn’t just a buzzword anymore, it’s already in your organization. From the way your team drafts emails to how you analyze data, AI is quietly at work. But without intention and policies in place, it can create risks just as easily as it creates opportunities.
That’s why we hosted our latest 10 Things session: “Using AI for Impact: 10 Things Social Purpose Organizations Need to Know.”
Facilitated by Jazzmine Raine alongside Daniel Francavilla, the session explored the realities, challenges, and opportunities for nonprofits and social purpose businesses adopting AI.
The conversation made it clear: AI can be a powerful capacity-building tool for small teams—but only if it’s approached with clarity, ethics, and intention.
Want to go deeper? Join us for our AI for Impact 2-Day Training this fall, where we’ll help you build policies, train custom tools, and apply AI directly to your campaigns and communications.
Top Takeaways
AI is already in your organization – Whether through Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, or simple email polishers, two-thirds of your staff are likely using AI tools quietly. Leadership needs to acknowledge and guide this use.
Policy comes before prompts – Don’t wait for government regulation. Create an internal AI policy now to guide how tools are used, what data can (and cannot) be shared, and what “human-led, AI-supported” really means for your team.
AI is not neutral – These tools reflect the priorities and biases of their creators. Nonprofits must train AI on their own values, ethics, and messaging to avoid generic or harmful output.
Garbage in, garbage out – AI only produces quality work if you feed it context: your stories, testimonials, case studies, and brand voice. Otherwise, you’ll get generic results—or worse, fabricated stories.
Voice is everything – Untrained AI sounds flat. Training it on your messaging pillars and tone helps ensure your unique story shines through to donors, funders, and volunteers.
Quick wins exist – From grant research to donor analysis and appeal letters, AI can save hours each week when set up intentionally. Some organizations are seeing five or more hours freed up per staff member.
Every query has a cost – Running prompts at scale uses enormous energy and water to cool servers. Training AI intentionally cuts down on waste while producing better results.
Ethics matter – Use AI responsibly by protecting sensitive donor data, avoiding saviorist tones in stories, and always reviewing outputs with a mission-first lens.
The future belongs to those who self-govern – Without clear policies, small organizations risk trust gaps. With governance, nonprofits can lead by example in showing how to use AI ethically for impact.
No one is an AI expert – The field is evolving daily. The best thing you can do is stay open, share learnings, and build capacity together.
Top AI Tools to Consider
ChatGPT & Claude – versatile tools for copywriting, strategy, and analysis
Perplexity – strong for grant and research support
Notion AI – project management, workload prioritization, and team collaboration
Google Gemini / Google LM – useful for compiling research and accessibility
Donorbox JAI – AI-driven fundraising insights for nonprofits
Jasper – copywriting and storytelling tool geared toward marketing teams
What’s next?
If you’re curious about how to apply AI without overwhelming your team—or worse, eroding trust—the best step forward is to build skills and systems before you scale.
That’s exactly what our AI for Impact 2-Day Training is designed to do.
Join us online (or in Toronto) this fall.
