Between Hype and Help: What AI Really Means for Nonprofits
Why the Worry?
Artificial intelligence (AI) often appears in alarmist headlines: predictions that it will replace jobs, undermine democracy, or introduce risks nonprofits aren’t equipped to manage. Such portrayals can create understandable hesitation: Is AI a distraction? A cost burden? A liability rather than an asset?
In truth, many of the tools we already depend on incorporate AI. Navigation apps refine routes, voice assistants interpret questions, and recommendation engines suggest content. These are not futuristic abstractions—they are technologies built to enhance efficiency.
Within the nonprofit sector, we see early use cases: drafting grant reports, translating materials, analyzing program data. Though often behind the scenes, these applications are helping organizations maximize limited resources while maintaining mission focus.
Where AI Can Help Your Nonprofit
The strongest potential of AI for nonprofits lies in strengthening internal capacity rather than pursuing ambitious, high-risk innovations right away. Practical applications include:
Automating routine communications, like scheduling social media posts or drafting outreach messages.
Improving data analysis for evaluation and reporting, identifying trends or service gaps.
Streamlining administrative tasks through workflow automation so staff can concentrate on mission-critical work.
Applied thoughtfully, these shifts can free up meaningful time, allowing nonprofit teams to focus on relationships, strategy, and long-term impact.
Finding the Right Support
Nonprofits interested in exploring or integrating AI don’t have to go it alone. We’ve compiled a guide of Chicago- and Illinois-based grant opportunities to help organizations locate financial support for AI, data, and tech capacity building. Click the link for information about funders, deadlines, eligibility, and other key details for consideration.
For hands-on guidance, Compass Pro Bono, a national organization providing pro bono consulting to nonprofits, has expanded its offerings to include AI assessments, strategy projects, training, and integration support. In Chicago, Melissa Lapica, Managing Director*, serves as the local point of contact to help organizations navigate these services and determine how AI can strengthen their work.
Moving Forward with Care
AI is not a cure-all and it is not inherently dangerous. What matters is how nonprofit leaders choose to adopt, govern, and monitor its use. Key considerations include:
Start small and pilot before scaling.
Ensure data privacy, algorithmic fairness, and oversight of automated outputs.
Invest in staff training, ethical guidelines, and governance practices.
With responsible adoption and the right supports, AI can be a powerful ally for nonprofits: a tool that amplifies mission rather than distracting from it.
*Melissa can be reached at mlapica@compassprobono.org.
