If you’re using Microsoft Word, Canva, Google Search, or Zoom, you’re already using artificial intelligence. These tools have embedded AI that influences everything from drafting emails and writing grant proposals to designing annual reports and more.
Many non-profits, charities, and grassroots organizations aren’t intentionally integrating AI. But the reality is, they don’t have to be; it’s already happening around them. AI’s seamless integration makes it easy to overlook the need for oversight and alignment with mission and values.
AI is now a part of our everyday technology ecosystem. It often does not feel like a radical shift, which is exactly why it deserves our attention.
You’re already operating in an AI-shaped world
The digital skills gap in Canada’s non-profit sector is well documented in both the Bridging the Digital Divide and the Assessing Digital Skills Gap in Canadian Nonprofitsreports by the Canadian Centre for Nonprofit Digital Resilience, and it is holding organizations back. As a result, AI adoption tends to be slower across Canada’s non-profit landscape. This is because many organizations lack the confidence, funding, training, or infrastructure to fully explore digital tools and emerging technologies.
As Professor Adegboyega Ojo notes in a recent Carleton PANL article, non-profits often face steeper barriers to AI integration than other sectors. Still, AI is becoming embedded in how mission-driven organizations communicate, analyze data, engage communities, and deliver services.
In fact, many of the commonly used tools by individuals and organizations come with built-in AI features. The influence is subtle, but significant.
- Google Search now uses AI to summarize answers from multiple sources, rather than sending users to individual websites
- Canva comes with design and writing features powered by AI
- Donor platforms apply predictive algorithms to guide outreach
- Grammarly, the Microsoft Office suite, and Zoom rely on AI to improve efficiency and communication
AI’s presence is not always visible. It enters through everyday tools, not with fanfare but with quiet persistence. That’s why it’s critical for non-profits to pay attention to how it shows up and how decisions about its use are made.
Why non-profits need to engage now
This quote, from David Wong, author and social commentator on technology and culture (also known as Jason Pargin), has stayed with me:
“New technology is not good or evil in and of itself. It’s all about how people choose to use it.”
AI is not inherently good or bad. But how we use it, and how we choose not to, matters.
Non-profits don’t necessarily need more tools. Instead, they need the space to think critically and act intentionally. Yet in many community centres, boardrooms, non-profit offices, and town halls, AI still lives in the “to-do later” pile, somewhere between strategic planning and that overdue grant report. This is completely understandable. I know firsthand how quickly things are evolving. The pace of change is fast, the surrounding hype exhausting, the ethical questions complex, and capacity is often stretched thin.
Furthermore, as Katie Gibson aptly explains in The Philanthropist Journal, AI policy-making is unfolding in real time and across every level of society. However, many non-profits are still not at the table. Whether your work focuses on youth, sustainability, housing, food security, healthcare, arts and culture, education, or racial justice, the impact of AI is already reaching the communities you serve. Non-profits need to step forward and engage meaningfully to shape these conversations or run the risk of others doing it for them, and likely without the same commitments to equity, ethics, or lived experience.
Which is why investing in AI literacy is a critical next step.
AI literacy gives staff and leadership a shared foundation. It means understanding what AI is and is not, where it is already embedded, and how to ask thoughtful questions about bias, alignment, sustainability, and public trust.
As Ojo highlights, AI adoption must be guided by transparency, accountability, and a clear understanding of its implications.
Questions every non-profit should be asking
The best conversations I’ve had with clients often begin with these kinds of questions:
- Are we comfortable with how AI-generated content reflects our voice and values?
- What internal policies do we need around ChatGPT or Magic Write?
- Can automation help us without compromising relationships or trust?
- How do we assess a vendor’s use of AI when adopting new platforms?
These are not one-off technical questions. They are strategic questions that shape culture, performance, and community trust.
As Hilborn Charity eNews points out, AI systems can reinforce bias and inequity when organizations do not understand how the technology works or what data it is drawing from.
Where to begin
Start by building shared understanding. That’s the goal of our Essentials of AI for non-profits workshop. This workshop, hosted by MDR Strategy Group Ltd., offers a practical starting point for non-profits navigating evolving tools, limited capacity, and complex responsibilities. It’s designed to help teams build confidence in using AI while staying grounded in their mission and values.
You’ll walk away with the ability to:
- Understand how predictive and generative AI work
- Identify where AI is already showing up in your daily operations
- Evaluate opportunities and risks through a values- and risk-based lens
- Apply ethical frameworks when reviewing tools or vendor platforms
- Develop a tailored action plan and access practical resources for continued learning
You don’t need to become a tech expert. You need to be equipped to lead thoughtful, intentional conversations about what AI means for your mission.
I invite you to REGISTER NOW for a session in Halifax or Edmonton and start building the capacity to use AI in ways that reflect your values and amplify your impact.
