By Nonprofit Risk Management Center

Do thoughts like these pop into your mind as you sit in traffic or scroll social media? 

I wonder what my colleagues are doing with AI.  

Are they doing things our nonprofit might not approve of?  

Not even on purpose, just because…what the heck WOULD our nonprofit approve of doing with AI? Nobody’s ever told us. 

If these thoughts sound familiar, your nonprofit might need an AI policy. 

Artificial intelligence—a broad term for technology that allows computers and machines to respond to input similarly to how humans do—is shaking up workplaces around the country, including nonprofits. The Chronicle of Philanthropy Technology Leadership Survey recently found that 46% of nonprofits are using AI and 77% expect to use it in the next three to five years. 

But recent surveys estimate the percentage of nonprofits that have an AI policy at 10 to 15 percent. Luckily, that’s a gap you can fill. 

An AI policy can give your organization a foundation for how to use this technology in ways that support your mission and values, and avoid uses that would conflict with your mission. In this article, we’ll explore how an AI policy can benefit your organization, how to create one, and what to include. 

Startling Truths About Workplace AI Worries and Wants 

Your employees—the very people who probably complain about some of the policies you already have, and may not always comply with them—might want an AI policy. 

The nonprofit employees we talk to have concerns about AI, from its environmental impact to its potential for harm in society to whether it will take their jobs. Some nonprofit employees also worry that their organizations aren’t using AI enough, and will fall behind on their ability to innovate and serve clients. And we’ve heard from employees at all points on that continuum who just want to know what their boss expects of them on AI and how they can and can’t use it. 

An AI policy can help team members understand why you’re spending time on this; know the limits of how they can use the technology; and navigate challenging questions that arise. And nonprofits need that foundation sooner than later. 

A recent survey by the firm Resume Now across all workplaces, not just nonprofits, found that nearly 60% of workers admitted to using AI in ways that might not meet company policy.  

On the other hand, a study by generative AI platform Writer found that a third of respondents were refusing to adopt their company’s AI tools. Many of those people indicated they didn’t believe the technology was useful. 

An AI policy helps your team understand the rules of the road and operate within them. It helps your organization think through what uses of AI would align with your values and which ones you absolutely want to avoid.  

So what the heck do you put in your policy? 

First, Know Your Purpose 

Sometimes nonprofit leaders NRMC works with send us their AI policies for feedback. I see lots of things teams are doing well and plenty of areas to keep improving their policies. There is one area I find myself redlining in almost every single AI policy we receive. 

That section is the purpose. The purpose section of most draft policies we review says something like, “We’ve created this policy because AI has a boatload of risks.” That’s fair, accurate, and important. Your policy should include a discussion of AI’s concerning risks. What I don’t typically see in draft policies is a positive statement of what organizations hope to do by bringing AI into their work. What good work do you hope to do with AI that you couldn’t do without it?  

Without some positive element in your statement of purpose, you’ll have a hard time getting employees to even read your policy, let alone comply with it and spend time on training to get up to speed on AI. 

Here are a few examples of policy language we’ve helped nonprofits craft to convey the positive things they hope to do with AI. 

• Some of our team members have expressed a desire to use these technologies in ways they believe will help our organization innovate and improve. 

• AI technologies hold the potential to automate some of our team’s repetitive and time-consuming tasks and give us more time to do what we do best: serve children and families.  

• We seek to use AI in ways that support our work, benefit our team and constituents, and protect employees, clients, and community members we work with from harm.  

Beyond Purpose: Get Into the Details 

Purpose is just one area you’ll want to consider including in your AI policy. There are a boatload of risks that come with using AI, and your team needs guidance to navigate them. Other areas to consider including in your policy: 

What kinds of AI use are encouraged, and within what parameters. What AI uses fit with your nonprofit’s mission and values?  

What kinds of AI use are prohibited. What behaviors and uses will your nonprofit not allow under any circumstances?  

How your organization will train, equip and educate team members to use AI. How will you work with your team to find out what skills they want to develop and help them do that within your budget?  

What consequences will result from intentional or unintentional violations of the policy. What responsibilities do team members have to report suspected violations?  

How should they report them?  

What will happen if someone made an honest mistake in their use of AI? 

What if someone intentionally misled others about their use of AI, or used it in a malicious way?  

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