Is your nonprofit ready for AI?
By Ben Serunyigo, co-founder of Nimara · Updated October 2026
A board member or trustee forwards you an article about AI with one line: "Should we be doing this?" You're not sure because some of your staff are already trying it and others are nervous about it. This guide helps you find out where you really stand and what to do first, even if the answer is "not yet."
A nonprofit or charity is ready to try AI on one task when four things are in place. Rules: a short written AI policy and a named AI lead. Data: your key information lives in one place and you know who can see it. Systems: your main tools are business accounts that work together. People: staff have basic training and someone has time to check the work. If one of these is missing, fix that first. Doing that isn't falling behind, since it's how AI ends up working for you.
- 1Where nonprofits and charities are
- 2What "ready" really means
- 3The self-check
- 4What to do with your result
- 5Good first tasks
- 6Sources worth your time
Where nonprofits and charities are
If you feel unsure, you're in good company. Around the world, most nonprofits and charities have started using AI, but many still don't have written rules for it.
Around the world
Source: NTEN and The Bridgespan Group, State of Nonprofit AI Adoption and Governance, September 2026, 917 nonprofit staff and executives in the US and around the world.
Here's the finding that matters most for you: use is moving faster than the rules. The same survey found that 57% of nonprofits have no budget set aside for AI and only about one in five leaders say they train staff on safe AI use.
In the US and the UK
Sources: US, Center for Effective Philanthropy, AI With Purpose, September 2025, 451 nonprofit leaders surveyed. UK, Charity Digital Skills Report 2026, July 2026, 807 charities surveyed.
That's good news because skills, clear rules and safe ways to handle data are all things you can build one step at a time.
What "ready" really means
Being ready for AI isn't about buying a tool. It's about four things you already manage every day.
AI works on top of all four. If your donor list lives in three spreadsheets, AI will give you three different answers. If nobody owns the rules, AI use moves to personal accounts where nobody can see it.
The self-check
Answer twelve quick questions as honestly as you can. Nobody sees your answers but you, and nothing is saved.
Rules
We have a short, written AI policy that's been approved.
One named person is in charge of how we use AI.
Staff know what information must never go into AI tools.
Data
Our key information (donors, clients, programs) lives in one place, not many spreadsheets.
Anyone on the team can find the latest approved version of a file quickly.
We've checked who can see what in our shared drive and tools.
Systems
Our main tools share information, so we don't retype the same thing twice.
Staff use business accounts with two-step sign-in, not personal ones.
We know which of our tools already have AI built in.
People
Staff have had basic training on using AI safely.
Someone has the time and authority to check AI's work before it goes out.
We can name one repetitive task that takes real time every week or month.
0 of 12 answered
This check is a starting point for a conversation with your team, not a formal assessment.
What to do with your result
Your weakest area is your first step, so here's what each path looks like.
Good first tasks, and ones to hold back
When you're ready, start where mistakes are easy to catch and nothing personal is at stake.
- First drafts of newsletters and social posts
- Summarizing long reports or meeting notes
- Turning one story into several formats
- Answering staff questions from your own policies
- Drafting a funder report from approved numbers
- Anything that decides who gets help, money or a job
- Client case notes or intake decisions
- Anything sent to the public without a person checking
- Tools that need your whole drive before you've checked permissions
Before you start, write down how long the task takes today, then check again after a month. If it isn't saving time, or the checking takes longer than doing it yourself, stop. That's a result too.
Sources worth your time
- US · Center for Effective Philanthropy · September 2025AI With Purpose →
How US nonprofit leaders use AI and what worries them. Fewer than 20% say their funders have talked to them about AI.
- Global · NTEN and The Bridgespan Group · September 2026State of Nonprofit AI Adoption and Governance →
A survey of 917 nonprofit staff and executives in the US and around the world: how often they use AI, how many have written guidance, and where budgets and training fall short.
- UK · Charity Digital Skills Report · July 2026Charity Digital Skills Report 2026 →
How UK charities use AI, what holds them back, and how boards rate their own AI skills.
- UK · Government press release · January 2026Free AI training for every adult in the UK →
Free courses on the AI Skills Hub for your staff and volunteers, with a government-backed AI foundations badge.
- Nimara · free guidesHow to write an AI policy for your nonprofit →
The first step for most organizations, and the fastest.
Questions people ask
How do I know if my nonprofit is ready for AI?
Check four areas: rules, data, systems and people. If you have a written AI policy, your key information in one place, business accounts that work together, and someone with time to check the work, you're ready to try AI on one task.
What should a nonprofit do first with AI?
Write short AI rules and name an AI lead. Then pick one repetitive, low-risk task, like drafting newsletters or summarizing reports, and try AI on just that, with a person approving everything that goes out.
Is it OK to wait on AI?
Yes, and many nonprofits and charities are better off connecting their systems and cleaning up their information first because that work saves time on its own and makes AI more useful later. Just write down your rules now, since staff may already be using AI.
Do we need a big budget to get ready?
Not to start. In a 2026 survey of nonprofits in the US and around the world, 57% had no budget set aside for AI, so you're far from alone if there's no AI line in yours. Writing rules, organizing your drive and basic training cost more time than money, and every adult in the UK can take the government's AI courses for free.
Our staff are already using AI. Are we behind?
No, you're normal. Three in four nonprofit staff and leaders use AI at work every week, but many don't have written rules yet. Fewer than 4 in 10 nonprofit leaders say they have written guidance on safe AI use, and in the UK only 36% of small charities have an AI policy. Start by finding out what staff use, without blame, and then write a short policy.
How often should we check our readiness?
Every six months, or whenever you add a new tool. Your answers will change as your systems and skills grow.
Want a second look at your answers?
Our AI Strategy & Readiness work looks at your systems, data, team and rules. Then it gives you a plain plan: where AI could help, where it shouldn't be used and what to try first, even if the answer is "not yet."
Book a Call →See AI Strategy & Readiness
Want to start on your own? The free AI Policy Kit has the policy, a staff card and a board brief. It's built on Canadian privacy law, so have someone check the legal notes against the rules where you are.
Ready isn't a feeling. It's four things you can check.
This guide was updated in October 2026 and is general information, not legal advice. It was written with AI assistance and reviewed by a person.
