AI can only boost the under-resourced nonprofit world if we design it to serve the communities we care about, championing a collaborative approach to AI. But as nonprofits consider how to incorporate AI into their work, many look to expertise from tech sector, expecting tools and implementation advice as well as ethical guidance. Yet when mission-driven entities—with a strong focus on people, communities, and equity—partner solely with tech companies, they may encounter a variety of obstacles, such as:

  1. Limited understanding of community needs: Sector-specific knowledge is essential for aligning AI with nonprofit missions, something many tech companies lack, limiting their ability to utilize a collaborative approach to AI.
  2. Bias in AI models: Without diverse input, AI models may exacerbate biases or misrepresent the communities that nonprofits serve.
  3. Resource constraints: Tech solutions often presume budgets or capacity beyond what nonprofits can bring to bear, creating a reliance on tools that fit the nonprofit context.

We need a creative, diverse, and collaborative approach to AI across various fields to ensure that technology is deployed in ways that align with nonprofit values, build trust, and serve the greater good. Seeking partners outside of the tech world helps nonprofits develop AI solutions that are context-aware, equitable, and resource-sensitive. Most importantly, nonprofit practitioners must deeply consider our ideal future state: What does an AI-empowered nonprofit sector look like when it truly centers human well-being, community agency, and ethical technology?

Imagining this future collaborative approach to AI means not just reacting to emerging technology but proactively shaping its trajectory. Instead of simply adapting to AI’s capabilities, nonprofits should ask:

  • What problems do we truly need AI to solve?
  • Whose voices must be centered in AI decision-making?
  • How do we ensure AI remains a tool for empowerment rather than control?

From a Tech-Centric Approach to Cross-Sector Collaborative Approach to AI

For all their expertise in building tools and infrastructure, tech companies often lack the kind of sector-specific understanding and ethical framework needed in philanthropy. When mission-driven nonprofits partner exclusively with tech firms, they risk prioritizing efficiency and data over impact, ethics, and the community's needs. Tools developed from a tech-centric approach might fail to account for bias, equity, or accessibility. AI is like a garden: Without diverse seeds (data) and thoughtful tending (collaboration), it can grow wild and unmanageable, producing results that are poorly aligned with nonprofit missions. Tech companies may lack insight into how AI can enhance—rather than diminish—the human connections central to nonprofit missions.

Read the full article about a collaborative approach to AI by Michelle Flores Vryn and Meena Das at Stanford Social Innovation Review.