For those of us in philanthropy, AI can feel like both a buzzword and a black hole. But as more tools emerge, it’s worth considering how we might approach them thoughtfully. Like so many others, we at the Farash Foundation have been cautiously exploring artificial intelligence. Our curiosity isn’t just about generating goofy images or cranking out quicker emails. We’re thinking deeply about how AI can enhance our work, without replacing our brains, and more importantly, our hearts.
Begin with Your “Why”
The field is huge and rapidly changing, which can feel intimidating. My advice is to ground your exploration in two ways: through your organization’s values and a learning mindset.
We grounded our journey by asking why:
- Why use these tools at all?
- Why might they help us?
- Why should we be careful about security?
- Why could this help our grant partners?
We worried about creating an avalanche of tools that would cost more time and money than they saved. That’s why we turned to our values for guidance.
Let Your Values Guide You
At Farash, our four core values are:
- Approachability
- Grace
- Pursuit of Possibilities
- Uncomplicated
These values shape everything we do, including our policies and procedures. For our initial draft policy, Pursuit of Possibilities and Uncomplicated felt most important. We didn’t want to complicate anyone’s work—least of all our grant partners—and yet we saw great potential in the tools.
A Living, Learning Policy
Our AI policy is iterative and grounded in learning. We review it bi-annually, if not more frequently. Because of our Approachability value, any team member can bring forward a tool for us to test and review for security concerns. We vet it for usefulness and basic security (although, let’s be honest, we’re skeptical that any tool is truly “secure”), and if it passes muster, it gets added to our approved list.
Case Example: Oral Grant Reporting
A recent update to our policy came from our use of oral grant reporting. Grant partners have the option to provide their report through a conversation rather than in a written narrative form. The Program Officer records the notes from the meeting in our grants system, then shares that report with the grant partner for approval. Staff were finding it challenging to capture notes while actively engaging in the conversation.
We explored several notetaking tools to assist with this process, and after testing multiple options, we landed on Otter.ai. Because of our values, particularly Grace and Approachability, we built in some safeguards for using the tool.
- Recordings are automatically deleted after 60 days.
- We ask permission of the participants before using the tool.
- Notes are shared only with those who were present at the meeting.
Start Small and Stay Curious
If you’re just getting started, try identifying one task AI could assist with, for instance, summarizing a long research report. Keep it small and low-stakes and see what you learn. Or ask it a question. My first question to ChapGPT was “What AI platforms can help me analyze data?” It then provided a list of apps and resources that we tested and vetted, ultimately landing on Power BI.
Equity and Ethics Matter Too
Of course, we also recognize the need to consider equity, access, and ethical implications of these tools. That’s part of the learning journey too, and why our values matter so much. For example, we haven’t used grants data in ChatGPT. If and when we do, we’ll update our policy to clearly disclose our intent and outline our security protocols to our partners. We’re also exploring ways to bring AI tools to our grant partners. Our learning in this landscape is ongoing, and we’re committed to sharing what we discover along the way.
Final Thoughts: Values Make AI Less Intimidating
AI is an evolving landscape, one I embrace, but don’t rely on. It’s a tool, like any other, that can support our work. The more comfortable we become using it, the more we realize we are (still) smarter than AI. When you approach it with curiosity and a strong sense of your values, it feels less intimidating—just another useful addition to your toolbox.
Note: This document was edited with assistance from an internal GPT, including grammar and content suggestions, which were subsequently reviewed and adapted by the author for accuracy and relevance.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Exponent Philanthropy.
Insightful post, Megan. Thank you for sharing your approach to AI and the tools you’ve vetted and found helpful. Just the other day I had a grantee ask if funders could tell they used AI to help craft funding requests and if it would be seen as a negative! I use AI to improve my writing and encourage others to start there. Next I’ll try notetaking/summarizing thanks to the nudge from this blog.
Great perspective. We’ve also seen that when nonprofits start their AI journey with values like simplicity and accessibility it makes the first steps feel manageable and builds trust across the organization. At Lewis Design Works we focus on practical, human-centered AI tools that ease repetitive tasks without replacing the human connection at the heart of the mission. The Farash Foundation’s example really underscores how important that balance is.