The Big Story

A new Fast Forward report gives us a useful distinction. Some nonprofits use AI inside their core services. Others use it to support operations, such as drafting or data work. In a spring 2026 survey of 119 AI-powered nonprofits across 20 countries, 92% said AI made service delivery more efficient and 55% said it made personalized services at scale possible. The findings are self-reported and do not represent the whole nonprofit field. Read the report findings

The same report shows why access is not the whole story. Ninety percent of respondents who were piloting or scaling an AI solution said they had a plan to scale, but only 24% said they had the resources to carry it out. For smaller organizations, this is a reminder to treat training, data cleanup, and human review as part of the work—not as extras after launch. See the full report

Warren’s Take

We do not need every team to build an AI product. We do need every team to understand the small number of AI tasks it has already adopted. Start with the people affected by the work. Ask what a good result looks like, what data is off limits, and who can stop the process. That is slower than copying a prompt, but it is faster than repairing trust later.

Story #2: Adoption is ahead of governance

The 2026 State of Nonprofit AI: Adoption and Governance Report from NTEN and The Bridgespan Group surveyed 917 respondents. A summary of the report says 98% use AI in some capacity, but 57% of nonprofit executives report no dedicated AI budget, 37% say staff are not trained on available tools, and 58% say no AI roadmap exists. Only 40% report written guidance on what data can be used with AI tools, and 38% report written guidance on responsible use. Read the report overview

Warren’s Take

These numbers are not a reason to shame teams. They are a reason to make the next step small. A two-page policy that people can follow is more useful than a long policy that sits unread. Name one owner, one reviewer, and one date to revisit the rule.

Story #3: Training is moving closer to the work

Grow with Google says its “Make AI Work for You” workshops visited small-business owners in five states along Route 66 during August. The workshops worked with local chambers and Small Business Development Centers. Google also says its AI Professional Certificate training remains available at no cost to U.S. small businesses. Read Google’s account

Warren’s Take

Training is most useful when it ends with a real workflow. A nonprofit can borrow the same idea without copying a vendor: choose one routine task, practice with sample data, then document the human check. Teams with more time can test several tools. Teams with less time should narrow the task and ask a peer for help.

Practical Tip of the Week

Make a one-page AI readiness card. Write five lines: the task, the approved tool, the data boundary, the human reviewer, and the stop rule. Add two alternatives: the manual process for sensitive cases and a second tool or shared system for comparison. Review the card after 30 days. If no one can explain what changed, the workflow is not ready to expand.

By The Numbers

Fast Forward reports 92% of surveyed AI-powered nonprofits saw more efficient service delivery, 55% saw personalized services at scale, and 24% had the resources to execute their scaling plan. These are survey findings from a selected group, not a prediction for every organization. Source and methods

Curated by Warren Wiggins | Produced with Perplexity Computer