NonprofitNext

NonprofitNext Logo featuring gold font in all caps that says NonprofitNext, People First AI. The letter N appears in large gold font on the left.
Menu
Subscribe

Category: Mission

The AI Companies Are Talking About the Safety Net. Nonprofits Should Be in That Conversation.

Graphic with a dark blue background and the NonprofitNext logo in orange in the lower right corner. A quote is centered in the graphic with the text, "You have a relationship with the people most affected that no tech company can claim."

Last week, OpenAI released a policy document titled “Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age: Ideas to Keep People First.” If you work in the nonprofit sector, it is worth a close read.
The document calls for a public wealth fund to share AI’s economic gains more broadly, fast-response safety net programs to support workers who lose jobs to automation, and investment in job training to help people find their footing as industries change. The document also calls for major investment in the electrical grid to power all of this technology. That will affect communities too, particularly those that host large data centers or deal with rising energy costs. But for this post, we are focusing on the workforce and safety net pieces, because that is where nonprofits are most directly positioned to act.

What “People-First AI” Means For The People You Serve

A graphic showing a photo on the left showing the silhouette of a person reaching to open a door to go outside. On the right, the graphic has a navy blue background with white text that says, "What People-First AI Means For The People You Serve."

Every nonprofit organization exists because someone, somewhere, needs support that they are struggling to provide for themselves. A family navigating a housing crisis. A young person who needs a mentor. An individual living with a disability. A community working to recover from something.

What “People-First AI” Means For Your Staff

A graphic with a navy blue background and white text on the left that says, "What People-First AI Means For Your Staff." On the right, a photo shows a female social worker meeting with a family including a man, woman, and a child.

You didn’t take this job because you wanted to spend your afternoons filling out forms.

You took it because you wanted to make a difference. Because the work matters. Because the people you serve deserve someone in their corner. And yet, if you are honest about how your days actually look, a significant portion of your time goes to working on things that have nothing to do with why you showed up in the first place. Timesheets. Case notes. Progress reports. Data entry. Email after email after email. Yes, all of these are part of the job, but they take you away from what is most important, the people.

What “People-First AI” Means For Your Leadership Team

A graphic with a photo on the left showing two people having a conversation. A man with dark hair wearing a light blue shirt and a woman wearing a pale blue blouse with a black sweater. The image fades to a navy blue background with white text that says, What People-First AI Means For Your Leadership Team.

During your board meeting last night, someone asked whether the organization is being responsible about using AI. You recently learned that one of your staff members was using AI to help write clear case notes while another shared they are wondering whether AI might impact their job in the future.

What “People-First AI” Means For Your Board

A photo of four individuals sitting at a table with a laptop and coffee cups in front of them. There are two men and two women. The image fades to a dark blue on the left with white writing that says, What "People-First AI" Means For Your Board.

“Should we be using AI?” One of your board members has read an article, attended a conference, or talked with someone from another organization that just launched something new. And the board member wants to know where the organization stands.

What Does “People First AI” Mean for Your Organization?

A group of 10 people sitting around a rectangular table that has a phone conference device sitting in the middle of it. A couple of people were wearing suits, but most people are in business casual clothing. They are listening attentively to a person sitting at the head of the table.

You have heard a lot about artificial intelligence over the past year or two as it has moved into the workplace. Some people are excited. Others are worried. Many are simply overwhelmed and unsure if and how it can be useful for them. In the nonprofit sector, those feelings come with additional questions about mission and ethics, the impact on staff, and the people you serve.

Welcome to NonprofitNext: Where Mission Meets What’s Possible

Graphic with a dark blue background. Orange text on left says Welcome to NonprofitNext. The right side of the graphic shows a photo of Larry wearing a white shirt and black jacket. he has brown/gray hair and the background is the same dark blue.

‘ve spent over 25 years working in the nonprofit sector. I started as a volunteer, got hired and worked on the front lines in service delivery for several years, and eventually led organizations at the executive level. Across all of these experiences, one thing stayed constant: the people doing this work genuinely care. They didn’t choose the work for the salary. They chose it for the mission and to make a difference.