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Before You Hand the Wheel to AI, Know Where You're Going! And, a special invite!

Long ago, when I was in college, I drove from Buffalo to Michigan to visit my uncle. I was excited to see his family, but even more excited to spend time with my grandparents, who were visiting from New York.


While I was there, my uncle pulled out his brand-new and very swanky, camcorder. For the first time in his life, my brilliant, sophisticated, MIT-graduate grandfather saw himself on a television screen. He was mesmerized… and maybe just a little unsettled.


In 2025, that was the first time I dropped a letter into ChatGPT just to check spelling and grammar. I was fascinated and, if I’m honest, a little thrown off too.


Artificial intelligence promises to stretch a nonprofit’s capacity in ways we could barely imagine even a few years ago. 


But without thoughtful leadership, it can also undermine the trust, equity, and mission-focus organizations have worked so hard to build.


The excitement over AI is easy to understand. Nonprofits are constantly being asked to do more with less. When a tool suddenly promises to multiply a small team’s capacity, it’s hard not to feel hopeful.


But the unease is real too, because nonprofit work is not just about productivity. It’s about relationships. It’s about accountability. It’s about trust. And when AI is used carelessly, all three can be compromised.


The nonprofit sector has always been built on scrappy innovation, and that’s often one of our greatest strengths. But treating AI the same way you’d test-drive a new scheduling app or donor platform is a mistake. The stakes are simply higher.


If a project management tool fails, you switch systems.


If an AI tool drafts a fundraising email that sounds nothing like your organization, generates inaccurate information for a foundation proposal, or mishandles sensitive client data, the consequences are real: reputationally, ethically, and sometimes legally.


That’s why preparation matters.


Getting ready for AI means doing the hard work before adoption, not after a problem surfaces.

The most important question isn’t “Can AI do this?”

The better question is:“Should we use AI for this, and does the way we’re using it reflect who we are as an organization?”


Your mission: to serve as the filter.


And that also means being honest about what AI cannot replace.

  • It cannot replace relationships built over years in a community.It cannot replace judgment shaped by lived experience.

  • And it cannot replace accountability — the kind that exists when a human being makes a decision and can explain why.


Those things are not inefficiencies to automate away.They are often the very heart of nonprofit work.


One of the clearest lessons from organizations navigating AI thoughtfully is this: human oversight is non-negotiable.

Organizations need clear review processes before deploying these tools. 

Who approves AI-generated content? 

Which users require additional scrutiny? 


Those conversations matter.

And they should evolve as the technology evolves.

None of this is an argument against AI.


The opportunity is real.

AI can help organizations reach more donors, analyze data they’ve never had time to fully explore, and reduce administrative burdens that pull staff away from mission-driven work. Used thoughtfully, these tools can create breathing room for organizations already stretched beyond capacity.


But opportunity always comes with responsibility.


Responsibility to staff, to be transparent about how these tools affect their work.Responsibility to communities, to ensure AI does not introduce new forms of bias or erode trust.And responsibility to mission, to make sure technology serves the purpose, not the other way around.


The organizations that will get this right are not necessarily the ones who move the fastest.

They will be the ones who move thoughtfully.The ones willing to ask hard questions.The ones willing to include diverse voices in the conversation.The ones willing to admit what they do not yet know.


And honestly, that kind of careful, values-driven leadership is exactly what the nonprofit sector has always done best.


Curious about where to begin?


Join Team Kat & Mouse for our upcoming webinar, The ABC’s of AI, where we’ll break down artificial intelligence in practical, nonprofit-friendly terms. 



We’ll explore how organizations are using AI today, where the opportunities — and risks — really are, and how to approach these tools thoughtfully while staying grounded in your mission and values.


Whether you’re AI-curious, cautiously optimistic, or already experimenting with new tools, this conversation is designed to help nonprofit leaders move forward with confidence.




 
 
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