Philanthropy’s AI moment: A chance to transform giving for good

Philanthropy stands at a crossroads. Vilas Dhar of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation shows how donors can guide AI toward equity and transformation.

Every significant leap forward in human progress—in public health, education, digital transformation—has relied upon forward-thinking civil society actors willing to lead, build resilience, and steer toward just outcomes. Today, artificial intelligence (AI) offers the next great leap: the chance to use technology to create solutions that anticipate crises, strengthen communities, and transform systems. Yet, realizing that vision may depend on those who give—and those who choose to give smarter.

So far, the story of technological transformation has been narrated by private sector companies, with individuals and communities relegated to the role of consumer. However, individual donors hold a unique power: Being agile, connecting the dots across causes and fostering collaboration in frontline organizations. With this power, donors can build new technological capacity and steer the creation of AI for the public good at scale. The AI revolution isn’t a call for more giving—it’s a call for more innovative, more connected giving. AI can finally fulfill philanthropy’s promise of justice, equity, and human dignity, if we choose to lead.

Focus AI investment where it matters most

AI isn’t theoretical; it’s already solving real problems for real people. Investing in AI solutions means amplifying impact where it matters most. Consider these examples:

• Climate resilience: In frontline communities, AI tools like predictive modeling can anticipate illegal resource extraction, floods, droughts, and wildfires before they devastate lives. For instance, Digital Democracy has collaborated with Indigenous Earth Defenders to create the Earth Defenders Toolkit, using AI to predict and stop illegal logging and poaching on ancestral lands, as tools like Mapeo allow communities to map environmental damage and respond in real time. 
• Health care access: In regions with limited medical services, AI-driven platforms are revolutionizing diagnosis, treatment, and care delivery. Globally, over 40 million people have benefited from Khushi Baby’s AI-driven health platform, and it is now used by over 70,000 government health workers. The platform helps track maternal and child health outcomes, ensure timely immunizations, and improve public health surveillance. Supporting these innovations empowers health workers with data-driven insights to save lives.
• Education equity: AI-powered tools can personalize learning, helping to close literacy gaps for children in underserved communities. Organizations like Girl Effect are developing AI-driven chatbots, such as Big Sis in South Africa and Bol Behen in India, to provide girls with vital information on health and education. These tools adapt to the needs of their users, ensuring the right information reaches those who need it most. 

These aren’t experiments. These are solutions that grantees are deploying today. AI amplifies their capacity to deliver impact, and your investment ensures they have the tools to succeed.

How donors drive AI collaboration

Our portfolio of nonprofits isn’t just a list of causes—it’s an ecosystem of potential collaboration. As an individual donor, you can connect nonprofits to digital innovators, a role that large foundations often overlook as they focus on scaling individual solutions. 

Imagine introducing a climate nonprofit to a digital health group building AI-driven data tools, so you can foster cross-pollination of ideas and best practices. What could they learn from each other about AI adoption, data ethics, or community engagement—and what insights might they deliver at the intersection of climate and health? How might they share infrastructure or advocate together for ethical AI policies? These connections happen when donors like you see the bigger picture and act.

3 practical steps for AI-driven giving

This isn’t a call for abstract enthusiasm. It’s a call for action. Here are three ways to get started:

1. Fund AI capacity for your grantees

Many nonprofits are eager to adopt AI but lack the technical expertise, infrastructure, or resources to get started. Flexible grants for AI adoption can fund training, data specialists, or infrastructure upgrades. According to the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, nearly 80% of nonprofits still lack an organization-wide policy for AI usage. Consider funding a pilot program to explore how AI can streamline operations or amplify impact—for instance, by helping a food insecurity nonprofit use AI to analyze distribution patterns and identify gaps in service. You could also sponsor fellowships or secondments for AI and data experts to work within nonprofits, helping them build in-house expertise without a long-term financial commitment.

2. Support nonprofit leaders and foster shared learning

Nonprofit boards and CEOs are often overwhelmed by the complexity of AI and data topics. As a donor, you can translate these concepts, convene learning opportunities, and multiply resources. Organize community-building learning events, such as by bringing climate-focused nonprofits together to understand how predictive models can identify risks and improve disaster preparedness. Host regular convenings where grantees share challenges, successes, and strategies for AI adoption. Fund board and leadership training to demystify AI concepts and connect grantees to AI experts, tools, and frameworks. These shared spaces build a network of empowered, AI-literate organizations ready to support each other and grow together.

3. Invest in AI solutions, not just programs

Think beyond direct service delivery and fund the development of shared AI tools and platforms that benefit multiple organizations. An AI-powered grant application assistant could reduce the administrative burden for smaller nonprofits, while an analytics dashboard could help grantees track and visualize their impact. Supporting open-source AI initiatives can make powerful tools accessible to organizations that can’t afford proprietary solutions. Look for cross-portfolio opportunities where one AI investment solves challenges faced by multiple grantees—for example, an AI-driven analytics tool that serves both health care and education nonprofits. Such investments can help build an AI-literate, connected, and empowered social sector.

These are practical opportunities that are easy to scale, easy to reproduce, and within your reach, and that can transform your impact as an individual donor.

Seize the moment

Philanthropy stands at the threshold of an AI-driven future. This moment offers more than the promise of efficiency or scale—it offers the chance to reimagine the very nature of giving. AI is not just a tool to do what we’ve always done slightly better. It’s an opportunity to transform how we understand problems, anticipate needs, and connect solutions to the communities they serve.

With their agility and vision, individual donors are uniquely positioned to lead this transformation. By embracing AI and fostering collaboration, you’re not just responding to challenges, you’re shaping the systems that determine what’s possible. By working together to embrace AI, we can build systems that prioritize equity, justice, and collaboration—turning isolated efforts into a network of shared progress. We can make sure that AI doesn’t just reflect the priorities of profit and power but also the values of justice, equity, and dignity.

This is not about following the future. It’s about guiding it. With intentionality, curiosity, and courage, you can ensure that the AI revolution becomes a revolution for good. The tools are ready. The moment is now. The choice—and the potential—is yours.

The views and opinions of third party content providers are solely those of the author and not Fidelity Charitable. Fidelity Charitable does not guarantee the accuracy of the information provided by such third parties.