58% of nonprofits are using AI as part of their communication. Peter Panapento shared best practices when creating an AI policy for grantmaking organizations. A good policy should reflect the needs of the staff, not simply a directive from leadership. Make sure everyone understands what AI can and can't do. Provide defined terms related to intellectual property and third-party information. Encourage regular and creative use of approved AI tools by empowering your team with use cases and guidelines. Provide ongoing training for all staff. Review your policy regularly to adapt to changes in use cases, tools and practices. Turn your sights on an AI policy for your grantees.
Organizations using or exploring AI-enabled tools in grantmaking processes need to create an AI policy that represents their mission and evolves as the tools change.
Initially, when creating an AI policy for your organization, create a working committee from different parts of the organization, or find ways to survey your staff to gather information about how people are using AI tools now.
It is important to give a clear understanding of what AI-enabled tools can do and what they cannot do and should set the foundation for a common understanding of the terms that will be used.
Your AI policy should also be clear on expectations for the use of these tools and highlight the different ways they can encounter AI tools and how they are different.
Encourage regular and creative use of approved AI tools, empowering your team with use cases and guidelines to incorporate AI-enhanced tools into their daily work.
Conducting an organization-wide training is essential to make sure all staff members understand and can effectively use the AI policy.
The best practices for an AI policy should also shift over time, so establish a process for updating and adapting your AI policy in alignment with these changes.
Once an AI policy has been created for internal use, organizations should turn their sights on an AI policy for their grantees.
Encourage innovation and continuous improvement by providing a clear pathway for staff to recommend new tools for evaluation.