AI is maturing quickly and is becoming part of how organizations work every day. Generative AI adoption is growing even faster than smartphones and tablets did, which means your staff, volunteers, and partners are increasingly familiar with it. For nonprofits, AI can help you: - Streamline routine processes so people can focus on mission work. - Do more with limited funds and staff capacity. - Reduce burnout by offloading repetitive, low‑value tasks. - Improve the quality and speed of content creation, research, and planning. Microsoft’s work with nonprofits shows that many organizations are struggling with productivity and innovation. Staff report too many or inefficient meetings, heavy administrative work (note‑taking, data entry, scheduling), and difficulty getting started on new projects. At the same time, nonprofit leaders and workers see clear potential in AI to: - Assist with necessary but repetitive tasks. - Reduce time spent on low‑value activities. - Boost productivity and accelerate the pace of work. Because AI capabilities are being built into tools many nonprofits already use (such as Microsoft 365 apps), you don’t need to be a large organization or have a big technology budget to start. You can begin with targeted use cases—like summarizing meetings, drafting emails, or preparing first drafts of reports—and expand as your team gains confidence.

Nonprofit leaders and staff are optimistic about AI but also raise important concerns: security risks, the learning curve, and whether AI decisions can be trusted. A significant share of people are comfortable with AI taking on more administrative work, and many believe AI tools can be trusted in the workplace—but they want clear safeguards. Microsoft’s approach for nonprofits focuses on: 1. Responsible and secure AI by design - Microsoft and OpenAI have a strategic partnership focused on responsibly advancing and democratizing AI. - Microsoft builds AI into its products with enterprise‑grade security, privacy, and compliance controls. - Tools like Microsoft Security Copilot use generative AI to help security teams detect and respond to threats more effectively. 2. Low‑risk, practical starting points - You can explore AI within the Microsoft tools you already use, such as Microsoft Copilot in Bing and Microsoft 365 Copilot in Teams, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint. - These experiences keep your organization’s data within your tenant and apply existing permissions, so people only see what they are allowed to see. 3. Education and upskilling - The Microsoft Digital Skills Center for Nonprofits (in partnership with TechSoup) offers an AI learning track tailored to nonprofit scenarios, including responsible AI practices. - LinkedIn provides free AI‑related courses and a Career Essentials in Generative AI program, plus several professional certificates. As you get started, it helps to: - Clarify your goals for AI (for example, reducing admin time, improving constituent support, or speeding up reporting). - Assess your current data strategy and infrastructure. - Align leadership, staff, and your board on priorities and guardrails. - Plan how you will measure AI’s impact and how you will upskill your workforce. This combination of built‑in safeguards, nonprofit‑specific guidance, and accessible training can help you adopt AI in a way that fits your culture and risk tolerance.

Microsoft offers a range of AI tools that nonprofits can use to improve productivity, fundraising, and service delivery, often starting from the apps you already know. Key options include: 1. Microsoft Copilot (web and search) - Accessible via copilot.microsoft.com, Bing, Edge, and Windows. - Helps you ask questions, research topics, summarize webpages, and draft content. - Can generate images using Microsoft Designer and DALL·E 3. - Provides answers with source citations, which supports transparency and trust. 2. Microsoft 365 Copilot (in Teams, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and more) - Works inside everyday productivity apps used by many nonprofits. - Can summarize meetings, draft emails and documents, create presentations, and analyze content. - Recent Microsoft research shows that users report: - Higher productivity. - Faster creative processes. - An easier time starting first drafts. - Less time spent processing email. 3. Copilot for Dynamics 365 and related solutions - Copilot for Dynamics 365 and automation tools help streamline operations across different functions. - Microsoft 365 Copilot for Sales supports fundraisers by saving time, helping them personalize outreach, and strengthening constituent relationships. - Microsoft 365 Copilot for Service helps contact center agents respond more effectively and improve constituent experiences. 4. Low‑code and developer tools - Microsoft Copilot Studio (formerly Power Virtual Agents) lets you build and customize your own copilots and chatbots with low‑code or no‑code tools. - Example: The nonprofit Seguro Project used this platform to build a cost‑effective, 24/7 chatbot that answers frequently asked questions for domestic violence support organizations. They can set up, deploy, and train partner organizations to self‑serve in a matter of weeks. - Microsoft 365 Copilot in Power Apps helps developers and power users build apps more quickly using natural language. - GitHub Copilot provides AI‑generated code suggestions in many programming languages, helping technical teams deliver solutions faster. 5. Azure AI Studio and advanced scenarios - Azure AI Studio gives developers access to OpenAI models and other advanced AI services to build, test, and deploy custom AI solutions. - This is useful when you want to create tailored copilots or applications that address specific mission needs. In practice, many nonprofits start by: - Trying Microsoft Copilot in Bing for research and brainstorming. - Piloting Microsoft 365 Copilot with a small group to reduce busywork and improve content creation. - Exploring Copilot Studio to build simple chatbots for common constituent questions. From there, you can expand into fundraising, service delivery, and custom solutions as your team’s skills and comfort with AI grow.