Executive Takeaway: AI is already reshaping how people engage with Not for Profits, raising expectations around access, personalisation and service while creating new governance, privacy and inclusion risks that leaders need to respond to deliberately.
Last week, I had the privilege of sitting on the VolunteeringACT leadership conference panel on cybersecurity, privacy, and AI. We touched on the technology shifts already reshaping the Not for Profit sector.
Here are a few AI-driven trends I see that are already shaping the sector and will continue to do so:
1) Consumer expectations are now setting the bar
What people can do at home is what they expect to do at work or when engaging with your organisation. This is raising expectations across staff, volunteers, donors and members, and making transformation both more urgent and more complex.
2) Voice to text is quietly becoming a major enabler
This is one of the strongest areas of adoption I am seeing. It is improving accessibility for ageing users and changing how frontline staff capture information. Tools that make it easier to speak rather than type are removing real barriers.
3) Personalisation is no longer optional
People expect you to know who they are, what they care about and how they have engaged with you before. Generic communication is increasingly out of step with user expectations.
4) People are turning to AI for advice and support
From coaching to health information, more individuals are arriving at services with pre-formed views based on what they have found online. This creates both opportunity and risk for service-based organisations.
5) Security is becoming a prohibitive factor for non-technical users
Multi-factor authentication and other controls are essential, but they are also creating barriers to essential services, like banking, for people who struggle with digital tools. This is a growing inclusion issue.
6) You should assume everything is being recorded
Whether through note-taking tools or wearable technology, the idea of “private” conversations is shifting. This has implications for governance, risk and behaviour.
7) AI agents are emerging, but adoption is still light
AI agents were also brought up during the panel. There is growing use in areas like website chat and support. But compared to other use cases, my experience is that adoption is slow as many Not for Profits are still wary of privacy, hallucinations and reputation risk.
None of this is particularly futuristic. Most are already here.
The challenge is not whether these trends will impact your organisation, but how deliberately you respond to them.
I’m curious to know how your organisation is responding to these trends. And… are you seeing others?
I help associations with software investment decisions regularly, including around AI tools. If you need some help, let me know.
P.S. If you found this article helpful, you might want to read these too:
• How the speed of IT change is putting your NFP at greater risk
• 5 Risks of AI Adoption in Not for Profits
Tammy Ven Dange is a former charity CEO, Association President, Not for Profit Board Member and IT Executive. Today, she helps NFPs with strategic IT decisions, especially around major investments and risk mitigation.
