Technology moves fast, but the world of Artificial Intelligence moves at a pace that can feel overwhelming for even the most tech-savvy nonprofit executive. At Community IT, we hear from nonprofit leaders every day who are curious about AI but wary of the hype, the security risks, and the time-consuming learning curve.
To help you navigate this transition with confidence, we are excited to announce a new weekly podcast series for 2026: Nonprofit AI, hosted by Carolyn Woodard. Listen here or wherever you listen to our Technology Topics podcast.
Every Tuesday, we’ll share 10 to 15 minutes of updates specifically curated for the nonprofit sector. Our goal isn’t to turn you into an AI expert overnight; it’s to provide the clear, actionable insights you need to make informed strategic decisions.
Whether you are an AI novice wondering how to catch up quickly, or an AI early adopter looking for a new tool you can use at your nonprofit, we hope you will join us each week for a quick update on what is going on in the world of nonprofits and AI—including current news stories, tips, definitions, use cases, and frameworks.
In our inaugural nonprofit AI podcast episode, Carolyn lays the groundwork for understanding what AI actually is and how to be using it safely. Here are the five key takeaways for nonprofit leaders:
Think of a Large Language Model (LLM) like a super-fast librarian who has read almost everything ever written. When you ask a question, the AI doesn’t “look up” a file; it predicts the next word in a sequence based on previous patterns. It processes your request into small “packets” of data (tokens) that are sent to massive datacenters. There, billions of mathematical calculations happen in milliseconds to return a response that sounds human. When you ask a question lots of people have asked, and which has a lot of information available, the output is bound to be more accurate than when you ask a very niche question.
You are likely already using AI daily, even if you haven’t opened a chatbot.
For nonprofit staff, data privacy is paramount. You should use the Enterprise versions of tools like Microsoft Copilot or Google Gemini (logging in with your work account) rather than free, public versions. This keeps your data “walled off,” ensuring your donor information or internal notes aren’t used to train public models or seen by anyone outside your organization. There are lots of reasons why your nonprofit should worry about using free AI tools.
While many nonprofits are still catching up on formal IT governance or employee handbooks, AI represents a unique moment to start documenting your “rules of the road.” You don’t need a 50-page document to begin, but you do need clear guidelines for your team on what data can be shared, who is responsible for fact-checking AI outputs, and how your organization discloses AI use. Taking this step now helps build a culture of security, even if you are still building out your broader organizational policies. Community IT has a downloadable template to get you started.
As a leader, your role is to focus on strategy and ethics, not the underlying code. It is perfectly professional to say, “I’m still evaluating how this tool fits our mission,” or “I need more information on the privacy implications before we proceed.”
We want this nonprofit AI podcast series to be a dialogue. If you have a question, a specific use case you’d like to share, or a topic you’d like us to cover, we want to hear from you:
AI for Nonprofits: What You Need to Know – In the Microsoft/TechSoup Digital Skills Center
AI Is Already in Your Nonprofit – Community IT Innovators
AI Suitability Kit for Nonprofits – NetHope
Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Nonprofits – The Nonprofit Alliance
Community IT has been serving nonprofits exclusively for twenty-five years. We offer Managed IT support services for nonprofits that want to outsource all or part of their IT support and hosted services. For a fixed monthly fee, we provide unlimited remote and on-site help desk support, proactive network management, and ongoing IT planning from a dedicated team of experts in nonprofit-focused IT. And our clients benefit from our IT Business Managers team who will work with you to plan your IT investments and technology roadmap if you don’t have an in-house IT Director.
We constantly research and evaluate new technology to ensure that you get cutting-edge solutions that are tailored to your organization, using standard industry tech tools that don’t lock you into a single vendor or consultant. And we don’t treat any aspect of nonprofit IT as if it is too complicated for you to understand. We started this nonprofit AI podcast series to involve you in the conversation and answer your questions on AI issues, ethics, and implications for your nonprofit.
We think your IT vendor should be able to explain everything without jargon or lingo. If you can’t understand your IT management strategy to your own satisfaction, keep asking your questions until you find an outsourced IT provider who will partner with you for well-managed IT.
If you’re ready to gain peace of mind about your IT support, let’s talk.
As advocates for using technology to work smarter, we’re practicing what we recommend. This article was drafted with the assistance of an AI tool, but the content was reviewed, edited, and finalized by a human editor to ensure accuracy and relevance.
Wednesday January 21st, 2026, at 3pm Eastern join our experts to explore trends in AI, cybersecurity, and essential IT for nonprofits.
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