In our survey, staff are already using AI without any organization support or guidance for: reading and comparing long documents; writing resumes, grant proposals or technical letters to government agencies; chatting with AI to role play HR training scenarios or to brainstorm social media posts; researching using a more conversational approach; analyzing data in plain English, asking AI to clean up spreadsheets, create charts, etc.
Exponential AI
“Exponential AI” represents big “change everything” projects like self-driving cars, cancer drug discovery, or standalone software bots that would mentor youth or run hotlines. Right now, exponential impact requires working with dedicated technologists to find the right use cases, identify and clean large data sets, and build new tools. Even when organizations have the infrastructure and interest to pursue Exponential projects, nonprofit staff are resistant or unsure.
Incremental AI
“Incremental AI” has more modest goals, less risk, and is capable of being immediately useful to everyday staff. Its goal is to use low-cost, existing off-the-shelf products such as ChatGPT just as we use Gmail or Excel, to help our colleagues eliminate the least favorite, most repetitive elements of their jobs and get more done in service of clients and mission. Nonprofit staff are much more open to engaging with new AI tools through an Incremental approach. Incremental is meaningful in itself – but is also a necessary precursor to Exponential AI in many nonprofits.
A Sprint To Basic AI Literacy
On our proprietary five-point measurement scale of AI Literacy a “1” is someone who only uses AI when it’s invisible (eg. Netflix recommendations) and a “5” is a sophisticated AI team leader who is bringing Exponential projects to their organization. Most individual nonprofit staff will see significant benefit at “3” – regular use of generative AI in their daily workflows to drive 10%+ increases in efficiency, improve equity, and fight burnout.
At the organizational level, the tipping point is to have 50% of staff - at all levels and departments - reach an AI Literacy level of 3.
The goals of the AI for Nonprofits Sprint are clear and measurable. Using pre/post surveys and engagement data, we will bring 5,000 nonprofit staff from 100 nonprofits to baseline AI literacy by Spring 2025. This will measurably add capacity and fight staff burnout in a sector that is woefully under capacity.
Starting from the Fall 2024, at every single Member nonprofit we:
Administer our baseline AI Use Survey to understand where each org is starting
If needed, provide templates to support the establishment of a Placeholder AI Policy.
Provide a one-time, 90 minute, kickoff training to all staff: Getting Started with AI
Support a 4-6 month facilitated peer-learning program, including:
- 10 – 10% of staff on an AI Learning Team
- Team must have access to a paid “frontier” level model of AI. The AI Sprint can distribute 5-10 free licenses, depending on Member size.
- Team members pledge to try AI for real work 1-2 hours / week
- AI Sprint staff host facilitated peer-learning Zoom calls monthly, by staff functional area (fundraisers talk to fundraisers, child care staff to child care staff, etc)
- Online video library of proven use cases, by AI Learning Team members
Funders and Field Partners support the Sprint with resources and expertise:
● Kevin Barenblat, Co-Founder and President, Fast Forward
● Lisa Pilar Cowan, Robert Sterling Clark Foundation (individual)
● Lauri Goldkind, Professor, Fordham University (individual)
● AiLun Ku, EGF Accelerator
● Lisette Nieves, President, Fund for the City of New York
● Joshua Peskay, 3CPO, Roundtable Technologies
● Jake Porway, Decoded Futures
● Andrew Rasiej, Co-Founder, Civic Hall
● Arbor Rising
● OpenAI / ChatGPT (in-kind donor of free AI licenses)
AI Sprint Members participate in our programming and represent 15,000+ nonprofit staff:
- David Adams, CEO, The Urban Assembly
- Grace Bonilla, President and CEO, United Way of New York City
- Kathleen Brady-Stepien, President / CEO, Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies
- Courtney Bryan, Center for Justice Innovation
- Anthony Crowell, Dean, New York Law School
- Michelle Jackson, Executive Director, Human Services Council of New York
- Gregory Morris, CEO, NYC Employment and Training Coalition
- Vina Morris, Director – Technology Innovation and Strategy, Vera Institute of Justice
- Ron Richter, CEO and ED, JCCA
- Lisa Rivera, President and CEO, New York Legal Assistance Group
- Jessica Santana, CEO, America On Tech
- Susan Stamler, Executive Director, United Neighborhood Houses
- Chris Watler, Executive VP, Center for Employment Opportunities
- Michelle Yanche, CEO, Good Shepherd Services
- Nonprofit New York
- SCO Family of Services
- Selfhelp Community Services, Inc
Opportunities & Responsibilities
Leaders
Named Leaders of Partner and Member Organization will:
- Attend a virtual AI 101 60 minute training session to support their own path to AI Literacy
- Endorse and promote the Sprint where possible, including within their own organizations
- Be available to Sprint leadership for 1:1 advisory conversations
- Receive full promotion and recognition as supporters of the AI for Nonprofits Sprint
Member Organizations
AI Sprint Member Organizations will:
- Identify at least one staff person to serve as liaison to the Sprint.
- Endorse and promote the Sprint where possible, including among peer networks
- Engage their own staff on a path toward Basic AI Literacy. This includes the 4 steps of the Member program: running the baseline survey, implementing a placeholder policy, offering our free training, and establishing the AI Learning Team
- Receive full promotion and recognition as Members of the AI for Nonprofits Sprint
Our Leadership
The Fund for the City of New York (FCNY) is a core infrastructure nonprofit serving the New York community since its establishment by the Ford Foundation in 1968. It offers a wide range of programs that support the government and nonprofit sector in NYC and beyond.
FCNY’s Cash Flow Loan Program has made 17,000 bridge loans totaling $1.45 billion. Its fiscal sponsorship work supports more than 80 quasi-independent Partner Projects. And the organization’s initiatives extend beyond New York, aiding communities globally by adapting its innovative solutions to local contexts. FCNY also places graduate students in community planning roles and celebrates civic excellence through its prestigious Sloan Awards.
Rich Leimsider is the Entrepreneur-In-Residence at FCNY and the Director of the Nonprofits for AI Sprint. After introducing the concept of Incremental AI for nonprofits, he has developed and hosted in-person and online nonprofit AI events engaging 700+ staff from 200+ NYC nonprofit organizations. He is certified in prompt engineering from Vanderbilt University and AI Essentials from Google.
Previously, Rich founded the PSLF.nyc Campaign – helping 70,000 New Yorkers access $4.6 billion in student loan relief. Earlier he served for five years as Executive Director of Safe Passage Project, a nonprofit organization that provides free lawyers to child refugees. He created and led programs at nonprofits including the Aspen Institute and Echoing Green. Rich is a graduate of Williams College, Harvard Business School, and NYC public schools and has most of an MSW from the University of Texas. He serves on the boards of Nonprofit New York and myAgro and lives in Brooklyn with his family.