Home / Blog / AI use policy

AI · governance

Your nonprofit needs an AI policy — here's a simple one

By the Ember team · August 12, 2026

The short version

If your staff or volunteers use AI — and they do — you need a short policy that says what's okay and what isn't. It doesn't have to be long or lawyerly. Here's a plain one you can adopt this week.

Why a small org needs this

People are already using AI to draft emails, grant sections, and social posts. A one-page policy protects two things you can't afford to lose: donor and client privacy, and your credibility. It also gives a nervous board a clear answer to "so what are our rules on this?"

What a good policy covers

A copy-and-edit template

AI Use Policy — [Organization Name]

Adopted [date] · Review annually

  1. Purpose. We use AI tools to save time on routine work so we can focus on our mission. This policy keeps that use safe and honest.
  2. Approved uses. Staff and volunteers may use AI to draft, summarize, rewrite, and brainstorm — for example, first drafts of emails, reports, and posts.
  3. Privacy. Do not enter donor, client, beneficiary, or employee personal information into any public AI tool. When in doubt, leave it out.
  4. Accuracy. AI can be confidently wrong. A person must review and verify any AI-assisted content — especially legal, tax, financial, or program facts — before it is used or sent.
  5. Human sign-off. Nothing AI-generated is published or sent without a staff member reviewing and approving it.
  6. Transparency. We don't present AI-written material as personal testimony or fabricate quotes, stories, or data.
  7. Questions. Direct questions to [name / role].

Edit to fit your org, then bring it to your board for adoption.

How to adopt it

  1. Fill in the blanks

    Name, date, and your point person. Cut anything that doesn't apply.

  2. Share it with everyone who uses AI

    Staff and volunteers both. It only works if people have read it.

  3. Put it on the board agenda

    A quick vote to adopt, and a note to review it once a year as the tools change.

The Ember tool for this

Ember Board

Keep policies, agendas, and board votes in one place — so adopting and reviewing something like this takes minutes, not a scramble.

Common questions

Does a small nonprofit really need an AI policy?

If anyone on your team uses AI, yes — even a one-pager. It protects donor privacy and your credibility, and gives your board a clear answer on your rules.

Is this template legal advice?

No. It's a plain starting point to adapt. For anything high-stakes, have a professional review your final policy.

How often should we update it?

Once a year is plenty for most small orgs, or sooner if the tools you use change significantly.

One calm place for all of it

Ember brings your programs, grants, volunteers, and donors into one place — built only for nonprofits, with a free plan and no credit card.

No credit card · No trial clock · Unlimited users included

Keep reading

Where AI actually saves timeKeeping donor data safe

Sources: general nonprofit governance and privacy practice. This is a starting template, not legal advice — adapt it to your organization and jurisdiction. Verified August 2026.

General information, not legal advice.