AI for Nonprofits: 35+ Statistics for 2026

AI adoption in the nonprofit sector is now nearly universal but shallow: 92% of nonprofits use AI tools in some capacity, yet only 7% report major gains in organizational capability, and 76% still have no AI policy, according to 2025–2026 sector surveys.

This page collects verified, sourced statistics on how nonprofits, foundations, and the communities they serve are actually using AI. Every number links to its source and year — no estimates. Last updated June 2026. For the bigger picture, start with our guide to AI for nonprofits.

How many nonprofits use AI in 2026?

92% of nonprofits are using AI tools in some capacity, according to the 2026 Nonprofit AI Adoption Report from Virtuous and Fundraising.AI (2026), a survey of 346 nonprofits.
Almost two-thirds of foundations and nonprofits report their organization uses AI in its work, according to the Center for Effective Philanthropy’s AI With Purpose report (2025), which surveyed 215 foundation leaders and 451 nonprofit leaders.
81% of foundations report some degree of AI usage, but only 4% say AI is used systematically across the organization, per the Center for Effective Philanthropy’s AI With Purpose report (2025).
81% of nonprofits report using AI individually and ad hoc, without shared workflows, according to the 2026 Nonprofit AI Adoption Report from Virtuous and Fundraising.AI (2026).
Only 4% of nonprofits say they have documented, repeatable AI workflows, per the 2026 Nonprofit AI Adoption Report (2026).

What impact is AI actually having on nonprofits?

Only 7% of nonprofits report major improvements in organizational capability from AI, even as 92% use it, according to the 2026 Nonprofit AI Adoption Report from Virtuous and Fundraising.AI (2026).
Nearly four in five nonprofits (about 79%) report only small to moderate improvements from AI, per the 2026 Nonprofit AI Adoption Report (2026).
65% of nonprofits characterize their AI use as reactive and individual rather than strategic, according to the 2026 Nonprofit AI Adoption Report (2026).
35% of foundations and nonprofits use AI most for internal productivity, 31% for marketing and communications, and 24% for development and fundraising, per the Center for Effective Philanthropy’s AI With Purpose report (2025).

How are nonprofits using AI for fundraising and grant writing?

Only 4.5% of nonprofits use AI-powered smart donation forms, according to the 2025 Nonprofit Tech for Good survey (reported January 2026).
Just 2.3% of nonprofits use predictive AI to identify donors most likely to become mid-level or major donors, per the 2025 Nonprofit Tech for Good survey (2026).
Only 1.2% of nonprofits use agentic AI software for fundraising, according to the 2025 Nonprofit Tech for Good survey (2026).
82% of fundraisers say they are comfortable using AI for donor research, but 63% are unsure about using generative AI for donor communications because it feels less personal, per data compiled by Nonprofit Tech for Good (2025–2026).
30% of nonprofits say AI boosted their fundraising revenue in the past 12 months, according to fundraising data compiled by Nonprofit Tech for Good (2025–2026).
23% of foundations say they will not accept AI-generated grant applications, while 67% remain undecided and just 10% will accept them, per Candid data compiled by Nonprofit Tech for Good (2025–2026). See our guide to AI fundraising for nonprofits for how to use these tools responsibly.

What do nonprofits use generative AI for day to day?

The top three ways nonprofits use AI chatbots are checking grammar, spelling, and punctuation (53%), brainstorming headlines and subject lines (53%), and creating first drafts of content (39%), according to the Nonprofit Communications Trends Report, via Nonprofit Tech for Good (2025–2026).
57% of nonprofits using AI report ChatGPT is the tool they use most frequently, followed by Copilot (23%) and Gemini (14%), per the Charity Excellence Framework, via Nonprofit Tech for Good (2025–2026).
82% of nonprofits use AI informally or ad hoc rather than through a formal program, according to the 2025 AI Equity Project, via Nonprofit Tech for Good (2025–2026). Our roundup of the best AI tools for nonprofits breaks down where each tool fits.

How big is the nonprofit AI policy and governance gap?

76% of nonprofits have no AI policy at all, according to TechSoup and Tapp Network’s State of AI in Nonprofits 2025 report, based on more than 1,300 nonprofit professionals.
47% of nonprofits have no AI governance policy, according to the 2026 Nonprofit AI Adoption Report from Virtuous and Fundraising.AI (2026).
While 85.6% of nonprofits are exploring AI tools, only 24% have a formal AI strategy, per TechSoup and Tapp Network’s State of AI in Nonprofits 2025 report.
70% of nonprofit professionals are concerned about data privacy and security with generative AI, and 63% worry about accuracy, according to the Nonprofit Perspectives on Generative AI Report, via Nonprofit Tech for Good (2025–2026).

What is the nonprofit AI skills and training gap?

60% of nonprofits say they lack the in-house expertise to assess AI tools, and only 4% have an AI-specific training budget, according to the 2025 AI Equity Project, via Nonprofit Tech for Good (2025–2026).
Almost two-thirds of nonprofits and foundations report that none or just a few of their staff have a solid understanding of AI and its applications, per the Center for Effective Philanthropy’s AI With Purpose report (2025).
40% of nonprofits say no one in their organization is educated in AI, according to Google.org research, via Nonprofit Tech for Good (2025–2026).
75% of nonprofits believe AI can transform their marketing efforts, but only 25% have concrete ideas for how to apply it, per Google.org research, via Nonprofit Tech for Good (2025–2026).
69% of nonprofit marketers have not received formal AI training, according to the Nonprofit Perspectives on Generative AI Report, via Nonprofit Tech for Good (2025–2026).

How does the funding gap shape nonprofit AI adoption?

90% of foundation leaders report their foundations do not offer funding or non-monetary support for AI use to grantees, according to the Center for Effective Philanthropy’s AI With Purpose report (2025).
Only 17% of nonprofit leaders report their funders have engaged them in conversations about using AI in their work, per the Center for Effective Philanthropy’s AI With Purpose report (2025).

How does nonprofit AI adoption compare to the rest of the economy?

The share of organizations using AI in at least one business function jumped from 55% in 2023 to 78% in 2024, according to Stanford HAI’s 2025 AI Index Report.
The share of organizations using generative AI in at least one business function more than doubled, from 33% in 2023 to 71% in 2024, per Stanford HAI’s 2025 AI Index Report.
88% of organizations now report regularly using AI in at least one business function, up from 78% a year earlier, according to McKinsey’s State of AI 2025 survey.

Where do communities and the digital divide stand on AI?

34% of U.S. adults say they have ever used ChatGPT, roughly double the share in 2023, according to the Pew Research Center (June 2025), based on a survey of 5,123 U.S. adults.
ChatGPT use ranges from 58% of U.S. adults under 30 to just 10% of those 65 and older, revealing a sharp generational digital divide, per the Pew Research Center (June 2025).
About one in ten U.S. adults get news from AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini — 2% often and 7% sometimes — while 75% say they never do, according to the Pew Research Center (October 2025).
67% of online donors support nonprofits using AI, according to the Online Donor Feedback Survey 2025, via Nonprofit Tech for Good (2025–2026).

Sources

This page is updated quarterly and reflects the most recent reports available as of June 2026. Compiled statistics name the original research organization, with the aggregating publisher noted as “via.”