Blackbaud’s AI Strategy: Empowering Grantmakers with Responsible Innovation

It seems you can’t throw rock at a grantmaking conference agenda or webinar line-up without hitting an AI-themed session. The excitement around AI is palpable, but so is the uncertainty. Many grantmakers wonder how to use this technology effectively while addressing ethical considerations.

For grantmakers, AI presents incredible opportunities to enhance your workflows, improve decision-making, and foster deeper relationships with your grantees. These opportunities also enable clearer communication and deeper insight within the grant team, creating stronger collaboration and more informed, effective grantmaking decisions.

However, you also recognize that responsible implementation is critical to ensuring these advancements serve both funders and their communities. Here’s how Blackbaud’s AI strategy is supporting your journey to responsible innovation in grantmaking.

AI for Grantmakers: Responsibility and Opportunity

Across all sectors, businesses and nonprofits are finding ways to incorporate AI-powered functionality. According to McKinsey & Co., nine out of ten organizations report regular use of AI.

It’s no different for grantmakers and grant seekers. From automating repetitive administrative tasks to analyzing complex data sets, AI is reshaping the way organizations allocate resources and measure impact. For example, you can use AI-powered tools to reduce the time spent manually reviewing hundreds of applications or generating insights about grantee impact.

However, the potential of AI goes far beyond task automation. It can strengthen relationships between funders and grantees by providing meaningful insights faster, facilitating collaboration, and enabling proactive communication. For example, you can pull grantee survey responses into an LLM to help you pull out key themes that you might have missed when reviewing each individual survey. But these benefits come with an important caveat: you need to start with responsible AI practices.

Responsible AI principles—including fairness, transparency, inclusiveness, security, and trust—must guide how grantmakers adopt AI tools. Many organizations are still navigating how to align AI capabilities with their missions. According to the TAG State of Philanthropy Tech Report, 81% of grantmaking staff are experimenting with AI, yet two-thirds of funders lack policies or governance frameworks to guide their efforts. This gap can result in siloed use of AI, duplicated efforts, and possible security risks.

For AI to achieve its full potential, it must be integrated into core systems like grant management software (GMS) or customer relationship management (CRM) platforms. Using external, isolated AI tools limits impact, creating inefficiencies and potentially unreliable results. By embracing a unified approach, grantmakers can optimize workflows and make more informed decisions while safeguarding data privacy and equity.

It’s also vital to acknowledge that AI cannot solve systemic inequities in funding alone. Without intentional, human-centered design, technology risks amplifying existing flaws in grantmaking processes. Funders must take the lead in fostering experimentation and prototyping to ensure equitable outcomes before scaling new AI solutions.

Blackbaud’s Responsible AI Strategy

Blackbaud’s approach to AI is built on a foundation of trust, security, and privacy. For years, Blackbaud has delivered predictive insights and intelligent automation, and its commitment to responsible innovation remains unwavering. Guided by recognized experts and industry standards, Blackbaud’s responsible AI strategy ensures ethical, mission-aligned solutions for grantmakers.

As nonprofits and foundations increasingly explore AI-driven technologies, Blackbaud recognizes the need for tailored AI policies that address unique organizational challenges. Establishing clear guidelines for data usage, compliance, and ethical implementation is essential for maintaining stakeholder confidence. Grantmakers handle sensitive information daily and protecting this data while enhancing operational effectiveness is a top priority.

To support organizations in navigating these complexities, Blackbaud offers practical tools and resources that help define and implement AI policies aligned with mission goals. By equipping grantmakers with actionable frameworks, Blackbaud ensures that AI adoption is not only strategic but also reinforces transparency and equity across processes.

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Blackbaud’s AI solutions are designed to integrate seamlessly into existing workflows, reducing manual effort while preserving the human touch necessary for meaningful engagement. Whether it’s automating administrative tasks or unlocking deeper insights, Blackbaud remains committed to delivering innovations that empower grantmakers to focus on their core missions while fostering trust and inclusivity.

What Grantmakers Can Expect from Blackbaud’s AI Strategy

Blackbaud’s AI strategy is designed to address the unique challenges faced by grantmaking organizations, offering practical solutions that streamline operations while fostering meaningful connections.

Here are a few upcoming features and how they can transform your workflows:

• Data Validation and Visualization: Using Blackbaud’s Impact Edge dashboards and analytics, you’ll gain a holistic view of your funding’s impact. From grantee progress to geographic distribution, AI can deliver faster, more actionable insights.
• Automation of High-Volume Tasks: Simplify tedious tasks like form validation and consolidating redundant information. The tools will provide suggestions for improvement and alignment with your organizational goals to make decision-making faster and more accurate.
• Secure, Context-Sensitive AI Chat: Communicate naturally with your data through AI chat. Whether you are drafting communications or wanting to understand outstanding review tasks, this tool provides instant, secure support.
• Grant Matching and Scoring: Connect with new organizations and prioritize applications efficiently using AI-powered scoring systems. This helps identify projects that align with your mission, saving time, minimizing bias, and ensuring no applications fall through the cracks.

Even for experienced grantmakers, AI-powered automation means less time spent on manual tasks and more time focused on strategic impact, freeing you from repetitive processes while still giving you full visibility and control. Blackbaud’s AI capabilities not only simplify processes but also help your organization achieve greater impact by enhancing your ability to connect, evaluate, and innovate.

More Possibility with Blackbaud Grantmaking™

Blackbaud Grantmaking is helping you shape a future filled with opportunities, where AI-driven tools empower you to reach new heights in efficiency and impact. Imagine a streamlined process for managing grants—from application submissions to automated payments and data sharing—that saves time and enhances collaboration. Envision connecting with eligible grant seekers through an intuitive marketplace or leveraging advanced assistants to refine your strategies and stewardship practices.

With innovation at its core, Blackbaud continues to introduce tools that evolve alongside the needs of grantmakers, including solutions for visualizing impact and integrating data more effectively. By embracing responsible AI, grantmakers can not only optimize their operations but also amplify their positive influence on communities. The future holds limitless possibilities, and Blackbaud is committed to driving them forward.

Want to learn more about the innovation coming to Blackbaud Grantmaking? Check out our most recent Product Update Briefing to see what was recently released and what’s coming to Blackbaud’s grantmaking platform.