A Primer by Adam Zable, Hannah Chafetz, and Stefaan G. Verhulst: “Philanthropic foundations around the world are beginning to experiment with artificial intelligence (AI) to review proposals, stay up-to-date on the latest research, communicate insights to different audiences, and more. However, questions remain around where AI is most valuable across the grant making cycle, when it should not be used, and what practices and policies are needed to ensure it is applied responsibly.
To address these questions, DATA4Philanthropy reviewed how AI is being used across the grantmaking cycle. This includes: problem definition, prioritization, strategy development, partner identification, grant management, and evaluation and learning. Drawing on desk research conducted between July and December 2025, the primer highlights several examples where philanthropies are already using AI in their work and how they are incorporating human judgement throughout the process. It concludes with a series of recommendations on how philanthropies might begin experimenting with AI…(More)”.
