What nonprofit HR teams need to consider before rolling out AI-driven HR tools
AI is no longer on the horizon — it’s embedded in the way HR teams hire, onboard, engage and evaluate people. Even for nonprofit organizations with lean and scrappy teams, AI is becoming part of everyday workflows.
But that shift comes with responsibility. In the absence of thoughtful governance, AI can introduce hidden risks: bias in hiring, confusion among employees and compliance gaps that strain trust or even lead to financial penalties. And because HR sits at the intersection of people, policy and company culture, the responsibility to “get AI right” starts here.
This checklist is designed to:
- Help nonprofit HR teams assess your readiness around AI implementation and governance.
- Guide internal conversations about high-leverage AI deployment.
- Share industry best practices around AI governance for non-profit HR teams, in the present moment and going forward.
And here’s the good news: you don’t have to have it all figured out. You just need to ask the right questions.
Why HR needs to lead AI governance
AI governance isn’t just an IT concern. It’s an HR leadership responsibility.
The tools you use today — for recruiting, performance, engagement and learning — increasingly rely on:
- Automation
- Pattern recognition
- Predictive analytics
But when those systems influence people-related decisions, as they increasingly do, HR is the one held accountable. From compliance and communication to culture and equity, your team is uniquely positioned to lead AI governance with both strategy and care.
And here’s the thing. In many ways, it’s an uphill battle. According to data from Gallup, 79% of adults don’t trust companies to deploy AI responsibly. By following these AI governance best practices, HR teams have the opportunity to rewrite that narrative.
The nonprofit AI governance checklist
Nonprofit HR teams can use these five focus areas to evaluate your organization’s AI readiness. And it’s worth remembering that even if you’re not perfectly aligned with each of these right now, all that means is there’s room for growth in your company’s AI strategy.
Each section includes critical questions and nonprofit-specific checklist items — designed with lean teams, complex staffing models and values-driven decision-making in mind.
