Podcast Summary

We Are For Good Podcast – Episode 675
Shift 5 — Beyond the Prompt: AI Fluency is the New Digital Literacy for Nonprofits
Guests: Woodrow Rosenbaum (Chief Data Officer, GivingTuesday), Elizabeth Kelly (Head of Beneficial Deployments, Anthropic)
Hosts: Jon McCoy, Becky Endicott
Release Date: January 19, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode explores why AI fluency is emerging as the new digital literacy for nonprofit professionals. Instead of focusing on simply writing AI prompts, the conversation dives into what it truly means for organizations to develop confident, ethical, and effective AI practices—moving beyond basic usage to strategic adoption. The guests share their recent launch of “Claude for Nonprofits” and a free AI Fluency course, discuss the importance of trust and governance, and offer practical advice for nonprofits at every stage of AI adoption.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defining AI Fluency for Nonprofits

[03:34 - 04:50]

• AI fluency is not about mastering prompts but about knowing when and how to use AI tools responsibly.
• Elizabeth Kelly: “AI fluency means understanding what these tools are good at—drafting, summarizing, pattern finding, processing data—and where human judgment remains essential.”
• There’s a spectrum: some avoid AI out of overwhelm; others dive in without guardrails. Fluency is the balanced “middle path”—experimenting responsibly and making informed decisions.

2. Building Solutions for (Not Just With) the Sector

[05:03 - 06:09]

• Woodrow Rosenbaum stresses that nonprofits need tools tailored to their unique challenges, not off-the-shelf tech: “If all we do is productivity, we’ll just get there [‘mediocrity’] faster. And that’s not what anybody wants.”
• True opportunity: Use AI to achieve better outcomes, not just quicker processes.

3. Sector-Wide Shifts and Democratizing Impact

[07:27 - 10:09]

• Shift from “Should we use AI?” to “How do we use it responsibly?”
• AI is helping smaller nonprofits “punch above their weight,” leveling the playing field in grant writing, data analysis, and client impact.
• Real-world examples:
  • iDInsight works “up to 10x faster” on some tasks.
  • Small teams surfacing $1.2B in benefits for 70,000 households.
  • Funders increasingly expect the nonprofits they support to leverage AI tools for greater efficiency.

4. Designing Claude for Nonprofits & the AI Fluency Course

[11:07 - 13:59]

• The Claude for Nonprofits program was developed through a year of sector listening and piloting with 60+ grantees.
• Offerings:
  • Discounted access (75% off).
  • Integrations with Blackbaud, Candid, Benevity, etc.
  • Dedicated support, reflecting a focus on impact, not revenue.
  • Example: AI math tutoring to 200,000 students in Africa; 24/7 support for epilepsy patients via Claude.
• Designed in partnership with sector experts (GivingTuesday) to ensure true alignment.

5. Responsible AI Use & Trust

[14:44 - 17:34]

• Trust is now “the work.” Responsible AI use centers on:
  • Privacy: “Data shared with Claude is kept private by default. We do not use it to train our models.” (Elizabeth Kelly, [15:34])
  • Compliance: SoC2 Type 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA compliance.
  • Transparency: AI can draft, summarize, but “doesn’t know your community”—human review is essential.
  • Ethical guardrails: “The organizations that are doing this well aren’t just adopting tools, they’re building governance around them.”
• Realistic guidance: Use AI to augment—not replace—human experience and judgment.

6. Practical Steps for AI Fluency & Getting Started

[21:32 - 23:20]

• Start small and specific: pick a pain point and run a two-week experiment with a couple of staff.
• Cultivate internal champions before trying wider rollouts.
• Governance is non-negotiable: Define what needs human review, what data can be shared, and who is accountable.
• Free AI Fluency Course covers practical workflows (grant writing, program evaluation, donor engagement); designed for all nonprofit staff, not just techies.

7. Addressing Fears, Building Momentum, and Peer Sharing

[23:20 - 26:00]

• Address fears by listening and transparently showing data and case studies.
• Peer sharing (“What’s one thing you’ve used AI for—interesting, useful, fun, funny?”) helps demystify and normalize adoption.
• AI as a tool to return precious staff time to mission-critical work.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On AI Fluency:

  “Just like digital literacy has meant learning to evaluate websites and spot misinformation, AI fluency means understanding what these tools are good at... and where human judgment remains essential.”
  — Elizabeth Kelly ([03:45])

• The Promise and the Peril:

  “If all we do is productivity, we’ll just get there faster. And that’s not what anybody wants. This is an opportunity for us to evaluate how do these tools actually shift our outcomes, not just our workflow.”
  — Woodrow Rosenbaum ([05:03])

• Real Example:

  “My friend Ben, a six-person team, has used AI to identify $1.2 billion in benefits for 70,000 households… That kind of scale wasn’t possible before.”
  — Elizabeth Kelly ([08:21])

• On Responsible Use:

  “Claude can draft a grant narrative, but it doesn’t know your community. Human review is absolutely critical.”
  — Elizabeth Kelly ([16:26])

• Starting Small:

  “Pick one recurring task that eats your time… try it with Claude or your tool of choice, see if it saves you 30 minutes. That’s how fluency starts—one workflow at a time.”
  — Elizabeth Kelly ([24:58])

• Fostering an Experimentation Culture:

  “Ask a coworker what’s one thing that you’ve used AI for that’s been interesting, useful, fun, or funny?… Just ask that question and see what people are doing.”
  — Woodrow Rosenbaum ([25:34])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:34] — Defining AI Fluency for Nonprofits
• [05:03] — Building with (not for) the sector
• [07:27] — Shifts in data use and democratization
• [11:07] — Claude for Nonprofits: Launch and features
• [14:44] — Responsible AI, Trust, Governance
• [21:32] — Practical playbook for getting started
• [24:58] — One Good Thing: Tiny steps for fluency
• [25:34] — Sharing AI wins and building culture

Actionable Takeaways

• Start small— Identify and experiment with one workflow where AI could save your team time.
• Empower internal champions to spread fluency.
• Prioritize governance (privacy, review processes, accountability).
• Build trust by transparently communicating limitations, successes, and reviewing AI outputs.
• Leverage free sector-aligned resources (such as the AI Fluency Course).

Resources & Where to Learn More

• Claude for Nonprofits: anthropic.com
• GivingTuesday Data Commons: givingtuesday.org/data
• AI Fluency Course for Nonprofits: [Link in show notes]

Closing Thoughts

AI fluency is poised to power the next leap in nonprofit impact—but only if the tech is used responsibly and paired with strong governance, sector-specific alignment, and a commitment to trust. With cross-sector partnerships, transparent experimentation, and collective learning, nonprofits of any size can chart an ethical, effective path forward in the AI era.