“The real danger isn’t AI itself. It’s allowing AI to shape philanthropy without philanthropy shaping AI.”
— Building Bridges with AI, Philanthropy New York
👀 The Surprising Truth
What if the person best equipped to lead your foundation’s AI ethics strategy isn’t a technologist, a vendor, or even your executive director—what if it’s your grants manager?
That’s not rhetorical. It’s happening.
After PEAK 2025, dozens of strategy sessions, and a growing collection of field notes, I’m convinced: grants managers are already making some of the most consequential decisions about AI in philanthropy. They just haven’t been formally invited into the conversation.
🧠 Where AI Ethics Actually Lives
We often treat “AI ethics” as a policy issue or a niche area for tech vendors and legal counsel. But in real life, it shows up in workflows, decisions, and judgment calls made daily by grants professionals:
Deciding whether to summarize reports with ChatGPT
Flagging bias in automated trend dashboards
Defending narrative nuance when leadership asks for more “efficient” data
“This dashboard is fast,” one grants manager told me. “But it flattens the truth.”
That’s ethics. That’s care. That’s leadership.
🙌 They’re Already Leading
Shoutout to the Grove Foundation for investing in participatory redesign work that centers community voice. And deep gratitude to my co-lead Blanch, whose clarity, curiosity, and values-driven leadership are shaping how this work grows.
Grants managers are:
Spotting when AI tools reward academic language over lived experience
Pausing matrix scoring and asking, “Who gets to define success?”
Choosing not to extract data without consent
They are holding the line. And holding the future.
🚦The “Seatbelt Moment” for Philanthropy
In a Candid article earlier this year, I likened AI’s arrival in philanthropy to the early adoption of seatbelts. The technology is already moving. The question isn’t if we use it—but how we do it responsibly, equitably, and with care for those most impacted.
Grants managers are buckled in. They're looking at the road ahead. They are studying the map and asking tough questions. And they are asking the rest of the car to slow down and name where we’re going.
💬 A Message to Foundation Leaders
This moment requires more than tool adoption—it demands ethical oversight and infrastructure investments.
If you’re in a position of leadership:
Ask your grants team what decisions they’re already making about AI
Involve them in shaping policy and procurement
Invest in their learning—and elevate their role
They’re already doing the work. It’s time we acknowledge it.
💌 To the Grants Managers
You may not have “AI” in your title.
But you are protecting stories.
You are defending community truth.
You are making value judgments in the face of automation.
You are the real leaders of AI ethics in philanthropy.
And I see you.
