UnTangled with Ben Freda: 5 Steps for Nonprofits to Clear a Path to AI Adoption

Between the hype and the horror, where do nonprofits stand with AI?

If you’ve opened your inbox lately, you’ve probably seen two competing narratives:

• “If you’re not already using AI, you’re hopelessly behind.”
• “AI is dangerous, unethical, and should be avoided at all costs.”

The truth? Neither extreme is right. AI isn’t a silver bullet, and it’s not an evil empire either. It’s a powerful tool—one that nonprofits can use thoughtfully and responsibly to save time, free up staff capacity, and focus more energy on mission-critical work.

Last week on UnTangled, I sat down with Ben Freda of BFC Digital to talk about how nonprofits can clear a path to AI adoption. He offered a simple, five-step roadmap that moves organizations out of fear and into practical action.

Step 1: Get Oriented with Training

AI feels overwhelming when you don’t know how it works. A short training—just an hour or two—can demystify key concepts like large language models (LLMs), image generation, and predictive outputs. This helps staff build instincts about where AI can help and where it might fall short (think: drafting donor thank-you notes vs. diagnosing rare diseases).

Step 2: Create an AI Blueprint

Before diving in, take inventory. Ask your team: What’s boring, repetitive, or frustrating in your day-to-day work? Those are the processes that AI can likely improve—like cleaning up donor lists, transcribing handwritten survey data, or pulling reports.

The goal isn’t to automate human creativity but to offload rote tasks that drain energy and morale.

Step 3: Start Small with Pilot Projects

Don’t blow your budget on a giant AI overhaul. Instead, pick 2–3 small projects with clear time savings and low implementation costs. Test, refine, and repeat. You’ll learn quickly what works for your organization and where AI makes the biggest impact.

Step 4: Put Guardrails in Place

AI use policies don’t need to be complicated, but they do need to exist. Start with the basics:

• Don’t put sensitive donor data into free AI tools.
• Use organizational accounts where possible.
• Clarify what’s appropriate (e.g., drafting social posts) and what’s not (e.g., storing confidential information).

Think of this as a living document that evolves as both your team and the technology mature.

Step 5: Repeat the Cycle

AI adoption isn’t one-and-done. Once you’ve piloted projects and set guardrails, go back to Step 2: blueprint again, try new projects, and refine your policies. As tools evolve—and they are evolving daily—so should your approach.

Bringing It All Together

It’s tempting to wait until the dust settles, but every month of delay makes adoption harder. The good news is you don’t need to make big, risky bets—small steps like training your team or automating a single repetitive task can immediately save time and reduce burnout. And adopting AI doesn’t mean abandoning your values. Nonprofits are uniquely positioned to shape what “AI for good” looks like, insisting on tools and practices that are ethical, transparent, and mission-aligned.

That’s exactly where Firefly Partners is ready to help. Whether it’s awareness sessions, staff training, or adoption planning, our role is to guide nonprofits through those first steps in a way that feels practical, thoughtful, and sustainable—so your team can stay focused on the work that matters most.

Watch the full episode here:

Curious where to start?

If you’ve got questions—or just want to explore what AI adoption could look like for your nonprofit—let’s talk. Grab a call with me and I’ll happily walk you through it. No hard sales pitch, I promise. Just real talk about what’s possible.