Cumulate for purpose insights

AI for Impact Collab Launched to Supercharge the Sector

Leading philanthropy, AI specialists and CEOs are calling on funders to invest in AI capacity to empower the for-purpose sector as it tackles the rising complexity of social, environmental, and health challenges. 

While the Productivity Commission has challenged funders to double philanthropic giving by 2030, the sector’s overstretched Boards, executives, and fundraisers face significant barriers to scaling their efforts.

"The recently released AICD Not-For-Profit Governance and Performance study found just 10per cent of for-purpose organisations regularly use AI. 75 percent of Directors recognise its potential but face barriers to adoption. Without investment in AI capacity—governance, training, and adoption—the sector risks missing out on the most transformative technological advancement of our time, and it’s the vulnerable communities they serve who miss out. It’s incumbent on Boards and Funders to ensure our sector becomes the first adopter of technologies that can grow productivity and impact and reduce cost” said Belinda Collins, founder of Cumulate, a consultancy dedicated to helping for-purpose organisations adopt AI for impact.

“We have bootstrapped a fund to support great organisations realise the potential of AI. We now call on tech entrepreneurs, philanthropic funders and corporates to join us, investing in AI capacity for the organisations protecting our people and our planet. If philanthropists truly want to maximise the impact of their giving, they must invest not just in causes but in the sector’s ability to harness technology to drive systemic change."

Call for Investment in AI backed by JB Were 

Associate Professor Shamal Dass, Head of Family Advisory and Philanthropic Services for JBWere and Adjunct Associate Professor at the Centre for Social Impact has a strong insight into the sector and its challenges and backs the call to invest in generative AI to increase impact, “At JBWere, we have the privilege of providing governance and strategy advice to a wide range of for-purpose organisations across Australia and New Zealand. We know that much of the sector is facing a significant increase in demand for support, whilst facing headwinds such as rising energy costs and stretched workforces.  

We are encouraging Boards and CEO’s of for-purpose organisations to explore how the use of AI can evolve their impact and business models so they can have critical investment conversations with funders. Capital properly invested in technology has the potential to transform organisations, and their ability to deliver outcomes,” said Dass.

Breaking the Funding Barrier to AI Adoption

"The for-purpose workforce is full of exceptional people driven by impact, yet their time is stretched thin across rising demands, limited resources and heavy administrative and compliance burdens. Generative AI can now automate complex tasks—grant applications, donor engagement, impact analysis, and board management—allowing our sector’s leaders to focus on what truly matters: building relationships and delivering frontline services," said Collins.

"The sector’s CEOs tell us they can see the potential but affordability is a restraint. Many still struggle to convince funders to ‘pay what it takes’ and contribute to core operational costs. Generative AI has the potential to reduce overheads significantly—if forward-thinking funders are willing to back the transition. We owe it to the exceptional in this sector to equip them with the best tools available. We’re forcing them to waste valuable time on tasks that AI can now handle efficiently," Collins emphasised. 

"As a society, we have a choice: invest in AI capacity for medical research institutes, family violence services, environmental organisations, and First Nations groups—or watch them struggle to keep up in an increasingly complex world."

Introducing the AI for Impact Collab

To bridge this gap, Cumulate and Wholegrain AI have launched the AI for Impact Collab, a funding initiative designed to accelerate AI adoption in the for-purpose sector.

"We’ve partnered with Cumulate to kickstart an AI for Impact Collab," said Leigh Hunter, CEO of Wholegrain AI. "We co-funded AI adoption at the Daylight Foundation, and the results have been extraordinary. Now, we’re calling on tech entrepreneurs and philanthropists who want to give back—this is your opportunity to invest in AI capacity for great causes."

Daylight Foundation CEO Angus Dixon echoed this sentiment: "As a pilot organisation, we’ve seen firsthand how AI can revolutionise donor engagement. Generative AI for philanthropy can transform how charities connect with donors."

Relationship Matters CEO, Maya Avdibegovic is one of many progressive CEOs who sees the potential of AI but does not have operational budget to fund its adoption. “AI has the potential to revolutionize how community organisations like ours operate, helping us achieve greater efficiency and impact despite limited resources. However, insufficient funding and tight budgets make accessing these transformative tools incredibly challenging. Support from funders could bridge this gap, enabling us to better serve our communities.

Philanthropic funders and impact-driven investors interested in joining the AI for Impact Collab can contact belinda@cumulate.au for more information. 

Belinda Collins

A period of deep reflection on the persistent challenges facing Boards, CEOs, fundraisers, funders and philanthropic leaders in the for-purpose sector at the period generative AI has become widely available has been enlightening. I allowed myself some time out to think and plan about the best way I can support the sector. Sitting on the advisory boards of two AI-centred tech companies, Nabu and Land on Heart and has allowed me to deep dive into the ways AI and emerging technologies can enable key aspects of the sector’s work.

Whatever cause we are passionate about: healthcare, mental health, outcomes for First Nations communities, medical research, the environment, it’s safe to say the demands are growing in both demand and complexity. Couple this with the Productivity Commission’s challenge to double philanthropy by 2030, and we see it’s critical our sector leads in adopting transformative technologies, rather than remaining late adopters. 

During my six-month period of exploration and reinvention, I have grown relationships with best-in-class AI and technology partners, and we’ve piloted projects to learn how we can best support to the sector. I say with confidence that AI has the power to supercharge our sector - akin to how the advent of electricity transformed industry. AI should quickly become an enabling function that sits across all aspects of an organisation.

Cumulate, the consultancy I established to support the sector has expanded our focus to connect to a trusted ecosystem of technology partners, including Wholegrain, GPT Strategic, Aviato, and Dataro. Together we will support organisations to adopt AI for Impact. We start by ensuring you have the right governance and policy framework and provide training for your people. From this base, the most immediate, effective uses for the sector include:

Engaging and educating new donors with your mission; utilising predictive modelling to grow philanthropy; streamlining and completing complex grant applications; onboarding new supporters; evaluating vast quantities of grant submissions; identifying trends and analysing data to inform strategy; reporting and measuring impact.

These applications represent just the beginning. AI's rapidly evolving landscape offers exponential possibilities, many of which we cannot yet foresee. Early adoption enables our sector to build critical expertise, and grow with AI, ensuring we lead the charge rather than being left behind.

We urge Boards and CEOs to break down barriers to innovation and enable philanthropy teams to enhance productivity and efficiency through strategic use of technology.

We call on funders to invest in developing the sector’s capacity to harness AI—supporting infrastructure and training. Funders can benefit equally from the adoption of AI, freeing up the time of your people to deliver systemic change, to visit projects, grow relationships, connect great people in great causes. 

Meeting the needs of the communities we serve and meeting the Productivity Commission’s challenge to double philanthropy requires bold action. We must equip our stretched sector—and its limited pool of fundraisers—with the tools to achieve more. By strategically adopting technology, we can free up precious human capital to focus on the relationship-driven, people-centred aspects of our work that no technology can ever replace.

We'd love to hear how your organisation is using AI for Impact.

Belinda Collins

8 January 2025