The 2025 AI for Humanity Report
What happens when the world’s nonprofits put AI to work for people, not profit? The 2025 AI for Humanity Report uncovers how organizations are already using AI to transform millions of lives — and how nonprofits and funders can build on these early successes responsibly. Written by Fast Forward with support from Google.org, the 2025 AI for Humanity Report is a roadmap for harnessing AI for impact.
Plus, scroll for our companion whitepaper and playbook to explore the blueprint for what we do next. Read what Chronicle of Philanthropy had to say.
Download the Report
A Look Inside
Fast Forward surveyed nearly 200 nonprofits exploring how AI can advance their missions. Some are AI-powered nonprofits (APNs), building tools where AI is central to their impact. Others are nonprofits using AI to streamline operations, applying it behind the scenes to free up time and capacity. Taken together, their responses offer a window into how nonprofits are approaching AI today and where the sector is heading.
Data: Respondent Impact Regions
Respondents spanned impact regions, issue areas, and stages.
Nonprofits from around the world shared how AI is taking root in their diverse contexts and communities. Their work ranges from education and health to climate and human rights, with budgets from under $100K to over $10M.
Data: Median Lives Impacted by Budget
More funding is critical to unlock AI’s potential.
AI-powered nonprofits show a clear link between resources and reach: with small budgets they serve a median of thousands, at $1M they reach half a million, and at $5M+ they impact millions of lives. But scaling comes at a cost — nearly half report higher expenses, and 84% say more funding is most needed to continue developing and scaling their AI work. Without it, many solutions risk stalling instead of scaling.
Companion Pieces
Dig deeper with these supplemental resources for funders and nonprofits.
As AI reshapes society, philanthropy has a pivotal role to play. This companion piece builds upon the report, laying out how funders can meet this moment with bold capital, open tools, and cross-sector partnerships.
This guide takes nonprofit learnings from the report and provides a practical toolkit for approaching AI. From primers on AI basics to case studies and lessons from nonprofit leaders, the Playbook on AI for Humanity helps organizations explore AI responsibly and effectively. Whether you’re just beginning to explore AI or looking to level up your use, this playbook has you covered.