Curriculum
Practical resources for each AI readiness stage.
Nonprofit teams do not need another long list of links. Start with Compass Pro Bono resources organized by the question your team is ready to answer.
Organized by ADKAR
Awareness
People understand why a change is happening.
Before introducing a new strategy, technology, governance model, or process, leaders need to help staff and stakeholders understand the challenge or opportunity driving the change.
What problem are we solving? Why now?
Desire
People want to participate in the change.
Understanding a change isn't the same as embracing it. Nonprofit leaders often need to connect change efforts to staff needs, organizational goals, and mission impact.
What's in it for me? What's in it for the organization and community?
Knowledge
People learn how to change.
This is where training, coaching, tools, frameworks, and examples come into play.
What do I need to know to succeed?
Ability
People put knowledge into practice.
Learning happens through doing. Teams need opportunities to test new approaches, receive support, and build confidence through real-world application.
Can I actually do this in my day-to-day work?
Reinforcement
The change becomes sustainable.
Without reinforcement, even promising initiatives fade. Organizations need systems, habits, leadership support, and accountability mechanisms that help new practices stick over time.
How do we ensure this becomes part of how we work?
ADKAR is a change-management framework that helps people move from awareness of a change to lasting adoption of that change.
Resource type
Stage · Orientation
01
Awareness · Why AI matters
You're starting to map the territory. The goal here is to build a clear view of what AI can and can't do for your mission.
Build a clear view of what AI is, what it can and can't do, and why it deserves attention from nonprofit leaders. These resources help your team understand the landscape before committing to a direction.
Interactive
AI North Stars
Compass Pro Bono
Before your team picks up an AI tool, get clear on why. This exercise surfaces shared values, cautions, and boundaries in about five minutes.
Compass
StartWebinar
Confronting AI's Biggest Challenges
Remy Reya
A sector landscape overview of AI's opportunities and risks for nonprofit leaders. Start here if your team is still asking whether AI matters for your mission.
Compass
Open
Stage · Education
02
Desire · Motivation to act
You see the case for AI but haven't fully committed. This stage is about building shared understanding across leadership and staff.
Move from "we know about AI" to "we want to engage with AI responsibly." These resources surface the case for action, the pressure on staff capacity, and what helped peer nonprofits begin.
Stage · Training
03
Knowledge · How to start
You're ready to learn how. This stage focuses on practical training: tools, frameworks, and first use cases.
Build practical skills in tools, frameworks, and first use cases. These resources help your team move from intent to small, useful experiments.
Interactive
Head · Hands · Heart
Compass Pro Bono
Break a recurring task into steps so your team can see where AI may help, where automation may fit, and where human judgment should stay central.
Compass
StartInteractive
CRAFT Prompt Builder
Compass Pro Bono
Five plain questions that turn a vague request into a practical prompt. Answer them, get a ready-to-paste result, then use the ING loop to refine it.
Compass
StartWebinar
Making AI Tools Work for Your Nonprofit
Remy Reya
Practical walk-through of picking, testing, and rolling out AI tools in a small-team nonprofit context.
Compass
OpenFramework
Augment, Don't Replace
Beth Kanter
Beth Kanter's framework for designing AI-assisted workflows that keep humans in the loop and build staff capability.
Compass
Open PDF
Stage · Application
04
Ability · Hands-on implementation
You're bringing AI into real workflows. This stage is about moving from training to applied practice across functions.
Put AI into real workflows with care. These resources show what implementation can look like across fundraising, operations, and programs, while keeping people firmly in the loop.
Interactive
AI Augmentation Matrix
Compass Pro Bono
Map AI use cases by how high-touch and high-stakes each one is. The result helps your team agree on what to automate, what to review, and what to keep with people.
Compass
StartInteractive
AI Policy Builder
Compass Pro Bono
Build a baseline AI policy draft. Pick a starting posture, adapt clauses from the Compass template, and leave with a document ready for review.
Compass
StartWebinar
AI Culture-Building
Remy Reya
How to build an internal culture where your team experiments with AI safely, shares learnings, and builds on what works.
Compass
Open
Stage · Scaling
05
Reinforcement · Sustaining change
AI is part of how you work. This stage is about iterating, keeping momentum, and contributing to sector practice and policy.
Keep the work alive past the pilot. These resources support iteration, sustained coaching, and stronger AI policy and practice across the sector.
Not sure which resources fit?
Take the 2-minute assessment to find your ADKAR stage and get a clearer next step.
Start the assessment