As foreign aid tightens and reporting expectations intensify, Kenyan civil society organizations (CSOs) are confronting a practical question: how do we do more with less certainty, less external cushioning, and higher expectations of transparency? The answer, increasingly, includes artificial intelligence.

The new report, AI as a Catalyst for Social Impact in Kenya’s Philanthropic Sector, presented by East Africa Philanthropy Network (EAPN), explores this transition across 146 civil society and philanthropic organizations. The findings are neither techno-utopian nor alarmist. They are pragmatic.

A Global Frame, A Local Reality

This research, which was carried out as a part of the Mapping activity in the AI for Social Change initiative with support from Google.org, sits within TechSoup’s Digital Activism Program, a global initiative that supports civil society actors with learning opportunities, funding pathways, peer connections, and tools & skills to strengthen their resilience.

The premise of this Program is simple but urgent: digital systems now shape civic space. If civil society does not build capacity to operate within these systems, it risks becoming structurally disadvantaged in the face of current global challenges and developments.

In Kenya, that global premise meets a very specific context, one where domestic philanthropic capital must grow, where data protection regulations are evolving, and where organizations are being asked to prove impact with increasing precision.

The Myth of Resistance

There is a persistent assumption that civil society resists technology. The data does not support that. Eighty-nine percent of surveyed organizations report having “digital champions” within their teams individuals actively pushing digital change internally. Over 90% describe themselves as at least aware of AI and its relevance to their work.

More strikingly, 80% are already using tools such as ChatGPT, often in its free version, to assist with drafting, research, summarization, and communications.

This is not a sector sitting on the sidelines. It is experimenting cautiously, unevenly, but deliberately.

Where AI Is Actually Being Used

The most common current application is communications. Sixty-eight percent of organizations report using AI tools in marketing and outreach. In practice, this means drafting donor reports more efficiently, refining messaging, translating content, or structuring grant proposals.

Forty-six percent are applying AI in program delivery and management. Forty-five percent use it for data analysis and research. Thirty-eight percent are experimenting with AI in fundraising and development.

These are not fringe experiments. They are functional integrations. At the same time, only 10% of organizations report having a formal AI policy in place. Seventy-five percent have none. Adoption is moving faster than governance. That gap matters.

The Real Barriers: Not Ideology, But Capacity

If resistance is not the core issue, what is? The leading barrier cited by 75% of organizations is a lack of knowledge and training. Sixty-two percent identify the cost of implementation as a significant challenge. Fifty-three percent raise concerns about data privacy.

Nearly half of the organizations in the report put focus on unreliable internet access. Forty-nine percent cite inadequate or outdated devices. Eighty-five percent say lack of funding for digital investment constrains their progress.

These numbers tell a consistent story. The challenge is not philosophical opposition to AI. It is infrastructure financial, technical, and institutional, and this distinction is critical. Because it suggests that with targeted support, the trajectory can shift quickly.

Why Fundraising Emerges as the Priority

When asked where they most want to expand AI use, 77% selected fundraising and resource mobilization. This is not accidental. Kenya’s philanthropic ecosystem is under pressure to deepen domestic capital flows. As international funding landscapes shift, organizations are looking inward toward local donors, corporate partners, and community-based giving.

AI offers tools for analyzing donor behavior, identifying patterns, and personalizing engagement at scale. Used strategically, it can make domestic fundraising more precise and more efficient.

Seventy-five percent also want to expand AI in program delivery and management. This signals a deeper ambition: not just raising more capital, but allocating it better.

Predictive analytics, targeted interventions, real-time monitoring are no longer abstract concepts. They are operational interests

The Governance Question

Yet beneath the optimism sits a structural risk. Thirty-six percent of organizations responded “not applicable” or “don’t know” when asked how they ensure data privacy in AI use. Only a minority conduct security audits or anonymize data systematically. This is not negligence. It is a signal that capacity has not yet caught up with experimentation.

As Kenya advances broader conversations about digital governance and national AI strategy, civil society will need structured frameworks that protect privacy, prevent bias, and preserve community trust. AI in philanthropy cannot be extractive. It must remain accountable to the communities it serves.

Catalytic Capital, Reimagined

The report frames AI not simply as a productivity tool, but as a mechanism for unlocking domestic catalytic capital.

Catalytic capital accepts higher risk to unlock broader funding flows. AI can strengthen this process in three ways, through:

1. 1. Identifying high-leverage interventions through data analysis

1. 2. Demonstrating measurable outcomes that attract co-investment

2. 3. Improving transparency and accountability, strengthening donor trust

In other words, AI sharpens the strategic intelligence behind capital deployment. If a foundation can demonstrate, with data-backed precision, that a targeted education intervention improves outcomes by measurable margins, it becomes easier to crowd in additional partners. Evidence attracts capital. Precision accelerates it.

What Organizations Are Asking For

The requests from the sector are consistent:

• Seventy-six percent seek grants or dedicated funding for AI adoption.

• Seventy-five percent want tailored AI training programs.

• Nearly half request mentorship and expert support.

• Over a quarter seek guidance on ethical AI policies and practices.

These are not extravagant demands. They are foundational investments. The message is clear: organizations want to move from experimentation to institutionalization. But they cannot do so alone.

A Transitional Moment

Kenya’s social impact sector is not at the beginning of digital transformation. It is in the middle of it. Tools are already being used. Curiosity is already present. Informal practices are already widespread. What remains incomplete is alignment between funding structures, governance frameworks, training systems, and technological experimentation.

If that alignment occurs, Kenya could emerge as a regional example of how AI strengthens — rather than replaces community-centered development. If it does not, the risk is fragmentation: well-resourced organizations advance, smaller ones fall behind, and digital inequality widens within the sector itself.

The Question Ahead

AI will not solve systemic inequality. But it can make philanthropic capital more intelligent. It can make reporting more credible. It can make resource allocation more strategic.

And in a period where domestic capital must carry more weight, intelligence matters. The organizations surveyed understand this. Ninety-six percent consider AI adoption important for their work over the next few years. They are not asking whether AI belongs in philanthropy. They are asking how to build the conditions to use it well.

Access the full report here

You can also find out more about the Mapping Results through an interactive dashboard, which you can find here.

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Disclaimers

This piece of resources has been created as part of the AI for Social Change project within TechSoup's Digital Activism Program, with support from Google.org.

AI tools are evolving rapidly, and while we do our best to ensure the validity of the content we provide, sometimes some elements may no longer be up to date. If you notice that a piece of information is outdated, please let us know at content@techsoup.org.

" AI as a Catalyst for Social Impact in Kenya’s Philanthropic Sector ", by East Africa Philanthropy Network (EAPN), 2026, for Hive Mind is licensed under CC BY 4.0.