AI for Social Impact Alliance

The Challenge

A hidden mosaic

Artificial Intelligence is reshaping every part of society, from health and housing to climate and education. But Canada's nonprofit and community sectors are being left out of these conversations. At the same time, the country's AI for good efforts remain fragmented: a "hidden mosaic" of high-potential pilots, deep theoretical research, and grassroots advocacy that lacks the connective infrastructure to challenge the hegemony of Big Tech or the commercialization-first agenda of the state.

The social sector is systematically underpowered and excluded from the driver's seat of global AI conversations. The benefits and governance of these systems are increasingly privatized, while costs and harms are socialized. This dynamic particularly affects marginalized and underrepresented communities that are structurally disadvantaged and most affected by these technologies.

The Response

An Alliance approach

The AI for Social Impact Alliance is a decentralized network of organizations working together to ensure that AI is built with communities, not just for them. Community Foundations of Canada plays a pivotal coordinating role, acting as the convenor and connector that brings diverse actors together.

The Alliance provides connective infrastructure to support a growing community focused on AI for social impact by:

Convening cross-sector partners to co-design AI solutions for climate, health, housing, education, democracy, and more
Building nonprofit capacity through training, shared governance tools, and applied R&D partnerships
Funding community-led innovation and creating pathways for those most impacted by AI to shape it
Investing in infrastructure like open-source tools, data trusts, and public-interest AI policies
Promoting civic trust and digital literacy to ensure communities understand and guide AI adoption

Guiding Principles

What grounds the work

The Alliance is guided by principles that ensure technology strengthens, rather than undermines, social and environmental resilience:

Equity and inclusion. Centering the voices and needs of communities most affected by AI technologies.
Indigenous data sovereignty. Respecting the rights of Indigenous peoples to control data about their communities, lands, and cultures.
Community co-governance. Ensuring those affected by AI systems have meaningful voice in how they are designed and deployed.
Open infrastructure. Building shared tools and resources that remain accessible to all, rather than captured by private interests.

Key Tensions

Edges we're navigating

This work surfaces profound tensions that require ongoing navigation rather than resolution:

The intention economy. AI systems are increasingly optimized to steer attention and influence decisions, not simply to inform. This reframes the Alliance as a governance and accountability effort, not just a technology learning effort.
Ownership and decentralization. There is a tension between the extractive nature of overall AI development and an emerging vision rooted in data sovereignty and relationality. Communities must be co-shapers of technology rather than passive consumers of centralized AI services.
Long-term vision and immediate action. While remaining anchored in a north star of systemic change, we must also secure practical momentum through tangible assets and collaborative opportunities available now.

What We're Learning

Emerging insights

Through convenings and ongoing dialogue, several key insights are emerging:

Shared infrastructure is the backbone. Knowledge convening, governance pathways, capacity-building, and community-owned building blocks that persist beyond short project cycles are essential, not optional.
Civil society engagement benefits everyone. A capable, engaged civil society strengthens the whole AI ecosystem by improving problem framing, surfacing real-world constraints, and bringing lived experience into research and development when design choices still have leverage.
Canada has ingredients for leadership. The country could advance a more community-centered, ethical, participatory vision for AI governance, but only if we stop leaving efforts fragmented, siloed, and dependent on personal relationships.

Our Role

How we're contributing

Sustainable Impact Foundation contributes to the Alliance in several ways:

Supporting the development of a Living and Learning Lab for Systemic Investing within the Alliance, exploring new funding models that match the complexity of AI governance challenges
Bringing systems thinking frameworks to help partners understand how AI challenges are embedded in larger social, economic, and political dynamics
Facilitating cross-sector dialogue and relationship-building among diverse stakeholders
Contributing to knowledge mobilization efforts that translate collective insight into actionable guidance

Related Focus Areas