The importance of independence

While rapidly moving in advanced landscapes in 2025, I wanted to share some notes from our ongoing journey at the furniture bank. These are not final answers – just sincere reflections on what we see, feel, and learn as we explore how artificial intelligence can help us end poverty all over Canada here in March 2025.

Our Amnesty International Explore

Like many non -profit organizations, we started with simple curiosity – the experience of artificial intelligence tools to find out how it can help us tell our story and progress in our mission. This curiosity was of incredible value, which led to innovations like “the image is not real, but the reality is” where we used the images created from artificial intelligence to clarify the poverty of furniture with respect.

This exploration reflects our broader commitment to innovation, as we are working to expand our impact until after the Greater Toronto region and address furniture in the country. Our journey with artificial intelligence is just one aspect of how to constantly improve our approach by monitoring performance, collecting comments, taking advantage of the models of social institutions, and measuring the impact to make enlightened changes on the best societies.

Smile siren for “Easy” AI: A word about sellers’ relationships

We have noticed the major technology companies that create an increasingly attractive Amnesty International packages for non -profit organizations – with special programs, discounts and financing opportunities. They share them with “a statement of looking forward” and show a potential future that can be really useful, especially for the institutions restricting resources like us. However, we also see potential challenges that have become more clear in early 2025. Some non -profit peers have participated in stories about a “closed” feeling of some platforms – finding themselves with limited control of jobs and relying on and pricing the decisions of one company. Even your payment data data can be affected by the sharing of fundraising earlier this month! One of the organizations we know has a seller suddenly changes his pricing structure, forcing them to pay more or do expensive deportation. Either of them is what non -profit organizations want to focus on. So he made me wonder: What appears to be “comfort” today may become tomorrow … or the crisis (when you cannot absorb change).

Beyond the summary: the true cost of adopting artificial intelligence

When we evaluate the artificial intelligence solutions in Banture Bank, we try to look beyond the initial costs. While the programs offered by the seller (with artificial intelligence or not) often appear costly effective (especially with non -profit discounts), we note that these savings often create long -term considerations:

Will the license fees increase over time? Do we need expensive additions with our growth? Do we pay for the features that we do not really need? Do our data move (see the SAL Publisher on Lock Data in Crusions) Is our strategy guarded from the platform boundaries? Do the employees who use it and the ability to benefit from it?

Through this accelerated world in which we live, I feel that maintaining some technological flexibility-through Open-Frameworks or API-paid unit methods sometimes requires more effort to plan but gives us more options on the road (#INDEPENENCE).

Gravity and anchor: a word on the seller lock (March 2025)

While the furniture bank moves in the scene of artificial intelligence, we are increasingly aware of tension: the attractiveness of comprehensive solutions, which seem effective in terms of cost from the main sellers in exchange for a long -term lock. Our research on platforms such as Salesforce and Microsoft reveals a common topic: While these systems provide strong tools and generous primary incentives, especially for non -profit organizations, they can also create dependence on the long -term lightness of the charity. The danger lies in laying all of our eggs in one basket – relying on the map of one seller, prices and advanced priorities. For smaller institutions like us, maintaining flexibility in AI-UAGMENTED technology adaptation with our specific mission and the objectives of development is crucial. This means giving priority to solutions that work in an original and happy manner (and is easily known as), and open work frameworks to take advantage of our data safely and safely, and an approach we can preserve as models of artificial intelligence, capabilities, products, and companies change at a rapid pace. We know that the pace will never slow down – so the design of an approach allows us to move forward without the time of the artificial intelligence bullet in us is a priority. So #Endpeense revolves around our ability to move forward in our mission, and is not imprisoned on the mission of the companies we contract with. It comes to enabling our technology to finish poverty furniture, instead of the opposite.

Confidence in things for our supporters

For the furniture bank, trust is everything. Donors, beneficiaries and societies give us, especially that we will deal with their regular gifts, money and data responsibly. This confidence is essential in our ability to create social, environmental and economic measurement through our work.

This does not mean that the furniture bank does not like sellers ’platforms – we are doing completely! We only feel that to capture the potentials that come from the technology of general purposes from artificial intelligence, we want the maximum independence and flexibility and overseeing how our stakeholders’ information is processed.

From experiences to integration

Our artificial intelligence journey started with simple experiences – she asks “What if?” Questions and test capabilities on a small scale. These early explorations were valuable, showing us how artificial intelligence could help clarify the poverty of furniture and involve supporters in new ways.

When we moved from one time experiences to more integral applications, we found ourselves asking different questions: How do we judge this? Who controls data and algorithms? How do we guarantee the alignment of artificial intelligence with our values?

This development looks normal – starting with curiosity and then developing more organized methods as technology becomes part of our regular processes, such as our approach to measuring influence through a social return on investment (SROI).

Drawing our own path: lessons in technology adoption

We are interested in how to play technology in other contexts. From personal computing to portable platforms to non -profit CRMS, there seem to be repeated patterns worth considering. Organizations that keep some flexibility in their technological options have more options when conditions change. Those who become highly dependent on individual sellers sometimes face challenges when these sellers change the direction or pricing or can’t go in the direction you need your mission to go! This does not mean that the seller’s relationships are bad – often necessary! We just try to be studied in a long -term resting budget, ensuring that our mission always directs our technological choices.

The approach we think about

As we continue to explore artificial intelligence in Furniture Bank, here are some methods that we think in 2025:

Preference for standard tools: We look at artificial intelligence tools that can connect to our other systems through standard interfaces (Google applications, idea, zapier, etc.), rather than all -in -one solutions that may be difficult to adapt. We live in our data: We are trying to keep good records of the data that we have and where you live, while making sure that we can reach them when needed. Explore open options: where it makes sense, we look at the AI ​​frameworks that give us more vision and customization options (such as Cassidy). Development of studied policies: We are working to update our 2025 statement with more guidelines on how to use the IQ Agency that reflects our values ​​and mission. Building internal knowledge: We encourage our team to identify artificial intelligence so that we can make enlightened decisions together. To be strategists about sellers ’relationships: We use sellers’ solutions that focus on building internal competencies of the furniture bank, and not required to lock a consultant seller. Emphasis on practical training: Nothing exceeds diving and experimenting with ideas, processes, demands, agents and progress of work together-curiosity and wonder in what is possible comes faster when focusing on building a human mentalism in your culture.

The questions we ask ourselves

When we evaluate any new solution to Amnesty International, these are some of the questions that we find useful:

Is this in line with our mission and values? Will we maintain the right access to our data? How easy is to contact our other systems? What is the real cost over several years? Do we have the ability to use this effectively? How can this affect our relationships with donors, employees and clients? How can we make the teaching of artificial intelligence employees easier and free of terms for all learners? All learning methods? All topics?

Share our journey

While continuing to explore artificial intelligence in Furniture Bank, we are still committed to sharing what we learn – successes and challenges. We certainly do not have all the answers, and our approach to evolution continues and we learn more.

The “Curiosity Excellence” that has sparked preliminary artificial intelligence exploration has evolved into a thoughtful considering how these strong tools can serve our mission of ending the poverty of furniture throughout Canada. We are excited about the potential of artificial intelligence while maintaining their awareness of how to implement it.

I will continue to share what we learn all the way. Welcome your thoughts and experiences.

Dan Kircho
https://www.linkedIn.com/in/dankershaw/