How NGOs Can Prepare for the Future amid Funding Shifts and AI
Today, NGOs worldwide face challenges caused by policy shifts, funding constraints, and AI-related disruption. A June 2025 Safeguard Global webinar with Trista Harris, philanthropic futurist and FutureGood president, and Wafa Abboud, VP of human resources at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), looked at how NGOs can prepare for the future in this period of upheaval. Keep reading for some key takeaways from this thought-provoking conversation or view the webinar here.
How should NGOs react to funding uncertainty?
Recent cuts in international aid from the US and UK governments may be followed by similar action in several European countries. Reduced funding for health-related causes alone could impact up to “25 million people worldwide over the next 15 years,” according to the Stanford Social Innovation Review. Additionally, the Gates Foundation recently announced plans to spend down its funds over the next 20 years. These developments are creating stress and a sense of uncertainty among NGOs.
According to Harris, the current funding environment means that NGOs must have a handle on the funding streams that enable their work. And with some philanthropists opting to distribute more of their funds in the immediate future, NGOs should think about how they would manage a large influx of dollars. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they should “do more of the same.”
Abboud believes that NGOs can find solidarity, build partnerships, and co-create long-term solutions within their funding ecosystems and networks. She also notes that fiscal sponsorship is “a form of future-proofing” that gives mission-driven leaders the opportunity to concentrate on vision and innovation without the distraction of administrative work. It offers a neutral, compliant infrastructure that works especially well for collaboratives and multi-funder efforts, she says.
What does AI mean for NGOs?
Financial support isn’t the only challenge on the horizon for NGOs. They must also understand how AI will impact their work.
Harris acknowledges that we are “in a moment of absolute transformation about every aspect of work and being a human,” and the social sector should play a role in this transition. We need to come to terms with what it means to “upgrade humanity in this moment,” she believes, and we need “super teams, where each individual is partnering with AI to become ten times more effective as they’re doing their work.”
It's easy to understand why some are apprehensive about AI, but it doesn’t need to be feared, says Abboud. She believes that AI can be used to “strengthen our values, enhance human judgment … and free up capacity for deeper, more relational work.” It can supplement our workforce, taking on repetitive, administrative tasks that will enable greater focus on strategy, creativity, and community engagement, she says.
Abboud notes: “This is where our sector specifically has a really unique role not only to adopt ethical AI practices internally, but to advocate for and support responsible AI development across society.” In her view, we need to think about what we want AI to look like and work backward to ensure it happens.
Thinking about the future isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity
Disruptive changes in funding and a growing reliance on AI are prompting a deeper focus on the future. How should NGOs and others in the social sector think about the future now?
Harris advocates for a 30-to-50-year vision and agreement within the organization on what success looks like. She says that some in the nonprofit community feel it’s “too luxurious to think about the future.” But she believes they have a responsibility to focus on where they are going.
Individuals in an NGO might have visions of the future that differ, and this can hamper progress toward success. A shared vision for the future allows everyone to move together in the same direction. Then they need to ask if what they’re currently doing will move them toward that future.
Progress toward their vision should begin with a three-year work plan, Harris says. Quarterly checkpoints help the organization see what they accomplished, what was harder than they thought it would be, and what was easier. From here, they can plan for the next month and next quarter.
In Abboud’s view, a 30-to-50-year vision is essential because it “anchors your organization in purpose and possibility beyond the next grant cycle.” She says NGOs need to understand what they’re trying to change. Are they being bold enough? Or just playing it safe?
Be brave and be bold
Abboud and Harris are clear that a focused, intentional approach to the future must be built on collaboration and an agreed vision. Rather than avoid planning for the future, NGOs need to invest in it with a long-term plan that acts as their north star. They need to focus on what will advance their progress and cease activity that does not move them forward, even if it generates positive results.
For more of Wafa Abboud’s and Trista Harris’ wisdom and insights, please view the webinar here.
