Exploring AI with Purpose: What We Learned from the Decoded Futures AI Cohort

Learning, Not Replacing: Our AI Journey

Like many of you, we’ve been wondering:
How might AI help us work smarter – not harder, while centering youth and community in the process?

That question led the two of us — Ali (Director of Collaborative Improvement) and Robert (Manager of Analytics and Operations) — to join the latest cohort of Decoded Futures, a free, seven-week learning experience for NYC-based nonprofits exploring how AI might enhance their missions.

This journey wasn’t just about experimenting with new tools; it was about strengthening the Network and stepping into new, still-undefined possibilities together.

Why We Joined

At SSN, we’ve been asking how AI can support not just our day-to-day operations, but also our bigger goal: youth-centered, equity-driven continuous improvement.

We’ve already hosted Network conversations on this topic (such as our May 2025 Network Exchange: Leveraging AI), but in the spirit of continuous learning, we joined Decoded Futures to deepen our understanding.

The program brings together nonprofits, technologists and intermediaries to experiment, build and explore what’s possible when we bring AI into the nonprofit space with humility and a learning mindset.

What We Learned

We’re still early in our journey, but here are four things that stuck with us from Demo Day and beyond:

1| AI can protect our most valuable asset: time.

Cohort members shared how AI tools are helping them reclaim capacity for what really matters — building relationships, generating insights and streamlining processes.
It’s not about replacing people. It’s about equipping teams with one more tool to deepen their impact.
👉 Check out some of the examples from our cohort: Demo Day Recap

2| Ethics matter deeply.

We spent time wrestling with questions of privacy, bias and data stewardship. AI use isn’t one-size-fits-all, and it shouldn’t be. You’re in control of how, when and why you use it.
💡 A great resource: the Decoded Futures Ethical Guidelines

3| You don’t need to be an expert.

Many of us entered this space unsure where to start. Turns out, even the tech folks are figuring it out in real time.
In a field that’s evolving this fast, curiosity and collaboration matter more than credentials.

4| Automation ≠ AI, but both can support your work.

One helpful takeaway: automation handles repetitive tasks (e.g. Zapier or Make.com), while AI introduces learning and decision-making (e.g. ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude). We’re already spotting places where both can work together to streamline our processes and elevate our programs.

What’s Next for Us

We’re not done; in fact, we’re just getting started. Here's what we’re building next:

🌐 A Network Navigator

Think of it as your go-to tool for unlocking insights, resources, and learnings from across the SSN community.
👉 Want early access? Join the waitlist.

🧠 A Virtual Workshop → Designing Skill-Building Activities with AI Tools: Bringing a Competency Framework to Life in Your Program

Explore how to bring our Future9 Competency Framework to life using AI tools.
📅 August 7 | 1:00–2:00 PM — Sign up here!

We’ll also continue to incorporate AI in future programming. Last year, we led a qualitative data analysis workshop where AI showed up as a “helpful (but imperfect) buddy” for making sense of complex feedback. As our datasets grow and tools evolve, we’ll keep leaning in, especially when time is tight and impact matters.

We’re Learning This Together

At the end of the day, meaningful change doesn’t come from tech alone. It comes from people learning together, imagining new ways of working, and staying rooted in shared values.

If you're curious about where AI might fit into your work, or just want to feel a little less alone while figuring it out, we hope you’ll join us at a future learning session or consider applying to the next Decoded Futures cohort.

With appreciation,
Ali & Robert

P.S. Big shoutout to Anna from the YMCA for putting Decoded Futures on our radar! And huge thanks to Tech:NYC Foundation, Google, and our fellow cohort members for an inspiring and exciting journey ✨