How Benevity Is Using Responsible AI to Power Purpose-Driven Corporate Impact

In today’s landscape, a company’s purpose can’t simply live in a mission statement or a quarterly update. It must be woven into the processes, technologies, and everyday decisions that define how we collaborate, lead, and contribute to our communities.

As Benevity’s Chief AI Officer, I believe that when used responsibly, artificial intelligence has the capacity to turn this vision into reality. That belief is driving the evolution of both our platform and our philosophy around AI.
 
AI as the Engine for Purpose-Driven Transformation
At Benevity, AI isn’t treated as a standalone feature — it’s fundamental to our mission of helping the world’s most influential organizations create meaningful, measurable social impact.

Our goal is simple: empower companies to manage their purpose-driven programs with the same precision and scale they apply to their core business operations. To achieve that, we’re reimagining how impact work happens — especially for small teams managing large ambitions and rising stakeholder expectations.

This next phase of AI in CSR platforms represents a transition from being a system of record to a system of action. Traditional record systems capture data and activity but often remain siloed. A system of action, by contrast, unites intelligence, data, and automation to mobilize people, connect them to purpose, and translate insights into outcomes.

Our Enterprise Impact Platform exemplifies this transformation. It doesn’t just support CSR teams — it partners with them. AI capabilities within the platform help identify the right people for the right initiatives, automate reporting and storytelling, match grants more efficiently, and forecast program success. By reducing manual workload, our AI acts as an empowering teammate — augmenting human intelligence, anticipating needs, and enabling faster, smarter decisions.
 
AI as a True CSR Partner
What sets our approach apart is that Benevity’s AI isn’t built for novelty; it’s built for empathy, context, and purpose. We’re designing intelligent agents that enhance human expertise — not replace it.

We envision a world where:

In these examples, AI acts less like software and more like a teammate — one that handles background work so people can focus on creativity, judgment, and connection.
 
Corporate Purpose 2025: AI’s Growing Role in CSR
Findings from the 2025 Benevity Impact Labs State of Corporate Purpose Report show why this shift matters now. Over half of companies expect grant budgets to rise this year, bringing greater complexity for CSR administrators. Many have already turned to AI:

The message is clear — the demand for responsible, AI-powered impact is growing. Organizations want tools that increase efficiency, deepen engagement, and make outcomes measurable. Nonprofits seek stronger, faster corporate collaboration. And employees want purpose to be as accessible as their email or chat apps.
 
Benevity’s Three Pillars of Responsible AI
To adapt to AI’s fast-moving landscape, our approach is anchored in three core principles: Efficiency, Engagement, and Impact.

Efficiency – Simplifying CSR operations for strategic focus
Administrative work consumes significant time — sometimes 20% of total hours. This year, Benevity will launch an AI solution to automate matching request reviews, speeding approvals and freeing teams to focus on partnerships and long-term strategy.

Engagement – Personalizing participation through AI insights
With nearly two decades of data and billions in donation flows, we understand what motivates employees. AI enhances that knowledge by tailoring opportunities, optimizing timing, and surfacing the initiatives that resonate most. Even a 1% lift in engagement at a 10,000-person company could represent as much as $400,000 in retained value.

Impact – Streamlining storytelling and reporting
Storytelling has always been one of CSR’s biggest challenges. AI can help generate reports, tailor content for various audiences, and quickly produce communications during crises. This leads to faster, more authentic reporting that demonstrates tangible value across stakeholders.

These principles turn AI from a concept into a concrete driver of efficiency, engagement, and meaningful impact — reinforcing Benevity’s dual role as both technology innovator and purpose catalyst.
 
Embedding Responsible AI into Benevity’s DNA
Our AI evolution isn’t limited to the platform — it’s embedded throughout our organization. We’ve made key investments to ensure every innovation is grounded in ethics, transparency, and trust:

Internally, we’re also leveraging responsible AI to streamline workflows, boost productivity, and scale operational excellence — lessons we then pass along to our clients.
 
The Future of AI-Enabled Purpose
This movement extends beyond Benevity. The next generation of CSR tools will integrate directly into everyday workspaces — Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace — bringing purpose directly into the flow of work. Employees won’t need to log into a separate system; purpose will appear naturally within their daily interactions.

Our goal is to ensure Benevity’s capabilities power those experiences, helping people act on their values in real time. When purpose becomes that embedded — shaping decisions, nudges, and workflows — it stops being an initiative and becomes a way of working. That’s the future we’re building toward: purpose at work.
 
Scaling Social Impact Through AI
In the months ahead, we’ll unveil more examples of how Benevity is applying responsible AI across our platform, including:

We’ll continue co-creating this future with our community of clients, nonprofit collaborators, and innovators — defining together what responsible AI should look like in the CSR space.

The future of purpose-driven work will be guided by AI — but its true power will always come from human connection, creativity, and meaning.