How Nonprofits Are Reimagining AI — Reflections from Global Washington 2025
Artificial intelligence has been an emerging subject in nonprofit circles for several years, often sitting at the periphery of conversations - either viewed with skepticism or treated as something that belonged primarily to corporate or academic domains. At this year’s Global Washington Annual Conference in Seattle, that perception appeared to shift. The tone of the discussion was notably different: nonprofit leaders were not debating whether AI mattered, but rather seeking clarity on how to integrate it responsibly, meaningfully, and in ways that enhance service delivery for communities.
This evolving mindset framed one of the conference’s first dedicated AI workshops, conducted by Spreeha Foundation’s Board Chair, Dr. Michael Tjalve, PhD, alongside development leaders Atul Tandon from Opportunity International and Cameron Birge from Microsoft. The session focused on practical considerations for mission-driven organizations exploring AI, emphasizing both its promise and its limitations.
Spreeha’s Perspective: Application Over Abstraction
Spreeha Foundation’s contribution to this conversation stems from practical experience rather than theoretical exploration. Operating a tech-enabled urgent care network in Bangladesh, Spreeha has already begun testing how digital tools and AI-assisted systems can enhance frontline healthcare. These include efforts to support triage decision-making, provide clinical prompts for health workers, improve diagnosis pathways, and design follow-up mechanisms for chronic disease management.
Dr. Tjalve summarized this approach effectively when he noted:
“We’re combining many years of healthcare expertise and deep community trust with a clear-eyed view of where AI can provide the most value for the communities we serve.”
For many attendees, this grounded framing served as reassurance that innovation does not have to be speculative—it can emerge from local need, embedded capability, and gradual learning.
From Theory to Practice: Making AI Understandable
A core value of the workshop was its ability to translate AI from something abstract to something operational. Dr. Tjalve and his co-panelists used real examples from their respective fields to illustrate how AI can support development work.
Dr. Tjalve reflected:
“My fellow panelists and I offered a wide range of real-world examples which, I think, helped demystify how AI can be leveraged for impact across the sector.”
This helped participants situate AI within existing workflows rather than seeing it as an external disruption. The implication here is significant: when practitioners observe AI operating within actual service environments—especially within constrained systems—they begin to move away from uncertainty and toward experimentation.
A Mindset Shift Among Nonprofits
Dr. Tjalve also noted a shift that reflects growing maturity in the sector:
“More nonprofits are moving beyond the initial well-positioned concerns around AI and are starting to find contextually optimized value from its capabilities.”
This suggests nonprofits are no longer approaching AI solely as a risk or novelty. Instead, they are treating it as a tool that can be shaped to strengthen outcomes. The workshop discussions indicated that this transition is being driven by exposure to practical examples, peer learning, and recognition that AI adoption does not have to be overwhelming—it can begin through targeted, context-specific functions.
AI as Enabler Rather Than End Goal
A recurring theme in Dr. Tjalve’s reflections was that technology must remain in service of people and practice. He emphasized:
“Connecting the dots between true local needs and what the technology can do is where I find the most engaging discussions. That’s when AI shifts from being a technology to becoming a catalyst for meaningful change.”
This aligns closely with Spreeha’s philosophy—which prioritizes human capability, clinical quality, and system strengthening over technological ambition. In environments like Bangladesh, where access, workforce shortages, and fragmented information systems remain key barriers, AI holds value not as an add-on, but as a mechanism to extend reach and improve decision-making.
Looking Ahead: Implications for Development Sector and for Spreeha
The discussions at Global Washington reflect an early but important transition. Nonprofits are evolving from cautious observers to active learners and selective adopters of AI.
For Spreeha, this means two things:
Our experience in urgent care delivery becomes increasingly relevant to sector discourse, particularly in demonstrating how AI can be applied in low-resource settings.
Our journey is iterative and ongoing, requiring continued testing, community engagement, ethical reflection, and evidence generation.
The broader implication for the nonprofit sector is that responsible AI will likely grow not through dramatic technological leaps but through incremental, grounded experimentation led by organizations closest to communities. Spreeha’s reflections contribute to this learning process by showing what becomes possible when innovation is rooted in local insight rather than abstract enthusiasm.
In many ways, the workshop served less as a declaration of answers and more as a signal of direction: as AI becomes more present in development spaces, organizations that can bridge practice and possibility—like Spreeha—will play an important role in shaping how the sector learns, adapts, and applies technology for social good.
About Dr. Michael Tjalve, PhD
Dr. Michael Tjalve, PhD, is the Board Chair for Spreeha Foundation, bringing more than two decades of global experience in AI research, product development, and nonprofit innovation. A former Chief AI Architect at Microsoft Philanthropies, he has helped humanitarian organizations and nonprofits leverage AI to amplify their impact. In 2024, he founded Humanitarian AI Advisory, supporting social impact institutions in harnessing AI responsibly.
Dr. Tjalve is also an Assistant Professor at the University of Washington, where he teaches AI for humanitarian action and ethical innovation. He currently serves as AI Advisor to the United Nations (OCHA) and co-leads the SAFE AI initiative, promoting responsible AI in humanitarian settings. Dr. Tjalve is also Co-founder of RootsAI Foundation, which empowers Indigenous and underrepresented youth to preserve their heritage and shape AI in equitable and culturally grounded ways.