“Archetypes of AI Adoption: A Snapshot in Time of Philanthropic Practice” for The Foundation Review

The Foundation Review is the first peer-reviewed journal of philanthropy, written by and for foundation staff and boards and those who work with them implementing programs. Each issue of The Foundation Review provides peer-reviewed reports about the field of philanthropy, including reports by foundations on their own work.

Volume 17, Issue 3 (2025) features five articles on AI usage in philanthropy. Each highlights leaders that have forged ahead while acknowledging the risks, deploying AI for different purposes and then thoughtfully reflecting on their experiences.

Raftree and Higdon begin the issue with a research-based snapshot of philanthropic AI adoption, identifying four archetypes of foundation AI approaches: the Curious, the Doers, the Dreamers, and the Skeptics. The archetypes give readers a framework for making sense of an organization’s past, present, and future AI journey.

Key Points

• The authors identified four archetypes describing philanthropic funders’ approach to AI: The Curious, The Doers, The Dreamers, The Skeptics.
• The authors did not find major differences across foundations based on their geographic location, though there were differences found based on their mission and values. Feminist and social justice funders in the Global South demonstrated more skepticism than others.
• Even in seemingly benign or straightforward applications, AI systems demonstrate unpredictable behavior, leading to most foundations proceeding with caution.
• The rapid pace of AI has meant that formal AI policies are rare, though foundations align on some common “red lines” that guide internal use of AI.

Read the full issue here.

Read “Archetypes of AI Adoption: A Snapshot in Time of Philanthropic Practice” by Higdon and Raftree here.