Resource Type: Strategy guides

Responsible Use of AI for Social Impact

Responsible Use of AI for Social Impact

AI is rapidly reshaping how the social impact sector delivers on its mission. Yet as adoption accelerates, many organizations lack the governance needed to manage risk and fully realize AI’s potential.

Developed by NationSwell in collaboration with IBM, Responsible Use of AI for Social Impact is a practical playbook designed to help organizations of all sizes adopt AI ethically, safely, and effectively. Drawing on insights from leaders across the field, the guide offers real-world frameworks, case studies, and actionable steps to move from experimentation to responsible application.

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AI for Nonprofit Empowerment

AI for Nonprofit Empowerment

Nonprofits face unique challenges when it comes to incorporating AI in their work.

NationSwell’s latest report, AI for Nonprofit Empowerment, funded by Annie E. Casey Foundation, provides knowledge on how nonprofit organizations can use AI to streamline processes and improve day-to-day functions, while maintaining focus on the work that truly matters.

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Collective Action Models and Approaches

Collective Action Models and Approaches

This resource is a practical guide for impact leaders to quickly understand the most prevalent and effective models of collective action. It distills each model into clear purposes, strengths, risks, and use cases—providing actionable insight into when and how to leverage these structures to advance your goals. The aim is to save leaders time, sharpen decision-making, and help you align the right model with the challenge or opportunity in front of you.

The models covered in this guide include:

  • Public-Private Partnerships
  • Co-investment + Pooled Funding
  • Learning, Advocacy, & Action Networks
  • Place-Based Initiatives
  • Shared Capacity & Services Platforms
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Making the Case for Investment in Impact

Making the Case for Investment in Impact

This resource is intended to guide corporate social impact leaders in securing and growing their organization’s investment in their work. The case-making points and data included focus on the importance of social investments to key stakeholders: employees and customers.

The resource prepares impact leaders for budgetary conversations with context on the landscape, data, and talking points. We also provide tools for securing investment by aligning with business objectives, exploring measurement approaches for calculating ROI, and anticipating changes brought on by ongoing uncertainty.

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Getting Started with Gen AI

Getting Started with Gen AI

Generative AI is rapidly reshaping how work gets done, including social impact functions. Getting Started with Gen AI is a practical guide designed for purpose-driven professionals who want to harness AI’s potential without getting overwhelmed.

Inside, you’ll find suggested use cases, sample prompts, real-world examples, and other actionable guidance to help you boost efficiency, create capacity, improve communication, and more. Whether you’re synthesizing information for decision makers, summarizing grantee or partner reports, or tailoring messages for key audiences, this guide offers a grounded, accessible path to building confidence and capacity with AI in your day-to-day work.

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Corporate Social Impact Models and Approaches

Corporate Social Impact Models and Approaches

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This practical guide is designed to help leaders and organizations orient their existing social impact strategies within a larger context, and identify opportunities to progress.

The guide includes four models of corporate social impact in practice today, ranging from CSR to business-integrated strategies. Each model includes definitions, actionable recommendations, and real-world case examples. The goal is to help leaders determine the best way to deepen impact within your organization, which may mean advancing from one model to the next or further developing your current model.

The models covered in this guide include:

  • Traditional CSR
  • Asset-driven impact
  • Shared value initiatives
  • Systems change leadership
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Effective Storytelling Strategies for Impact Leaders

Effective Storytelling Strategies for Impact Leaders

This resource is a practical guide for impact leaders looking to build or refresh their storytelling strategy. It distills several key components to building meaningful impact stories, including understanding key audiences, mapping out appropriate channels and timing, and developing meaningful and action-oriented messaging and content. The guide also includes examples from the NationSwell community to illustrate storytelling in action. The aim is to tell stories that are creative, human-centered, and audience-first. 

The components covered in this guide include:

  • Goals
  • Audience
  • Channel
  • Timing
  • Core Message
  • Call-to-action
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The Green Seat Guide, Chapter 3

The Green Seat Guide, Chapter 3

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The Green Seat Guide, Chapter 2

The Green Seat Guide, Chapter 2

As corporate sustainability challenges grow more complex, chief sustainability officers (CSOs) are being hired at record rates. They come from diverse professional backgrounds, underscoring the multidisciplinary nature of the role, and often find themselves navigating uncharted waters, tasked with steering an entire enterprise toward ambitious goals. This mandate demands more than just technical knowledge, it demands leadership, vision, and the ability to inspire change at all levels.

While technical guidance on sustainability is widely available through consultants, vendors, and the scientific community, there remains a significant gap in the transfer of practical wisdom. The Green Seat Guide bridges that gap with insights, strategies, and lessons learned from experienced sustainability executives. The aim of the guide is to accelerate the impact of sustainability leaders, new and experienced, by offering practical guidance and learned wisdom from those who have pioneered the role.

Each chapter focuses on an essential component of the sustainability journey and includes a selection of ready-to-use tools to support the adoption of key ideas and tactics.

Chapter 2 – Organizing your team

With a strategy in hand, creating and deploying a well-rounded sustainability team is the sustainability executive’s next most important task. Whether you’ve inherited a staff or need to build a team from scratch, you should be mindful of balancing your technical needs with your strategic needs. Your team will need to be rigorous, detail-oriented, and versatile, and you will need to build key cross-functional relationships beyond your direct reports. 

Chapter 2 of The Green Seat Guide provides guidance on building a successful sustainability team, drawing on the rich insights of those who have done so before.

It is comprised of four sections: 

  1. Working with consultants
  2. Designing your core team
  3. Sourcing and screening the right talent
  4. Leveraging existing internal capabilities

For insights on developing a sustainability strategy, don’t miss Chapter 1.

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Making corporate DEIB more durable

Making corporate DEIB more durable

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Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) professionals are facing heightened political and legal opposition to their day-to-day work. At times, it’s challenging to truly know if and how companies, and DEIB leaders themselves, are shifting their commitments or approaches. 

The reality is that some businesses are pausing or re-evaluating their DEIB strategies. A number of companies are reducing investments in DEIB or choosing to proceed more quietly. But the pendulum is swinging in both directions. There is evidence that the material work of DEIB has endured and will continue to endure. 

Based on interviews with chief diversity officers and other DEIB executives, this report is intended to support leaders and organizations in confidently charting a path forward at a moment of heightened scrutiny.

The resource teaches the four components of a resilient approach to corporate DEIB and includes tactical guidance, real-world examples, and implementation tools.

The four components:

  • Leverage data as the backbone of your commitment
  • Cultivate and activate accountable champions at all levels of the organization
  • Center transparency, honor progress, and strive for continuous improvement
  • Get intentional about future-proofing DEIB
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