How do nonprofits in Latin America use AI?

AI has already arrived in the social sector. The question is no longer whether nonprofits are using it, but how they are using it to generate more impact.

Together with 60 Decibels, we published the report AI Adoption in the Social Sector to understand how social organizations in Latin America are using this technology: what they are learning, what barriers they face, and what results they are achieving.

We found a clear pattern: the biggest challenge wasn't the technology itself. It was developing capabilities, integrating AI into daily work, and supporting change within teams.

Overcoming those initial barriers was worth it. More than 70% of organizations reported significant improvements in their productivity and impact. Here are three cases that show how they are doing it.

Reclaiming time to generate impact

61% of nonprofits use AI to automate administrative and repetitive tasks. 

Generation México connects young people with formal employment. To reduce the time their team spent answering inquiries, they created Geni: a WhatsApp chatbot that answers questions, recommends programs, and screens candidates. In its first few weeks, it freed up 30 hours of operational work. Today, more than 8,000 young people have found dignified employment through their programs.

Better data, better decisions

More than 30% of nonprofits use AI to analyze, organize, and synthesize information.

Sinkumunchis, the only football school in Latin America operating in Quechua, managed information for 3,000 children across 20 Andean communities with incomplete and duplicate records. They created SinkuApp, a platform that centralizes data and generates reports using AI. Today, their coordinators can identify in real-time which children need support and act before problems escalate.

Reaching more people

22% of nonprofits use AI to communicate with their target population and expand their reach.

In Colombia, Bive helps women access cervical cancer screening. To reach those at highest risk without increasing the team's workload, they created a WhatsApp chatbot that prioritizes patients and guides them through their appointments. It has already supported over 17,000 women and increased HPV vaccination rates by 35% in partner hospitals.

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These three cases demonstrate that there isn't a single way to adopt AI. Each organization started with a different problem, but all followed the same path: identifying a challenge, developing the capabilities to integrate the technology, and putting it to work for their mission.

The main takeaway from the study is clear: the value isn't in using more AI but in using it to solve real problems and generate greater impact.

Read the full report here.

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