AI Policy Guide for Animal Advocacy Organizations
Why this matters:
82% of nonprofits use AI, but only 10% have policies (Whole Whale)
60% of animal advocates cite lack of technical expertise as the #1 barrier (Faunalytics)
Seven Building Blocks for AI Policy
1. Purpose & Scope
A clear statement of why your organization uses AI and what it will (and won't) do.
Key Considerations
What specific problems will AI solve?
Which staff, volunteers, or programs are covered?
What uses are explicitly NOT allowed?
How does AI use connect to your mission?
2. Governance & Accountability
Who is responsible for AI decisions, oversight, and policy updates.
Key Considerations
Who approves new AI tools or uses?
Who handles AI-related complaints or issues?
How often will you review and update the policy?
Small orgs: designate a lead; larger orgs: consider a committee
3. Data Handling & Privacy
Rules for what data AI can access and how it must be protected.
Key Considerations
What donor/supporter data can be used with which AI tools?
Do you need consent before using personal data in AI?
How long is AI-processed data stored?
Which laws apply (GDPR, state privacy laws)?
Data Sensitivity Tiers
Tier 1: Public
Such as website content, published reports, social media
AI Access Consideration: Generally OK to use with AI tools such as chatGPT?
Tier 2: Internal
Such as campaign plans, strategic documentation
AI Access Consideration: Generally OK to use with AI tools such as chatGPT? Does “training” need to be turned off in settings?
Tier 3: Sensitive
Such as donor names, volunteer lists, payment info, health data, investigation details
AI Access Consideration: Only use secure models (such as local models or end-to-end encrypted models)? Is human review required?
4. Ethics & Risk Management
Standards for fair, accurate, and mission-aligned AI use.
Key Considerations
How will you check AI outputs for accuracy?
What biases might affect your work (including speciesism)?
What happens when AI makes a mistake?
What error rate might be acceptable for certain tasks?
Which decisions require human approval (human-in-the-loop)?
5. Transparency & Communication
How you tell supporters, partners, and beneficiaries about AI use.
Key Considerations
Will you publish your AI policy on your website?
When must you disclose that AI was used?
How can supporters ask questions or opt out?
What updates will you share as AI use evolves?
What implications does your AI Policy have on your Privacy Policy, if any?
6. Training & Vendor Management
How staff learn to use AI responsibly and how you choose AI tools.
Key Considerations
What training will staff receive before using AI?
How do you approve new AI tools?
What security standards must vendors meet?
What if a vendor changes their terms or shuts down?
7. Incident Response
Your plan for when something goes wrong with AI.
Key Considerations
Who do staff contact if AI produces harmful content?
What steps will you take to fix the problem?
When and how will you notify affected parties?
How will you prevent the same issue from happening again?
Animal Advocacy-specific Considerations
Speciesist Bias
Most AI models are trained on data that normalizes animal exploitation. Your policy should:
Consider review of AI-generated content for speciesist language where applicable
Consider using animal-aligned tools for advocacy content
Train staff to identify and correct biased outputs
Welfare Claims Accuracy
AI can generate false or exaggerated welfare claims. Protect your credibility by:
Requiring fact-checking and citations for all welfare statements
Using verifiable metrics in reports
Consider where human expert review before publishing AI-assisted content is needed
Movement Data Sharing
The animal advocacy movement can benefit from shared AI development. Consider:
What data you can share openly to help train animal-aligned AI
Protecting coalition partner identities and strategies
Contributing to open-source animal advocacy AI projects
Global & Cultural Nuance
Animal welfare laws and cultural norms vary widely. Ensure:
AI translations are reviewed for cultural sensitivity
Regional legal requirements are followed
Local experts review AI-generated content for their markets
Implementation Roadmap
Don't try to do everything at once. Follow a phased approach:
Month 1-3: Foundation
Draft baseline policy using a template
Form a small working group (include animal welfare expertise)
Inventory current AI tools and data flows
Get board approval for policy framework
Month 3-6: Pilot
Start with a low-risk project (e.g., internal research, data cleaning)
Define clear success metrics
Require human review checkpoints
Begin staff training
Month 6-12: Expand
Add mission-aligned use case (e.g., donor outreach, impact analysis)
Implement regular bias and accuracy audits
Publish your AI policy externally
Gather feedback from supporters
Ongoing: Maintain
Review policy at least annually (and after major AI changes)
Track outcomes and lessons learned
Stay current on AI developments and regulations
Share learnings with other advocacy organizations
Quick-Start Checklist
WEEK 1: ASSESS
☐ List all AI tools currently being used by staff
☐ Identify who is using AI and for what purposes
☐ Map what data flows through AI tools
WEEK 2-3: DRAFT
☐ Use Fast Forward Policy Builder to create draft
☐ Add animal advocacy-specific sections
☐ Circulate to working group for input
WEEK 4: APPROVE
☐ Present to leadership/board for approval
☐ Assign governance roles
☐ Schedule first policy review date
MONTH 2+: IMPLEMENT
☐ Train staff on the policy
☐ Launch pilot project with human oversight
☐ Publish policy on website
☐ Set up feedback mechanism for supporters
Resources & Tools
Policy Templates & Builders
Fast Forward Nonprofit AI Policy Builder - Free interactive tool that generates custom policies.
ANB Advisory Template - Comprehensive policy template with data sensitivity tiers.
AI Impact Hub - Provides a free AI starter toolkit with AI Maturity Model Quiz, Introduction to AI eBook, Policy Template
Animal Advocacy-Specific Resources
Open Paws - We are creating anti-speciesist AI and providing free technical training for animal advocacy organizations.
Faunalytics: AI And Animal Advocacy - Research summaries on AI in animal advocacy.
Animal Charity Evaluators: The impacts of AI on animal advocacy - Analysis of how AI affects animal advocacy work.