Building AI Capability Through Trusted Sector Networks in the Philippines

In the Philippines, Infoxchange has been working with the Association of Foundations (AF), the largest national network of nonprofit organisations and foundations in the Philippines, to help its members build the knowledge and confidence to explore AI.

For AF, the opportunity was clear. Many of its members operate with limited staff and funding while managing time-consuming administrative tasks. AI offered a way to work more efficiently, freeing up time to focus on supporting communities. However, organisations needed practical guidance to understand what was possible and how to get started.

From understanding AI to putting it into practice

Over the past year, Infoxchange, TechSoup Asia Pacific and AF have collaborated on 2 tailored webinar series. The first was a 3-part foundational program designed to introduce AI and its potential applications. Building on this, a second 5-part series focused on AI agents, helping participants explore how they could use more advanced tools in their daily work.

For AF's own team, the learning provided a valuable starting point.

"Before, we were just hearing about it, but we [didn't] know where to start. But this series sort of gave us the practical way of starting," said Hana Superal from AF.

This growing confidence was also reflected in member feedback.

One participant shared that they no longer saw AI as simply a question-and-answer chatbot, but as something they could use in their work for planning, evaluation and summarising information.

The hands-on demonstrations helped participants see how AI could support familiar tasks, including creating virtual meeting assistants, researching information from multiple sources, monitoring weekly developments and searching for grant opportunities.

As Milet Aquino from AF explained, some participants had previously felt intimidated by AI or were familiar only with basic ChatGPT functions. Exploring different tools and seeing them demonstrated in real time gave members greater confidence to experiment for themselves.

Building confidence through peer learning

An important part of the partnership has been creating an environment where participants feel comfortable asking questions, trying new things and learning at their own pace.

Rather than taking a traditional classroom approach, facilitator, Jed Adao, encouraged participants to learn alongside him, demonstrating tools, experimenting with unfamiliar features and sharing how he had developed his own AI skills.

Hana described the atmosphere as "not really like a student-teacher relationship, but more on peer learning".

She explained that seeing Jed's own learning journey helped members recognise that they, too, could develop expertise in AI.

This approach has been particularly important for a network that brings together people of different ages, backgrounds and levels of digital experience.

Milet noted that engagement remained consistent throughout the series, with participants continuing to ask questions and valuing the opportunity to work through unfamiliar concepts step by step.

The learning also extends beyond group sessions. AF has welcomed the opportunity for one-on-one mentoring, recognising that some members may be hesitant to discuss their challenges in a group, while others need more tailored guidance to develop their own AI solutions.

For Joey Alegre from AF, this personalised support is valuable even for AF's own team, which is still exploring how to establish AI capabilities within the organisation.

Keeping ethics at the heart of AI adoption

Building confidence isn't just about developing technical skills. For AF, helping members understand the ethical implications of AI has been equally important.

Throughout the series, participants raised questions about data privacy, security and how to protect sensitive information about the people their organisations support. One respondent gave the feedback:

"As nonprofits, we need to be especially mindful of how we use AI because our work involves real people and sensitive information. AI should help strengthen our work not compromise the trust, dignity, and values at the heart of our mission. Glad to know how we can be more ethical when it comes to AI use." – webinar respondent of the Association of Foundations, Philippines   

Milet emphasised that capacity building must extend beyond learning how to create agents or use new tools. It must also help organisations understand their responsibilities to their communities.

These conversations are central to AF's role as a trusted network, providing members with opportunities to explore AI's benefits while considering how to protect beneficiary data and maintain trust.

Creating opportunities for continued learning

The collaboration demonstrates the value of building AI capability with the sector, rather than simply delivering technology to it.

By combining AF's local knowledge and established relationships with Infoxchange and TechSoup Asia Pacific's practical AI education, the partnership has helped members move from curiosity and uncertainty towards greater confidence in exploring AI.

With continued interest in further learning, the partnership also highlights the importance of ongoing support. Webinars, peer learning and personalised mentoring can help organisations develop their skills over time and explore applications relevant to their work.

For nonprofit organisations in the Philippines, the opportunity is not simply to learn about AI, but to build the confidence and capability to use it in ways that strengthen their work and the communities they serve. If you’re a nonprofit interested in upskilling in responsible AI adoption, access peer-to-peer forums, webinars, AI policies and templates and mentoring opportunities in our AI Learning Community here.