Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer an emerging experiment for the purpose-led sector. It is rapidly becoming part of day-to-day operations. But while adoption has accelerated, many organisations are still working out how to use AI in ways that are safe, measurable, and aligned with their mission.
In response to this growing gap, digital product agency 3 Sided Cube has released a new AI Readiness Toolkit – a 43-page practical guidebook designed to help charities, NGOs, and mission-aligned teams adopt AI responsibly and with confidence.
The release builds directly on the agency’s latest AI for Good Adoption research, which paints a clear picture of a sector that has moved quickly into AI experimentation but is still maturing in how it governs and scales the technology.
Adoption is high. Readiness is still catching up.
According to 3 Sided Cube’s 2025 research across its global Tech For Good network, 89% of purpose-led organisations are already using AI in some capacity. Encouragingly, 77% report seeing positive improvements, and around 90% plan to deepen adoption over the next 12 months.
However, the data also highlights structural gaps that could slow or complicate progress.
Only 56% of organisations currently have an AI or ethics policy in place, and 46% rarely involve affected communities in their AI work. In practice, this suggests many teams are moving forward with AI without consistent guardrails, clear success metrics, or structured ways to gather real-world feedback.
It is this “adoption versus readiness” gap that the new toolkit is designed to address.
A practical guide built for real-world delivery
Rather than focusing on tools or models, the AI Readiness Toolkit takes a delivery-first approach. The 43-page guidebook provides a structured six-step framework that organisations can use to move from early experimentation to measurable, mission-safe impact.
The framework walks teams through how to:
- Define one clear, high-value problem using a Jobs to be Done lens
- Choose a single human-centred KPI to prove whether AI is helping
- Put lightweight ethical guardrails in place
- Involve communities affected by AI outputs
- Scope a safe minimum viable product (MVP)
- Set clear stop, pause, and rollback rules
The emphasis throughout is on clarity, discipline, and human outcomes – helping organisations avoid what 3 Sided Cube describes as “vibes-based AI pilots” that are difficult to evaluate or safely scale.
Shaped by frontline experience
The toolkit is not purely theoretical. It has been informed by research conducted across 3 Sided Cube’s Tech For Good network of more than 500 organisations, including contributions from major international NGOs.
In addition, the framework incorporates practitioner insight from a specialist panel featuring leaders applying AI in complex, high-stakes environments, including WWF International, Amnesty International, and The Kaleidoscope Project.
These perspectives helped shape the toolkit’s focus on practical governance, community involvement, and measurable outcomes – areas that many organisations reported finding challenging in the research.
Moving the sector from experimentation to evidence
For many purpose-led organisations, the question is no longer whether to use AI. The more pressing challenge is how to implement it in ways that maintain trust, protect vulnerable communities, and deliver demonstrable value.
3 Sided Cube positions the AI Readiness Toolkit as a bridge between early enthusiasm and operational maturity. By encouraging teams to start small, measure impact in human terms, and build in clear guardrails from the outset, the guide aims to help organisations progress with greater confidence.
As AI continues to embed itself across the nonprofit and mission-aligned landscape, practical frameworks like this may play an important role in helping the sector translate adoption into responsible, real-world impact.
Access the toolkit
The AI Readiness Toolkit is now available to download for free from 3 Sided Cube.
Purpose-led teams looking to strengthen their approach to responsible AI can access the full 43-page guide via the 3 Sided Cube website.
About 3 Sided Cube
3 Sided Cube is an AI-first digital product agency focused on building technology for good. The company partners with organisations including the American Red Cross, UN agencies, and leading NGOs to design and scale digital products that help people and the planet.