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WORKSHOP: Govern First, Adopt Wisely

A practical AI governance talk for nonprofit leaders and boards.


About this Service

Eighty percent of Canadian nonprofits are already using AI. Ten percent have a policy. If your staff are using these tools and you don't have a plan yet, this hour gives you a framework to decide, on purpose, what your organization will do about it. Who it's for: Boards, staff teams, communities of practice, sector associations and accreditation bodies. Built through direct conversations with hundreds of Canadian nonprofit leaders, for teams without a legal department, an IT team or a risk manager to hand this to. What the hour covers: Why nobody can see clearly right now, and why you are not behind · Your mission and values as the AI decision tool you already have · Three pillars, the eight conversations a real policy covers, and the two-layer policy your board approves once and your team updates as tools change · What Canadian law already applies: privacy, human rights, CRA, OCAP and CARE · Three starting points, so you leave knowing which one is yours What people leave with: One message to send the whole team this week that closes the most dangerous gap · The AI Policy Starter Questions take-home · The Data Practices Primer · The full Nonprofit AI Policy and Governance Framework, free to use and share · A reference list of the Canadian legal sources Format and investment: 60 minutes including Q&A. Interactive throughout. Online or in person (travel billed separately). From $750 CAD for nonprofits and sector associations. Tailored to your organization from $1,200. "The session was practical, engaging, interactive, and highly relevant to the realities facing nonprofit organizations today. Attendees left with actionable insights and tangible supports they could immediately apply within their own organizations. We would recommend Sarah as a facilitator and thought partner." Cheryl Whiteman, Executive Director, FOCUS Accreditation Bring this hour to your board, your team or your community. Book a free 30-minute discovery call to see if this is a great fit. https://calendar.app.google/h9amN5gzPE9ripP48


I’m a white settler, grateful to be a living on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded lands of the Songhees, Esquimalt (Lək̓ʷəŋən), and WSÁNEĆ peoples. Unceded means they were never signed over through treaty rights, and still rightfully belong to the nations who have stewarded them since time immemorial.

I recognize the ongoing impacts of colonialism and commit to using my voice and work to contribute to truth, repair, and meaningful change.

hello@sarahdowneyconsulting.com

Victoria, BC
CANADA

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© 2026 by Sarah Downey Consulting and Wix

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