As we carry the momentum of 2025 forward into 2026, the path ahead isn’t meant to be walked alone. By building knowledge and trust together, leaders in philanthropy tech will navigate the changes we face and execute on mission. It will take all of us. I want to make a special call out to operations leaders, who might not think of themselves as techies. This coming year will be your time to shine as “guardians of process.”
Here are the trends we see informing our work in 2026:
Investments in Strategic Data Infrastructure
A strong data culture – from data practices to infrastructure – is not only critical to leveraging AI responsibly, but it’s also essential to ensure data is trustworthy, ethical, and mission-aligned.
Across philanthropy, the view of data will continue to shift beyond reporting and compliance requirements into a recognizing it as a core strategic asset to power and advance mission. With the sharper focus on data, mission-driven organizations will seek to embrace a more human-centered data practice – prioritizing community voice, disaggregating data responsibly, and mitigating burdens and risks by reducing data requests on grantees.
Grantmakers who invest more intentionally in data governance, integration, and analytics will gain capabilities for decision-making and learning. Rather than relying on siloed systems and static reports, organizations seeking out interoperable platforms, shared dashboards and other infrastructure will be able to leverage data with intent. With these changes, clearer policies around data quality, access, and use—including how data feeds AI tools – will become paramount.
Risk Management Is Expanding Beyond Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity remains a top concern for foundations, but the definition of “tech risk” is broadening.
Technology risk can no longer just be an IT issue. It is a leadership and governance imperative. In addition to data breaches, leaders must grapple with reputational, financial, and operational risks tied to digital security and safety.
Digital threats will inspire more boards and executive leadership to embed cybersecurity risks into enterprise risk management—alongside finance, governance, and compliance. Cybersecurity insurance will be a non-negotiable for organizations, regardless of their size or focus.
Greater Need Demands New Resiliency and Technology Strategies
In 2026, funding uncertainty and dynamic change will continue to reshape the philanthropic landscape.
According to a 2025 study by CEP, nearly 60% of nonprofits experienced or anticipated losses in funding from state or local government this year. Driven by greater need and limited resources, nonprofit mergers, consolidations continued to grow.
As the new year unfolds, organizations will continue to seek ways to sustain their operations through collaboration, partnerships and mergers. IT strategies will be core to ensuring organizations can continue to do more with less. There will be a demand for shared platforms, more fractional and shared IT personnel, and sector-wide data systems to increase overall efficiency.
Non-Traditional Grantmaking Institutions Drive Demand for Automation
More financial institutions are jumping into the grantmaking game and offering charitable giving programs to their clients.
Estimated at $84 trillion dollars, the great wealth transfer has been reshaping the global economy, investment markets, and philanthropy for the past decade. In fact, the amount of dollars distributed through DAF grants has doubled over the past five years – with a record $65 billion awarded last year.
As more financial institutions offer DAF programs, they will bring new demands on philanthropy technology. From fund management to donor portals to automating payment processing to nonprofits, nontraditional grantmaking institutions will drive innovation in philanthropy tech by demanding tools that can meet both philanthropic and financial regulatory standards while leveraging greater automation.
From Individual Experimentation to Shared Learning
A lack of fundamental skills, clear use cases and internal capacities is stymieing AI enterprise adoption.
Individual AI adoption is now widespread across philanthropy —most commonly, staff are using the tools for research activities, writing and summarizing reports. Despite this widespread use, formal AI strategies, policies, and governance frameworks are lagging across the sector. Without good governance and a clear vision for when to use AI and when to push back, philanthropy may miss a once in a lifetime opportunity to harness technology disruption in service of mission and fail to prevent risks.
Collective learning and transparent knowledge sharing about AI is becoming increasingly urgent. The impacts of AI are widespread. Enterprise adoption is a change management challenge – not a technical one. Good change management fosters a culture of shared learning and mutual benefit. In 2026, seeking out shared learning should be the aim for both grant makers and their grantees; in doing so, grantmakers will strengthen mission and better manage risks.
Watch this space for incredible programs and resources from the TAG community around these topics in 2026. If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to join TAG or renew your membership for 2026!
— Jean Westrick
President and CEO, Technology Association of Grantmakers