Responsible AI at Blackbaud
Protect the trust you’ve earned with responsible AI innovation.
See how we help you achieve more with AI innovation that builds trust, helps protect your mission, and delivers meaningful outcomes.
AI isn’t just transforming technology—it’s transforming responsibility.
That’s why, at Blackbaud, responsible AI isn’t a feature… it’s a foundation. It’s embedded into every element of how we design, govern, and deploy our solutions.
Carrie Cobb
Chief Data and AI Officer at Blackbaud
Mission First
Every decision we make about how AI is designed and deployed should be measured against one question: Does this meaningfully advance the work of social impact organizations and the people, communities, and causes they serve?
Transparency and Explainability
AI should never be a black box. Our goal is for every person using AI-enabled services to understand what is happening, why, and how to make confident, informed decisions as a result.
Fairness, Inclusion, and Accessibility
We believe AI should reflect the full diversity of the sector it serves. That means continuously examining data and outcomes, designing for accessibility from the start, and holding ourselves accountable to equitable results.
Safety, Security, and Privacy
Trust is foundational to everything we do. AI should perform predictably, protect what organizations share with us, and uphold the integrity of the relationships and data at the heart of social impact work.
Accountability and Human Oversight
Automation should never be at the cost of human judgement. We believe the people using AI should always be able to guide it, question it, and override it—and that meaningful accountability must stay with the humans behind every decision.
Sustainability and Stewardship
The social impact sector deserves AI that strengthens it over time. That means making thoughtful choices about resources, design, and innovation—always with an eye on the organizations, communities, and missions that depend on us getting this right.
How We’re Leading the Way in
Trustworthy AI
Secure and Responsible AI by Design
We build AI with security and risk management embedded from the start, aligned to frameworks such as OWASP, the CSA AI Control Matrix, and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework. Our broader security posture is supported by SOC 1, SOC 2, PCI DSS, and HIPAA certifications, along with continuous monitoring to safeguard sensitive data.
Visit Our Trust Center
Accountability at Every Step
Every AI innovation we deliver is guided by rigorous impact assessments and clear governance. We evaluate ethics, privacy, compliance, and environmental considerations throughout the AI lifecycle to ensure innovation works for good.
Read Our Social Impact Report
Leadership That Helps Set the Standard
Our leaders play an important role in shaping frameworks, informing policies, and guiding best practices for responsible AI adoption across the social impact sector.
Learn More About Our Sector Leadership
Built on Evidence and Centered on People
Responsible AI at Blackbaud is powered by expert research and unmatched sector data, so every decision reflects the real needs of the communities we serve.
Research From the Blackbaud InstituteFree AI Certification
Empowering You to Adopt Responsible AI with Confidence
Together, with the AI Coalition for Social Impact, we’re creating a free, on-demand certification for all social impact professionals to gain the practical skills to use AI effectively and responsibly.
Ready to get started with responsible AI innovation?
Responsible AI at Blackbaud is about trust and taking a people-first approach. It’s a research-led practice shaped by data, customer collaboration, and insights from the Blackbaud Institute. We design, govern, and deploy AI intentionally, so our customers can innovate with confidence and stay focused on what matters most.
No. We do not use customer data to train AI models. Customer data remains under customer ownership and control.
Blackbaud’s AI‑enabled capabilities use data only as needed to deliver their intended purpose. Customer data and AI‑generated outputs are protected by the same access, retention, and deletion controls that apply across Blackbaud solutions.
Additional details are available in the Blackbaud AI Terms and Conditions and Trust Center.
Blackbaud embeds security and risk management into AI development by following industry-recognized frameworks, such as OWASP, the CSA AI Control Matrix, and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework.
Our broader security program is supported by SOC 1, SOC 2, PCI DSS, and HIPAA certifications, along with continuous monitoring to safeguard sensitive data.
We also provide 24/7 monitoring and implement proactive threat defense measures to safeguard customer and donor information.
You can learn more about our data security programs in our Trust Center.
Yes. Blackbaud uses a human‑in‑the‑loop approach to AI to ensure people remain in control of decisions at all times.
Blackbaud designs AI to augment human judgment, not replace it. Most AI‑enabled capabilities are intentionally advisory—helping people prioritize information, gain insight, and act with greater confidence while retaining full decision‑making authority.
When AI plays a more proactive role, Blackbaud applies explicit human‑in‑the‑loop safeguards, including review, oversight, and approval workflows. These controls allow people to guide, validate, override, or intervene in AI‑assisted outcomes as needed, ensuring accountability remains firmly with humans throughout the AI lifecycle.
Fairness and inclusion are core principles of Blackbaud’s responsible AI approach. We evaluate datasets for quality and representativeness, identify potential sources of bias, and apply testing and monitoring to help reduce the risk of unintended disparities.
Responsible AI is an ongoing practice. As AI systems are used in real‑world contexts, we continuously assess performance and outcomes to ensure they align with our principles and the needs of the diverse communities our customers serve.
Sustainability and stewardship are core principles of Blackbaud’s responsible AI approach. As AI adoption grows, we’re committed to using resources thoughtfully and making responsible choices that support long‑term environmental sustainability.
This includes working closely with cloud and infrastructure providers that have strong commitments to renewable energy and efficiency, as well as continuously evaluating how our technology choices contribute to broader environmental impact.
While the environmental footprint of AI continues to evolve, we view responsible resource use as an important part of building AI that serves people, communities, and missions over the long term.