Call for Applications: AI & Digital Tools for CSOs
AI & digital skills for the organisations closest to communities
Building practical skills for stronger programmes and evidence based advocacy
- 100CSO representatives across cohorts
- Free of costparticipation fee
- Primarily virtualone in-person cohort in Delhi/NCR for 30
- 30 Novapplications close, 11:59 PM IST
Every CSO carries a long to-do list
A proposal due on Friday. Programme data nobody has had time to chart. A story from the community that deserves to be heard.
Behind each of them is a small team doing the work of many. This programme is for the people who carry all of it.
CivicDataLab, along with UNDP India, invites applications from civil society organisations for a capacity-building programme on AI and digital tools. The programme will equip 100 CSO representatives with practical skills they can apply to their day-to-day work and their organisation’s contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals.
The programme will help CSOs choose and use AI and digital tools for common organisational tasks, understand their limitations and apply appropriate human judgement. Learning will connect to real CSO workflows and development priorities, with responsible use, privacy, informed consent and bias awareness integrated throughout.
Training will primarily use open-source, free-to-use or freely accessible tools.
Four tools for the work you already do
AI for proposals, documentation and reports
Use AI-enabled assistants to support drafting, structuring and reviewing proposals, organisational documentation and reports, while checking outputs and protecting sensitive information.
Data analysis and visualisation
Explore tools for analysing programme data, identifying patterns and presenting findings clearly for reporting and evidence-based advocacy.
Communication, outreach and storytelling
Use digital platforms to communicate organisational work, strengthen outreach and develop stories grounded in evidence.
Workflow management and collaboration
Explore tools that support task coordination, team collaboration and everyday digital productivity.
The programme will also help participants recognise common risks associated with AI use, including inaccurate or misleading outputs, bias, data privacy concerns and the use of sensitive community information.
A path you walk with others
Understand your starting point
A baseline assessment will explore current digital infrastructure, access to devices and connectivity, tool use, AI awareness and organisational practices. The findings will inform training content and grouping by digital readiness, so that participants can learn at an appropriate pace.
Build practical skills
Participants will learn through four connected modules, using demonstrations, guided exercises and CSO-relevant examples.
Practise with support
Training will include live sessions, hands-on tasks, demonstrations, recorded modules and practical resources. 30 participants will join a two-day workshop in Delhi/NCR; remaining participants will be reached through virtual cohorts. Cohort allocation and the confirmed session schedule will be shared with selected applicants. Mentoring clinics, troubleshooting support and peer exchange will help participants apply tools to their own organisational tasks. The proposed approach includes a helpdesk, a discussion forum and peer champions who can support continued learning within and across organisations.
Participation fee
Free of cost
Participants will have access to practical learning materials, toolkits and guides developed for the programme. Materials will be designed for varying levels of digital literacy; specific accessibility and regional-language support will be confirmed with the final delivery plan.
In-person workshop
Selected 30 organisations will participate in one in-person two-day workshop for immersive training. Participants will have to make their own travel arrangements (flights/trains) for the in-person workshop in Delhi. The workshop venue, accommodation, training materials, lunch and tea/coffee breaks are arranged under the programme. Dates will be announced at a later stage.
Apply nowWho should apply
Applications are invited from CSOs in India seeking to strengthen the practical use of AI and digital tools in their organisational work. The programme will accommodate participants with different levels of digital literacy, with learning pathways informed by the baseline assessment.
Who it is for: CSO representatives in India, particularly from organisations working in education, skill development, women’s economic empowerment and livelihoods, with a focus on marginalised communities, including tribal populations.
Selection will prioritise
- Organisations working in education, skill development, women’s economic empowerment and livelihoods, particularly those led by or serving marginalised communities, including tribal populations
- Organisations working in underserved regions and supporting communities with limited access to digital tools and resources
- Organisations seeking to use AI and digital technologies to strengthen their work, expand their reach and improve their impact
- Organisations with multi-state operations or the potential to scale their work
The selection process will seek diversity across geography, thematic focus, organisational size and representation of marginalised communities. Women-led organisations are encouraged to apply.
Expectations from participants
- Organisations should nominate a representative whose work relates to one or more of the learning areas and who can apply and share the learning internally.
- Complete the baseline assessment and share relevant learning needs and access requirements
- Attend the sessions assigned to your cohort and complete the hands-on exercises
- Bring an organisational task or workflow to explore, using appropriate non-sensitive or de-identified material
- Participate in peer learning, provide feedback and complete the end-line assessment
- If allocated to the Delhi/NCR cohort, attend the two-day workshop and arrange travel at your own or your organisation’s cost
Expected learning outcomes
By the end of the training, participants are expected to be better able to:
- Improve organisational efficiency by using digital and AI tools to reduce efforts on routine tasks
- Select appropriate AI and digital tools for common CSO tasks and understand their benefits, limitations and costs
- Use tools to support documentation, proposal writing, reporting, data analysis, visualisation, communication and collaboration
- Apply privacy, consent, bias awareness and human review to decisions about AI and digital tool use
- Identify practical opportunities to improve organisational workflows and share learning with colleagues
- Assess their progress and identify priorities for continued learning and adoption
How applications will be assessed
Applications and baseline findings will inform an assessment of programme fit, digital readiness, learning needs and opportunities to apply the training in organisational practice. Shortlisting will balance the stated priorities with diversity and inclusion across the cohort. Final selection criteria and the participant list will be approved by UNDP.
What the form asks, before you open it
Read the questions now and gather your answers with your team. Starred questions are required. Your responses will help CivicDataLab and UNDP India shape the programme.
Section 1: About your organisation
- Your full name *
- Your role in the organisation *
- Email address *
- Phone number with country code *
- Organisation name *
- Registration type *
- Which states or districts does your organisation work in? *
- What are your organisation’s main areas of work? *
- Is your organisation led by members of the communities it primarily serves? (optional)
Section 2: Current digital and AI use
- What does your organisation use AI tools for? *
- What are the main barriers to using AI effectively? *
- How confident are staff in checking AI output before using it? *
- Which skills would be most useful to your organisation? *
- Which learning methods would help you most? *
Section 3: Access and participation
- What device and internet access will the nominated learner have? *
- Which language would be most comfortable for learning? *
- What support would help the learner participate? *
- Can the same person attend throughout the programme and practise between sessions? *
- If invited to the two-day Delhi/NCR workshop, could the learner attend with travel paid by their organisation or themselves? *
Section 4: Consent
- Do you consent to the use of your responses for this assessment? *
- Would your organisation consider sharing a use case, blog or learning story from the programme? *
- Is there anything else we should know about your learning or participation needs? (optional)
Ready to apply
We invite organisations interested in using AI and digital tools responsibly to strengthen their everyday work and contribution to inclusive development to apply.
Applications close: 30 November at 11:59 pm IST
For queries or access requirements, please reach out to dpg@civicdatalab.in.
By submitting this form, you consent to CivicDataLab and UNDP India collecting and using the information you provide (your name, role, email address, phone number, organisation details and your responses about your digital and AI use and learning needs) to assess your application for the AI & Digital Tools for CSOs programme, to plan the programme, and to contact you about participation, including if you are selected. To withdraw your consent at any time, to exercise your rights under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, or to make a complaint, please email us at dpg@civicdatalab.in.
Baseline assessment questionnaire
This form takes approximately 10 minutes. No prior AI experience is required. Brief answers and estimates are welcome. Starred questions are mandatory. Submission does not guarantee selection.
How your information will be used. CDL, working with UNDP India, will use your responses to understand training needs, plan the programme and contact you about participation. Responses may be shared with UNDP India. Findings will be reported in aggregate or without identifying your organisation.
Participation is voluntary. Please do not include confidential information or personal details of the people you serve. Publication of case studies will follow the consent preferences recorded below. Personal quotations, photographs or other identifying information will require separate consent.
For queries or assistance, contact dpg@civicdatalab.in.