As more charities adopt digital tools to increase efficiency and better serve their communities, integrating an AI-driven platform like Notebook LM could be a game-changer.

(These kind of tools are covered in our AI Policy for Charities template that you can use to create your own right now.)

Here’s how it can support charities and enhance the experience for both staff and volunteers.

What is Google’s Notebook LM?

Notebook LM is Google’s AI-powered note-taking tool, designed to help users manage information, generate insights, and collaborate more effectively. It combines the flexibility of a traditional notebook with the power of machine learning to assist with summarising, brainstorming, and managing complex information.

Charities, could leverage this technology to streamline their processes and improve team dynamics.

1. Enhancing Team and Volunteer Onboarding

One of the most critical parts of any charity’s operations is onboarding new staff and volunteers. This process can often be overwhelming, especially in smaller organisations where HR resources are stretched thin. By adding your existing policies and content to the tool, Notebook LM can provide a more structured and consistent onboarding experience for everyone.

• Centralised Onboarding Information: New staff and volunteers could be given access to shared notebooks containing key policies, procedures, and important contact information. The AI can help summarise lengthy documents, making the information more digestible for newcomers.

• Personalised Learning: Notebook LM could be set up to track individual progress during the onboarding process. For example, volunteers could ask the tool specific questions about the organisation’s history, procedures, or expectations, receiving immediate answers based on internal documentation. This reduces the burden on senior staff to provide 1:1 training and ensures consistency in the information provided.

• Real-Time Collaboration: New team members can collaborate and ask questions directly within the notebook, allowing them to engage with both the content and their colleagues during their onboarding. This real-time engagement helps them feel more supported and less isolated.

2. Improving Communication and Reducing Information Overload

In charities, communication breakdowns can have serious consequences, leading to missed opportunities or errors in service delivery. Many charities rely on email and messaging apps, which can lead to information overload. Google’s Notebook LM offers a more organised way to manage and access important information.

• Summarising Long Discussions: For teams that engage in lengthy email chains or chat threads, Notebook LM’s summarisation feature can pull out the key points and next steps, making it easier for everyone to stay aligned without having to read through pages of correspondence.

• Structured Knowledge Sharing: Team members can upload notes from meetings or important events, and the AI can help organise the information, ensuring that knowledge is not lost in the shuffle. This also helps break down silos of information, where only a few key people know important details, improving transparency across the organisation.

• Supporting Distributed Teams: Many charities now operate with distributed teams, making communication even more critical. Notebook LM allows for centralised note-taking and sharing, reducing the risk of important details being lost when working remotely.

3. Supporting Psychological Safety in Teams

Psychological safety—the belief that one can speak up without fear of punishment or embarrassment—is crucial in charity work, where teams often deal with sensitive and emotionally charged situations. Notebook LM could help cultivate a more psychologically safe environment through structured support and collaboration.

• Anonymous Feedback Mechanisms: Notebook LM can provide a safe space for team members to share their thoughts, questions, or concerns anonymously. This is particularly valuable in hierarchical structures, where more junior staff or volunteers may feel uncomfortable speaking up in front of more senior figures.

• Facilitating Open Dialogue: Through its collaborative features, Notebook LM can act as a neutral platform for discussions around sensitive topics. Team members can leave comments or ask questions in shared notebooks without the pressure of formal meetings, fostering a more inclusive environment for feedback.

• Tracking Team Wellbeing: By keeping a record of internal discussions, the tool can help leaders identify recurring concerns or potential areas of stress within the team. For example, if feedback around workloads or communication breakdowns is surfacing frequently, managers can use that insight to take pre-emptive action, addressing these issues before they escalate.

4. Facilitating Continuous Learning and Development

Charities often struggle to offer ongoing learning and development opportunities due to time or budget constraints. Notebook LM can help overcome these challenges by supporting a culture of continuous learning within the team.

• Accessible Learning Resources: Notebook LM can serve as a repository of training materials, from best practice guides to video tutorials. The AI can help summarise key points or suggest additional learning based on an individual’s area of work or interest, making training more personalised and relevant.

• Encouraging Reflective Practice: The tool can also be used for reflective practice, where staff and volunteers take time to document their experiences, challenges, and insights. Over time, this creates a rich resource for others to learn from, improving the overall knowledge base of the organisation.

• Tracking Progress and Development Goals: Notebook LM can track personal development goals and provide insights on areas of improvement. It can help teams set learning goals and follow through on them, even if there isn’t a dedicated training department to oversee these efforts.

5. Optimising Project Management and Collaboration

For charities that manage multiple projects simultaneously, keeping everything organised can be a logistical nightmare. Notebook LM could streamline project management by centralising project notes, tasks, and deadlines in one place.

• Tracking Project Progress: Each project can have its own dedicated notebook, where all the relevant information, from initial brainstorming to ongoing progress updates, is stored. This ensures that nothing is overlooked, and any team member can quickly get up to speed on the project’s status.

• Task Assignment and Follow-Up: The tool’s collaborative features mean that tasks can be easily assigned, and team members can check in on progress without having to wade through countless emails. This reduces confusion and improves accountability within the team.

• Preventing Burnout: By having a clear overview of who is working on what and when Notebook LM can help managers balance workloads more effectively, reducing the risk of staff burnout.

Conclusion

Google’s Notebook LM offers charities a range of tools that can help improve efficiency, communication, and psychological safety. By centralising information, supporting onboarding and training, and fostering an open, collaborative environment, charities can create a more supportive, productive space for their staff and volunteers. Integrating such digital tools will not only improve day-to-day operations but also contribute to the long-term sustainability and wellbeing of the organisation.

As charities continue to adapt to the digital landscape, embracing tools like Notebook LM could be the step they need to ensure both operational success and a healthier, more resilient team culture.

These kind of tools are covered in our AI Policy for Charities template that you can use to create your own right now.