academyEX has launched an AI training initiative that will give New Zealand charities access to its learning platform when companies purchase a license. The scheme links a company’s training purchases with a registered charity or non-profit donor.
The program, called AI for Good, is built around academyEX’s AI for Business online platform. In this model, each business license triggers the donation of a license to a charity or non-profit organization in need of AI training.
The initiative aims to widen access to AI skills beyond the corporate sector, which typically has deep training budgets. academyEX positions the scheme as a way to spread practical knowledge and responsible use of AI tools to organizations that often have limited budgets and operate with small teams.
The learning platform includes structured courses, resources, a weekly updated tool library, digital credentials, and interactive playgrounds. This content is designed to build AI literacy and confidence across your organization, rather than targeting a narrow group of experts.
charity access
The campaign allows businesses to nominate a charity they already support or choose from a curated list of nonprofits seeking AI training. This creates a direct link between commercial purchases and community group access.
Frances Valintine, founder and CEO of academyEX, said the aim is to make AI literacy more widespread throughout the economy and community. “When more people understand AI and how to use it safely and effectively, we create a workforce and society that is more confident, more capable, and better prepared for the future.
“AI for Good is about making AI literacy more widely shared,” Valintine says.
The initiative comes as organizations in New Zealand and elsewhere are considering how quickly to introduce AI tools into daily operations, while addressing governance, training and risk. The challenge for many charities is not only deciding where AI can be useful, but also finding the time and funding to train staff.
Balintin said this imbalance could leave some sectors behind as businesses move faster. “New Zealand’s competitiveness in an AI-driven world will depend on how quickly organizations can build the right skills to use these technologies responsibly and confidently. Businesses are investing in AI capabilities for their teams, but many charities and community organizations don’t have the same resources. AI for Good enables businesses to build their own capabilities, while also helping them extend those skills to organizations doing important work in their communities,” she said.
initial test
Before rolling out broadly, academyEX tested the platform with charity partners such as Ronald McDonald House and Canteen. This work aimed to assess whether the training is practical for nonprofit facilities whose staffing, service delivery, and communication needs may be different than those of large corporations.
The pilot also allowed academyEX to assess whether the course material matched the operational realities of charities. Feedback helped us make sure the content was relevant before wider release.
“We wanted to make sure that this program really works for charities before we begin this effort,” Valintine said.
“Testing content with organizations like Ronald McDonald House confirms that accessible AI skills can make a huge difference to the way charities operate, communicate and deliver services,” she said.
broader push
academyEX describes itself as a graduate institution and educational technology provider focused on professional education in AI, change, education, and leadership. Over the past decade, he says he has worked with thousands of professionals and organizations, including government agencies, large corporations, and financial institutions.
Organizations mentioned included the New Zealand Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Air New Zealand and Fonterra. This customer base gives academyEX a route to potential employers who may be able to support charitable plans through their training budgets.
The announcement also reflects broader changes in workplace learning, as employers look to move the implementation of AI beyond isolated experimentation to broader staff use. As companies look to deepen their internal understanding of where AI can help and where controls are needed, training providers are responding with courses aimed at non-technical workers.
For philanthropy, the pressures are different. Many companies are expected to improve management, financing, communication, and service delivery with limited resources, making low-cost or donor-funded training more attractive than large-scale technology projects.
Valintine said the risks of unequal access are already emerging as companies rapidly adopt AI tools. “As businesses rapidly adopt AI tools, there is a real risk that parts of our community will be left behind. AI for Good is our effort to ensure capabilities grow in both our organizations and communities,” she said.
