Across Canada, non-profit sport organizations are the backbone of community life. They run hockey leagues, swimming programs and youth fitness initiatives that keep millions of people active and connected. But these organizations, mos
This is why Professor Milena Parent of the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa has been awarded a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Insight Grant for her research project titled “From Surviving to Thriving: Responsible AI for Resource-Constrained Sport Organizations.”
Professor Parent was also awarded the Distinguished Research Award from the North American Society for Sport Management in 2026.
Although AI tools, from machine learning to generative AI, are causing enormous excitement across industries, the organizations that might need them most are the least equipped to adopt them safely. Canada’s non-profit sport sector comprises roughly 33,600 organizations and contributes $6.1 billion to the national economy. Yet most operate with fewer than 11 employees and modest budgets, leaving them highly vulnerable to both financial shocks and the risks of unguided technology adoption. Federal budget cuts of 15%, combined with a $104-million funding shortfall, have left some organizations warned they might receive no public funding moving forward. Without guidance, the rush to adopt AI risks eroding core values, deepening inequities or compromising athlete privacy, especially for young and underage athletes.
Partnering with sport to build an AI roadmap
Using a hands-on approach called canonical action research, the project partners with non-profit sport organizations at the national, provincial/territorial and community levels, working alongside them rather than studying them from the outside. The research draws on management theory, digital transformation research and institutional theory. It examines how organizations with competing priorities, such as community service, competitive success and financial survival, can navigate AI adoption responsibly.
The project has three interconnected phases: a thorough assessment of current AI awareness, readiness, benefits and risks across participating organizations; co-creation of an evidence-based AI toolkit featuring organizational values, ethical safeguards and best practices; and a rigorous evaluation of AI’s real-world impact at both the organizational and sector-wide level. By studying AI adoption in a setting where resources are limited and communities’ needs are greatest, this research will improve management and AI theory. It will create a values-based approach to AI governance that other mission-driven organizations serving vulnerable groups can use.
Why this research matters
The timing of this work is significant. Canada’s non-profit sport organizations do not simply run games. They protect athlete welfare, promote health and inclusion, sustain communities and generate economic and social benefits nationwide. As federal funding tightens and the pressure to modernize intensifies, the sector urgently needs evidence-based support to make smart, safe decisions about technology. Yet most AI research focuses on large, for-profit corporations with dedicated tech teams, leaving small, mission-driven organizations without guidance tailored to their realities.
This research fills that gap in a way that matters both inside and outside academia. For scholars, it will generate new theoretical insights into how tech tools carry and reshape organizational values, advancing knowledge across management science, AI governance and non-profit studies. For practitioners, it will produce practical, accessible tools, including a publicly available AI toolkit, ethical implementation guidelines and training resources for sport managers, policymakers and decision-makers.
Ultimately, the lessons learned from sport will travel far. Healthcare, education, arts and social service organizations face the same tensions: tight budgets, high community expectations and growing pressure to adopt AI without a clear roadmap. By giving non-profit sport organizations the knowledge and resources to act responsibly, this research could reduce the risks of poorly managed AI adoption, strengthen organizational resilience across sectors and set a new standard for what ethical, mission-aligned technology use can look like in Canada and beyond.
