WSTI Festi 2026: AI for Not-for-Profits & Community

*Early access for people who live, work or study in the City of Parramatta. When you RSVP, we ask for your postcode.

WSTI Festi 2026: AI for Not-for-Profits & Community

Curious about using AI agents to augment and automate everyday work, but not sure what that would actually look like in your organisation, or whether your team could do it? This night is for you.

A well-established local not-for-profit brings a genuine everyday challenge, the kind almost every not-for-profit will recognise. Over a few short sessions before the night, WSTI has coached their team to set up an agentic AI system and build their own AI solution.

On stage, they'll show you how they did it: the questions they asked, the decisions they made and the challenges they faced. Then they'll showcase the initial results live, using sample data only, so no real client or volunteer information is shared.

We don't build it for you. We build it with you.

That's how WSTI works with organisations every week, because the skills should stay with your team long after we leave. And we believe the team should always be in the driver's seat.

After all, responsible AI starts with your organisation, the people you serve and the problem worth solving, not with the technology. You'll leave knowing how to take that first step in your own organisation.

How the night runs
• Doors open from 5:30 PM, with light refreshments
• Welcome from WSTI and Cr Hayley French, City of Parramatta
• Meet the case study: what the organisation does and where the pressure points are
• The journey: what the AI transformation sessions looked like, from the first discovery questions to choosing one safe, contained use case
• The live showcase: the not-for-profit team shows what they built and the initial results, on stage
• The honest reflection: in their own words, what works, what the challenges are, and what they decided must stay human
• Your turn: in teams, run the discovery questions on your own organisation and pick your first use case. Then discuss how your team's roles could change when AI agents work alongside people.
• Q&A and networking until 8:00 PM

What you get
• A real look at how a not-for-profit team, not just a tech expert, moves from a problem to a working AI tool; the experience speaks for itself.
• Hands-on time with the discovery questions on your own organisation, with resources to help
• Your own first use case, chosen and written down before you leave
• A plain-English view of the risks: privacy, accuracy and human oversight
• A take-home starter kit with the questions, a simple safety checklist and ready-to-use templates for everyday admin
• Connections with other local not-for-profits facing the same challenges and opportunities, and with WSTI's mentors and members, Parramatta and Western Sydney's largest grassroots AI community

Who should come
You do not need any tech background. That's the point.
• Directors and managers at charities and not-for-profits curious about boosting organisation capacity with AI that goes beyond ChatGPT
• Volunteer coordinators, program leads and social workers
• Board and committee members
• Community, faith and cultural organisations
• Social enterprises and community service providers

Coming with a colleague? Even better. You can work through your own organisation together in the hands-on part.

Free to attend: register your interest first
Places are limited, and we want them to go to the people who will get the most from the night. So there are two simple steps:
1. Register your interest by Friday 6 November, with a few quick questions about you and your organisation
2. We'll confirm your free ticket on a rolling basis, and no later than Tuesday 10 November. We aim to welcome people from as many local organisations as possible
If your plans change after you're confirmed, please let us know so someone else can take your place.

Register your interest here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/wsti-festi-2026-ai-for-not-for-profits-community-tickets-2003273717616

Getting there
Western Sydney Startup Hub, 5 Fleet Street, North Parramatta, near the Ngara light rail stop. We're in the Event Space.

With
WSTI · City of Parramatta · Western Sydney Startup Hub

Part of WSTI Festi 2026, Western Sydney's first grassroots AI festival, 5 to 21 November in Parramatta. See more: https://wsti.org.au/wsti-festi

Notice of Photography and Filming
By entering this event, you acknowledge that photography, audio, and video recording may occur. Your attendance constitutes your consent to be photographed, filmed, and/or recorded and to the release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction of such media for promotional purposes by Western Sydney Tech Innovators (WSTI). If you prefer not to be photographed or recorded, please inform a WSTI team member upon arrival. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.