YMCA South Australia featured in global AI case study

YMCA South Australia has been recognised by Anthropic, the company behind the Claude AI platform, as a Claude for Nonprofits Partner.

The organisation was featured in a case study published alongside the launch of Anthropic’s first Australian office in Sydney, named as one of three Australian partnerships alongside Canva and Xero.

The case study outlines how YMCA South Australia’s corporate services team has developed a library of custom AI tools to support its network of more than 65 recreation, aquatic, gymnastics, children’s services, and allied health locations across South Australia.

These tools enable staff to analyse operational data more efficiently, produce consistent branded content across multiple sites, and build technical capability that previously relied on external contractors. Centre managers are also beginning to use the tools to develop new program concepts, testing financial viability and organisational alignment before progressing ideas to the broader team.

Devan Seamans, Head of Marketing and Technology at YMCA South Australia, said the organisation is focused on using AI to strengthen its community impact.

“The future for us is about Claude becoming embedded infrastructure, a core part of how we run the organisation,” Seamans said. “That requires a platform with the enterprise governance and controls to match the obligations of a large not-for-profit.”

The organisation adopted Claude through a phased approach, beginning with a small group of staff before expanding access with appropriate governance and data protection in place.

Regan Marshall, IT Manager at YMCA South Australia, said the team has been deliberate in how AI is applied, focusing on tools that support staff rather than replace their judgement. One example is a custom tool that reviews draft risk assessments for children’s services sites, comparing them against legislation and identifying gaps rather than generating the assessment itself.

“It shifted my perspective on making AI work more human-focused rather than result-focused,” Marshall said.

AI capability is now formally embedded in YMCA South Australia’s FY27–30 organisational strategy, with a focus on equipping site managers with better tools and reducing administrative burden so staff can spend more time on programs and community relationships.

Read the full case study on Anthropic’s website: https://claude.com/customers/ymca-south-australia