“Generative AI supercharges the most valuable thing in the organization – the brains and abilities of your people.” – Connor Grennan, CEO and Cofounder of AI Mindset.
Nonprofit professionals already have their hands full. From wearing multiple hats beyond their job descriptions to managing tight budgets, they’re working tirelessly to make a difference in their communities. With all this on their plate, the thought of change, especially the idea of robots replacing job functions, can be daunting. The room felt the weight of this fear when this quote was shared at the start of an AI for Nonprofits workshop hosted by Eric Molho, Founder and Principal of Bon Partners, during the CT Community Nonprofit Alliance’s Annual Nonprofit Conference.
The truth is, AI is more of a friend than a foe. When teams are stretched thin and time is limited, AI can be a game-changer. At its core, AI is here to enhance work, but the people – the driving force behind nonprofit organizations – are truly irreplaceable.
Earlier this fall, Teak shared ways in which AI can help PR professionals. Here are some practical applications for how AI can help those of you who work at nonprofits to do your daily tasks so that you can focus more on those you serve.
Brainstorming
AI can spark creativity and collaboration, helping teams generate fresh ideas for storytelling, fundraising campaigns, events, and speaking points. When pressure to keep costs down or reach specific audiences may stifle creativity, AI tools like ChatGPT can offer a wealth of concepts based on simple keywords or user input. As your team members brainstorm, they can use their talent and experience to refine ideas by providing feedback to AI, allowing for an ongoing, judgment-free flow of ideas to kickstart further creativity. The decision-making and execution still fall on the people.
Fundraising
When seeking financial support, AI apps like Claude can help identify the best grants and awards to apply for, ensuring your team focuses on opportunities that align with your mission. Once you’ve selected the right ones, AI can also assist in crafting thorough submissions, making sure no section is overlooked. Beyond external fundraising, AI can help develop strategies for internal fundraising by suggesting outreach plans and donor communication tactics based on stakeholders, campaign themes, and time of year. With just a few prompts, AI can outline target audiences and execution timelines, allowing your teams to focus on cultivating lasting relationships with people.
Analysis
After a special event or fundraising campaign, tracking success can be challenging. Tools like Perplexity.ai can help analyze data and compare your results with similar work. The key is to keep your constituents’ private information off the web to ensure no illegal third-party sharing. By using general information or code words instead of sensitive data, like donor names, addresses and payment, AI can reveal insights into donor demographics, trends, engagement levels, and communication preferences. This not only saves time on recap reports but also helps your team analyze success and improve future efforts so they can reach the right people at the right time with the right ask moving forward.
Bottom line: Think of AI as an assistant. By handling mundane tasks, AI frees up nonprofit professionals to focus on what truly matters – the mission. People helping people is what nonprofits are all about. Robots may not be on the payroll, but AI is here to empower the people who make the difference to make even more of a difference.
