One of the hottest topics filling the conversations of nonprofit leaders today is what to do with AI. AI is embedded in many of the things we already do. There are those who celebrate the desired increase in efficiency and scalability that AI is purportedly able to provide. Others decry the retreat from human-to-human interaction, the loss of privacy and an unhealthy reliance on technology. So, can AI actually be helpful for you and your nonprofit?
It’s complicated.
One the one hand, there is clear evidence that the use of AI tools can improve efficiency with things like our workflow, predictive analytics for our fundraising and fundraising campaigns. Nonprofits who have thrift stores use AI to more quickly generate descriptions and prices for their clothing items. Others use AI to help nonprofits both manage and measure their social impact programs. The logic follows, that if an organization uses AI for these time-consuming tasks, a nonprofit leader has more time now to focus on the really critical and meaningful tasks of leadership and one-on-one donor relations.
On the other hand, there are still real concerns over privacy and security issues when using AI. There is also a concern about implicit bias already built into AI. Other nonprofit leaders argue that an overreliance on AI will lead to a loss of personal connection.
One thing that nonprofits as a whole have always prided themselves in has been with their ability to connect with people and remain highly relational in their approach, as they seek to accomplish their mission. This combination of having a mission-driven organization with a highly relational approach, has helped to inspire countless volunteers to give of their time freely to help with the cause.
Perhaps the best way forward for nonprofit leaders is to incorporate AI very intentionally and thoughtfully to provide greater efficiency for tasks that are time-consuming and not people-facing. When a leader is looking to scale a process or scale data analytics, this seems to be a perfect task for AI.
At the same time, it is critical for nonprofit leaders to remain committed to invest in highly relational and personal connections with both their staff and their donors. Nothing can replace one on one, personal connection in today’s world, no matter how much AI may become embedded in an organization. In fact, as AI becomes more integrated into all we do, it will become even more important to invest in people-to-people connection in order to maintain your nonprofit’s heart and soul.