The Digital Nonprofit – a project of TechSoup Connect Canada

Recap from TechSoup Connect Canada – June 3, 2025

The TechSoup Connect session with fundraising strategist Frances Roen was a deep dive into the building blocks of a successful capital campaign. Whether you’re dreaming up your first major fundraising push or already knee-deep in planning, Frances had practical and hard-won insights for every phase of the journey. Participants gained valuable tools to assess their readiness, plan with intention, and avoid the common pitfalls that can derail even the most promising efforts. It was an engaging and highly practical hour that left attendees feeling better equipped to lead with confidence. If you missed it, you can catch the highlights here.

Here are some of the key lessons shared during the event:

Top Takeaways from Frances Roen

1. Don’t Skip the Pre-Planning Phase

A feasibility study doesn’t build your readiness—it tests it. Before you talk to donors or hire a consultant, make sure your case is solid, your numbers are real, and your internal team is aligned. Frances emphasized that the pre-planning phase is where you lay the foundation for the entire campaign. Skipping this step can lead to confusion, wasted time, and missed opportunities. A thoughtful plan developed in advance saves headaches later and significantly increases your chance of success.

2. Campaigns Are Marathons, Not Sprints

Capital campaigns require long-term commitment and stamina from your organization and leadership. Frances recommends allowing at least a year for planning before any public launch, especially if your campaign involves real estate or policy considerations. Many nonprofits rush into a campaign because of urgency or excitement, but this often leads to burnout and unmet goals. Taking the time to prepare properly helps you build alignment and engage your community in meaningful ways. Think of a campaign as a strategic journey, not a quick win.

3. Fuzzy Goals Confuse Donors

Clear, specific goals are essential to inspire donor confidence and support. Frances shared that if your internal team struggles to explain the campaign’s purpose, donors won’t be able to connect with it either. Take time to outline what you’re raising funds for, how much it will cost, and what impact it will make. Donors want to invest in change, not uncertainty. A well-defined goal makes every conversation more effective and every ask more compelling.

4. A Warm Donor Pipeline Is Essential

Campaign success depends on relationships, not cold solicitations. During pre-planning, identify your top 20 to 50 prospects and begin strengthening those connections. Frances highlighted how early cultivation of these potential donors can build momentum and deepen engagement. Donors who feel involved from the start are more likely to give generously and advocate on your behalf. Your pipeline is your campaign’s engine—keep it warm and active.

5. Yes, You Do Need Extra Help

A capital campaign can’t be tacked on to existing workloads. Frances made it clear that your executive director and development staff will need significant bandwidth to lead this effort. Hiring additional support, whether through consultants, part-time help, or board engagement, is critical. Trying to do it all in-house without support often results in burnout and underperformance. Building a strong internal and external team ensures you can sustain both the campaign and your day-to-day operations.

6. Fund Your Pre-Work Creatively

Don’t let a lack of upfront funding stop your planning efforts. Frances encouraged nonprofits to consider approaching foundations, early major donors, or board members for initial campaign development costs. Some foundations offer capacity-building grants specifically for campaign readiness. Creative solutions like leveraging reserve funds or collaborative funding also work. Investing in this stage sets the stage for future success.

7. Campaign Planning Is Iterative

Your campaign plan will evolve—and that’s a good thing. Frances stressed the importance of treating your plan as a living document that adapts to feedback from donors, feasibility studies, and your internal team. Revisions after each phase aren’t signs of weakness; they’re strategic responses to new information. Successful campaigns are built on flexibility and learning. Use feedback to strengthen your strategy and build greater buy-in.

8. Rural or Urban—Success Is About Strategy

Geography shouldn’t limit your vision. Frances noted that rural nonprofits can run just as effective capital campaigns as their urban counterparts when they plan strategically and engage their communities authentically. Success hinges on strong messaging, realistic goals, and inclusive engagement. Identify regional and national funders that support work in your area, and leverage local pride and partnerships. No matter where you’re based, thoughtful planning makes a big difference.

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Got Capital Campaign Questions?

Our guest presenter Frances Roen brought a wealth of insight to the conversation—now’s your chance to keep it going. With two decades of experience and over $200 million raised, Frances knows what it takes to launch a successful capital campaign and build sustainable fundraising strategies. She’s passionate about helping small and mid-sized nonprofits plan with confidence and purpose. If you’re wondering whether your organization is ready, or need help getting unstuck mid-campaign, she’s a generous and knowledgeable resource. Connect directly to ask questions, brainstorm ideas, or explore support options.

Whether you’re just starting to think about a big ask or deep into donor engagement, connect with Frances for expert guidance:

• Message on LinkedIn
• Book a 1:1 call
• Reach out by email

Frances is ready to help you move your mission forward.

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Want more events like this?

Explore upcoming webinars and workshops from TechSoup Connect Canada—we’re building a global community of nonprofit leaders like you who are leveling up their digital, fundraising, and strategic capacity. Our events are free, practical, and designed to fit into your busy schedule. From fundraising to AI to digital transformation, there’s something for every mission-driven organization. We hope to see you at our next session!

At our May 21 TechSoup Connect Canada event, Personal Connection at Scale: Using Telemarketing to Secure Donations, we explored how the David Suzuki Foundation used telemarketing—not to ask for money, but to spark meaningful conversations about legacy giving.

In this informal but insight-packed session, Sand Dollar Consulting’s Siobhan Aspinall, CFRE and Morgan Steacy, Senior Account Manager at Stratcom, shared how they used donor phone calls to identify $1.4 million in future revenue through gifts in wills.

Here’s what we learned—and how you can put it into practice.

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1. Know the Opportunity: $1 Trillion Is About to Change Hands

An estimated $1 trillion is being transferred from Canada’s Baby Boomer generation to the next. Planned giving is your opportunity to capture a small (but transformational) piece of that shift.

Key Stat:
Only 5% of Canadians have included a charity in their will.

Action Tip:
Make sure your website clearly states you accept legacy gifts—don’t make supporters guess. Even a simple sentence can start the conversation.

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2. Stop Overthinking It: A Phone Call Is Enough

This campaign succeeded by making 1,000 friendly phone calls to long-time supporters. No ask, no pressure—just a thank you, a question or two about why they give, and a gentle introduction to the idea of planned giving.

Action Tip:
Use professional telemarketers trained in empathy and active listening. Scripts are great, but flexibility and humanity matter more.

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3. Target the Right Donors (Not Just the Rich Ones)

Most confirmed legacy donors weren’t wealthy. They were loyal, long-time supporters—monthly donors, on-and-off givers, or past volunteers.

Key Stat:
The average charitable bequest in Canada is $30,000.

Action Tip:
Segment your donor list by loyalty and longevity—not just recent giving. Even lapsed donors might be quietly planning a gift in their will.

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4. Frame It Right: Don’t Make Them Choose

One major reason people hesitate to make a planned gift? They believe it’s a choice between family and charity.

Action Tip:
Use messaging that emphasizes “loved ones first, then a gift to charity.” This removes unnecessary guilt and makes the decision easier.

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5. Follow Up Like It Matters—Because It Does

Siobhan’s team received 620 follow-up comments and 48 confirmed legacy gifts—but only because they had a plan to respond.

Action Tip:
Tag legacy conversations in your CRM. Send a short thank-you email with your legal name, CRA number, and a link to your impact report. Stewardship doesn’t have to be fancy—it just needs to be consistent.

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6. Use Telemarketing Beyond Planned Giving

Yes, telemarketing can secure legacy gifts—but it’s also great for:

• Welcoming new donors
• Retaining monthly supporters
• Re-engaging lapsed donors
• Gathering donor preferences

Action Tip:
Don’t think of the phone as old school. Think of it as a human-scale tool for deepening relationships at scale.

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7. Legacy Donors Give More—In More Ways

Getting into someone’s will isn’t the end—it’s the beginning. These donors often increase their annual giving, tell friends about your work, and stick around for the long haul.

Action Tip:
Stay in touch with your legacy donors. Quarterly emails, personal thank-you calls, or a printed newsletter can keep them engaged and appreciated.

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Watch the Replay

Want to hear how Siobhan and Morgan made it happen?
👉 Watch the full replay and steal their script, strategy, and stewardship ideas.

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Connect With Our Presenters

• Siobhan Aspinall, Sand Dollar Consulting
• Morgan Steacy, Stratcom

We’re grateful to our presenters for sharing their time and insight. Be sure to connect and say thanks!

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Brought to you by TechSoup Connect Canada and The Digital Nonprofit—a community helping nonprofits use tech for good.

Running a nonprofit often means juggling a dozen tasks with limited time and people power. That’s why we brought in David Pisarek, Chief Digital Aficionado at Wow Digital, to help us rethink our systems during our recent TechSoup Connect Canada event.

Whether you’re a solo operator or leading a growing team, this session is packed with practical strategies to cut through the chaos. Here are seven takeaways to help you streamline workflows and build better systems for your nonprofit—without needing a tech degree.

🎥 https://youtu.be/XAucfKlNldg

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1. You need to treat your nonprofit like a business

Running on passion is great—but to scale impact, you also need solid systems. That means documenting processes, investing in tools, and tracking time just like a small business would. It’s not about being corporate; it’s about being sustainable.

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2. Start with just one small fix

Instead of overhauling everything at once, pick one bottleneck (like event planning or donor thank-you emails) and streamline that process. Build a checklist. Create a reusable template. Small wins stack up fast.

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3. Document your processes—it saves time and sanity

Even if it’s just a Google Doc, documenting how you do things helps onboard new people, avoid missed steps, and keep consistency. Bonus points if you try a tool like Komodo Decks to auto-generate step-by-step guides with video and screenshots.

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4. Use project management tools to create clarity

Juggling sticky notes and inboxes? David recommends tools like:

• ClickUp – for task tracking, time logging, SOPs, and workflows (David’s top pick)
• Trello, Asana, or Monday.com – if you’re already using one, just use it more intentionally!

Pro tip: Pick one tool and build everything around it to reduce confusion.

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5. Communicate better with Slack

Tools like Slack (free or discounted for nonprofits) reduce internal email clutter and help you create topic-specific channels like #events, #grants, or #celebrations. Use it to build culture, share wins, and reduce back-and-forth.

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6. Automate the boring stuff with Zapier

If you’re copying and pasting contacts between systems, stop. Zapier connects thousands of apps and can automate tasks like:

• Adding new donors to your CRM
• Sending Slack alerts when someone fills out a form
• Triggering welcome emails or task creation

Zapier offers a 15% nonprofit discount, too.

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7. Build better donor journeys with Mailchimp

David’s advice: don’t just send donation appeals—build a relationship. Use tools like:

• Mailchimp (free for small lists)
• Constant Contact
• ActiveCampaign

Set up an onboarding sequence with 3–7 emails to educate, inspire, and invite donors deeper into your work.

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🤝 Connect with David

If you have questions, want help simplifying your systems, or just want to run an idea past David, he would love to chat. The best way to reach him is by booking a free, no-pressure strategy call here: wowdigital.com/consult or texting 1.416.708.8320 (cell).

Grab his free ebook, Three Simple Words to Boost Donations by 20%, based on psychology-backed principles: wowdigital.com/ebook

In addition, if you’re wondering how your website is doing, WOW Digital recently launched a self-assessment questionnaire. You can take it by going to wowdigital.com/self-assessment

Feel free to email David at david@wowdigital.com or text  directly at 416.708.8320, whichever is easier for you!

Let’s build better systems together. 🚀

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Brought to you by TechSoup Connect Canada and The Digital Nonprofit—a community helping nonprofits use tech for good.

At TechSoup Connect Canada’s April 1 event, we were treated to a deep dive into the practical side of AI and automation with Chaplain Timothy “TIG” Heaslet. Far from a buzzword-laden keynote, this was a grounded, generous session filled with real-world use cases, thoughtful caution, and a whole lot of heart.

TIG, a nonprofit leader and tech educator, brought both wisdom and warmth as he guided participants through how AI-powered automation can help organizations do more with less.

Who Is Chaplain Timothy “TIG” Heaslet?

Chaplain Timothy “TIG” Heaslet isn’t your average tech speaker. His path to nonprofit technology began through a mission to love and empower youth, especially those impacted by the loss of military or first responder parents. His work spans organizations like America’s Children of Fallen Heroes and his latest initiative, MissingPixel.org, which provides underserved youth with tech training, mentorship, and personal development.

Highlights from the Session

Start With Strategy, Not Shiny Tools

Before jumping into AI, TIG emphasized the need to revisit your nonprofit’s goals and workflows. AI can’t fix what isn’t clearly defined. Instead, it’s most powerful when it’s applied to well-understood processes—especially repetitive or data-driven ones.

Understanding Automation: Procedural vs. Agentic

TIG broke down two key automation types:

• Procedural automation: Traditional, rules-based systems (think Zapier or Make.com) that follow predictable steps.
• Agentic automation: Powered by large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT or Claude, these workflows bring a conversational or decision-making layer into the mix.

While agentic automation opens new doors (like custom chatbots or proposal writers), it’s not without challenges. TIG cautioned about relying too heavily on agentic flows due to inconsistency and potential errors—especially when data accuracy is critical.

Real-World Nonprofit Use Cases

Some practical AI-powered automation examples TIG shared:

• Automatically texting contacts for updated mailing addresses and syncing that info into your CRM
• Building chatbots that escalate complex queries to humans, then learn from the answers
• Using vector databases (like Pinecone or Supabase) to create a searchable knowledge base from internal PDFs or video transcripts
• Testing multiple LLMs via tools like OpenRouter to find the best fit for your content type

Security and Privacy Considerations

For organizations handling sensitive data (like youth programs or legal aid), TIG stressed the importance of self-hosting or choosing tools that meet compliance standards. He recommended open-source options like n8n or Activepieces for building secure, customizable workflows.

The Takeaway: Build Slow and Smart

The nonprofit AI landscape is evolving fast. But TIG’s message was clear: don’t get distracted by hype. Start with simple use cases. Focus on processes you already understand. Build with intention—and always, always test for failure points before scaling.

As TIG put it, “This is the worst this tech is ever going to be. It only gets better from here.”

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Want to Learn More?

TIG is open to connecting with other nonprofit folks looking to explore AI and automation. You can find him on LinkedIn or email tig@quietlyworking.org

And stay tuned—TechSoup Connect Canada may just bring TIG back for another session later this year. With the pace of change in AI, three months might as well be a lifetime.

Pacific Legal Education and Outreach Society (PLEO) is pioneering new ways to provide legal education to nonprofits. At the March 11, 2025 TechSoup Connect Canada event Minnie Karanja (Acting Director of Innovation and Engagement), and Kris Elgstrand (Head of Communications) shared insights into their development of an AI-powered chatbot aimed at making legal information more accessible. 

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Why Legal Education for Nonprofits Matters

PLEO has been providing legal education to nonprofits for over 20 years. Initially focused on the arts sector, they have since expanded to serve organizations across Canada. Their mission is to make legal guidance more accessible through innovative tools such as LawForNonprofits.ca.

Key legal challenges nonprofits face include:

• Record keeping – Ensuring compliance with regulations
• Privacy laws – Understanding personal information protection
• Employment regulations – Navigating contracts and labor laws

To address these concerns, PLEO developed a range of accessible legal resources, including fact sheets, FAQs, self-assessment tools, and legal guides.

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Introducing the AI Chatbot

PLEO’s latest innovation is an AI-powered chatbot, designed to offer nonprofits an intuitive, conversational way to access legal information. This chatbot is built using retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), a model trained primarily on PLEO’s verified legal content to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Key Features of the Chatbot:

• Conversational Interface – Users can ask legal questions naturally, as they would with a lawyer.
• Verified Knowledge Base – The chatbot pulls from PLEO’s repository of vetted legal information.
• Guided Navigation – Helps users refine their legal questions and locate the most relevant information.
• Guardrails for Accuracy – Strict controls prevent misinformation by keeping responses within PLEO’s area of expertise.

The chatbot aims to enhance existing legal resources by providing another avenue for nonprofits to obtain quick and reliable answers.

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Challenges in AI Chatbot Development

Developing a chatbot for legal education comes with unique challenges:

• Ensuring accuracy – Unlike general AI assistants, the chatbot must provide legally sound guidance. Early testing revealed that the chatbot sometimes pulled from non-vetted sources, requiring further refinement.
• Balancing accessibility and depth – The chatbot must be detailed enough to offer useful answers while remaining easy to navigate.
• Guardrails and Testing – Implementing restrictions on what topics the chatbot addresses, such as avoiding advice on real estate law or tax-specific charity regulations.
• Continuous testing – PLEO’s team, including legal experts, conducts rigorous testing using real nonprofit legal queries to refine responses.

The Role of Testing in AI Implementation

PLEO’s development team emphasized that testing is the most time-intensive part of the chatbot’s creation. Their process involves:

1. Developing a standardized set of legal questions
2. Evaluating chatbot responses for accuracy and relevance
3. Rating chatbot performance using a structured review system
4. Refining AI behavior through iterative updates

Unlike other AI applications designed for exploratory research, this chatbot must provide precise and actionable legal guidance, making ongoing refinement essential.

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Lessons for Nonprofits Exploring AI

For nonprofits considering AI-powered solutions, PLEO’s journey offers valuable takeaways:

• Start with a strong knowledge base – AI is only as good as the data it’s trained on.
• Ensure legal compliance – If your chatbot provides legal or policy guidance, ensure it is built with reliable, vetted sources.
• Focus on accessibility – Provide multiple ways for users to engage with content (e.g., fact sheets, step-by-step guides, and AI-powered assistance).
• Test rigorously – AI responses should be reviewed and refined by experts to maintain trust and accuracy.

For organizations looking for a lightweight way to explore AI, try experimenting with ChatGPT’s custom GPT builder, which allows users to train AI on specific internal documents and workflows.

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Conclusion

PLEO’s AI chatbot is a promising step toward democratizing legal information for nonprofits. By combining structured legal resources with conversational AI, they are making complex legal topics more accessible, actionable, and affordable for organizations with limited budgets.

For those interested in learning more, visit:

🔗 LawForNonprofits.ca
🔗 Pacific Legal Education and Outreach
📺 Watch the full event replay

As AI tools continue to evolve, nonprofits have exciting opportunities to enhance service delivery, streamline operations, and increase accessibility. PLEO’s chatbot development offers a compelling model for organizations looking to integrate AI into their work while maintaining high standards of accuracy and reliability.

Nonprofits are often stretched thin, navigating tight budgets and competing demands for attention. So, why should you make time to experiment with yet another social platform? Because playing with new tech isn’t just about staying relevant—it’s about finding fresh ways to connect with supporters, amplify your mission, and maybe even spark joy along the way.

At the February 25, 2025 Connect Canada event, digital specialist Madeleine Sugden shared insights from the UK charity sector’s experiences with Bluesky, the decentralized social platform that has been gaining traction as an alternative to X (formerly Twitter). Here’s why nonprofits should consider adding Bluesky to their digital mix and how you can get started.

⬇️ Read the slides

Why Bluesky? A Safe Haven from X

Since Elon Musk took over Twitter in late 2022, the platform’s environment has changed dramatically. Many nonprofits have struggled with declining engagement, increased toxicity, and algorithmic unpredictability.

Some organizations have quietly stopped posting, others have made dramatic exits. Yet, most large charities remain because they feel they have no alternative.

Enter Bluesky. Nonprofits who have tested the platform report:

• A relief from the negativity of X.
• A more engaged and interactive community.
• A chronological feed (no algorithm manipulating visibility).
• Higher engagement rates despite smaller followings.

Early Movers Are Seeing Big Wins

Organizations like Coast Funds, an Indigenous-led conservation finance nonprofit in Canada, jumped onto Bluesky early and saw rapid growth after the 2024 U.S. election. They now have half the followers they had on X but with significantly higher engagement and more relevant connections.

Even smaller organizations are seeing real impact. One nonprofit shared that their first donation via Bluesky came from an unexpected supporter—a legal services firm that resonated with their mission. They had never received donations via X, yet Bluesky delivered nearly $1,000 from a single post.

Should Your Nonprofit Join Bluesky? Ask Yourself:

• Is your audience (or potential audience) on Bluesky?
• Do you have time to experiment and build a new community?
• Are you struggling with engagement on X or other platforms?
• Do you want to be part of shaping a new, positive online space?

If the answer to any of these is yes, then it’s time to dip your toes in.

Getting Started: Your First Steps on Bluesky

1. Claim Your Account — Prevent impersonation and secure your nonprofit’s presence.
2. Follow Key Accounts — Use “starter packs” to find other charities, journalists, and partners.
3. Make Your First Post Count — Be playful, mission-driven, or inspiring. This sets the tone.
4. Be Social — Comment, repost, and interact. Bluesky rewards engagement, not just broadcasting.
5. Tell Your Audience — Share your Bluesky handle in your newsletters, website, and social channels.

A Note of Caution: Social Media is Borrowed Land

Madeleine reminded us that nonprofits must not rely too heavily on any single social platform. As we’ve seen with X, platforms can change overnight. Bluesky might be thriving now, but diversifying your digital presence remains crucial.

Invest in what you own: your website, email list, and direct supporter relationships.

Decentralization and the AT Protocol

One of the key advantages of Bluesky is its foundation on the AT Protocol (Authenticated Transfer Protocol). Unlike traditional social media platforms that are centralized and controlled by a single entity, Bluesky is built on decentralized infrastructure, allowing users to own their identities and content across different platforms. This means nonprofits can have more control over their digital presence, reduce dependency on proprietary algorithms, and ensure that their communities remain connected regardless of corporate shifts or platform changes. While adoption of decentralized networks is still in its early stages, Bluesky presents a forward-thinking approach to social media that aligns with nonprofit values of openness, accessibility, and community-driven engagement.

Final Thought: Have Fun With It

Nonprofit work is serious, but social media doesn’t have to be. Bluesky offers a chance to reclaim the joy of online engagement. Post a fun fact, share an unexpected story, or (as one UK museum did) lean into viral humor—their “Absolute Unit” sheep meme still makes waves years later.

So, take a cue from the early adopters. Secure your handle, start experimenting, and most importantly—play a little. The future of nonprofit digital engagement might just be waiting in the (blue) sky.

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Resources

Explore these helpful guides and insights to navigate Bluesky for nonprofits:

• Charity Bluesky in January 2025
• Charity Comms’ Social Media Platform Checklist
• How to Leave Twitter Gracefully – Strawberry Social
• How to Choose the Right Social Media Channels for Your Charity – Strawberry Social
• Bluesky App

February’s TechSoup Connect Canada event “How to Build AI Tools That Save Time and Money” was EPIC! We had an insightful discussion with experts Angeline Robertson and Matthew Lichty from Stand.earth Research Group, exploring how nonprofits can use AI and machine learning for advocacy research.

⬇️ Read the slides

Here are the top 10 takeaways from the session, with examples from the event transcript to help you integrate AI into your research workflows:

1. Have an AI Data Policy

• Establish clear guidelines on what data can and cannot be used in AI-assisted research.
• “We have an AI policy at Stand.earth so that we do not use any confidential, personal, or sensitive information. We’re really looking at publicly available information online for most of our data structuring work.” – Angeline Robertson

2. Start with Something You Know Well but Want to Do Faster

• Identify a repetitive, time-consuming task AI can streamline.
• “We weren’t looking for AI tools to reinvent the wheel. We just wanted to integrate AI into our methodologies in ways that let us get more done, faster.” – Angeline Robertson

3. Hire a Data Coach and Focus on Training Your Team

• Instead of outsourcing, train your team to integrate AI into research workflows.
• “Instead of hiring a firm to build a tool, we hired a data science coach to teach us how to do it ourselves. This meant we could keep learning and improving our methods rather than relying on outside consultants.” – Angeline Robertson

4. Start with Data Structuring and Use Information Available Online

• AI excels at organizing and categorizing unstructured data from PDFs, reports, and websites.
• “One of the biggest gains for us has been unlocking unstructured data stuck in PDFs—things we used to have to comb through manually. AI helps us turn that mess into structured data we can actually use.” – Matthew Lichty

5. Harness Your Domain Knowledge

• AI can process large datasets, but human expertise is essential for quality control.
• “We didn’t just plug in AI and hope for the best. We used years of experience analyzing bank policies to train AI on what actually matters. The human touch makes all the difference.” – Matthew Lichty

6. Use More Than One LLM

• Diversifying models reduces bias and enhances accuracy.
• “We’ve started using Perplexity, which lets us test different AI models side by side. This helps us spot inconsistencies and reduce the risk of relying too much on one tool.” – Matthew Lichty

7. Remember: Good Prompt Engineering Requires Good Writing

• The way you phrase prompts impacts AI output quality.
• “Writing clear, specific prompts is half the battle. If you ask AI a vague question, you’ll get a vague answer. We spend a lot of time refining our prompts to get the best results.” – Angeline Robertson

8. LLMs Have Short Attention Spans—Break It Down for Them

• Complex tasks should be split into smaller sub-tasks for better accuracy.
• “AI models don’t do well with long, complicated tasks. We had to break things into smaller steps, like focusing on one policy classification at a time, to get better results.” – Matthew Lichty

9. Use Coded Approaches to Analyze at Scale

• GUI-based tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Perplexity) are good for small tasks.
• “We started with the ChatGPT interface, but once we needed to analyze hundreds of documents, we wrote Python scripts to automate the process. That shift saved us an enormous amount of time.” – Matthew Lichty

10. Keep the Human in the Loop!

• AI is a tool—not a replacement for human judgment.
• “We’re not trying to replace researchers. AI helps us clear out the grunt work so we can spend more time thinking critically and making decisions.” – Angeline Robertson

Final Thoughts

The session showed that AI isn’t about replacing researchers—it’s about freeing up time for meaningful work. By using AI for structuring, analyzing, and summarizing data, advocacy organizations can dig deeper into their research and push for change more effectively.

I hope to see you at our next event!

The “How to Fundraise with AI Marketing” event, hosted by TechSoup Connect, brought together nonprofit professionals and enthusiasts eager to understand how artificial intelligence can revolutionize their fundraising strategies. Deepa Chaudhary, the founder of Grant Orb and a seasoned nonprofit expert, guided participants through the intricacies of AI and its potential to empower organizations with limited resources. Here’s a recap of this insightful session.

Introduction to AI in Fundraising

Deepa Chaudhary kicked off the session by highlighting her nonprofit background and her journey with AI. She shared how AI, a once complex and distant technology, has now become a practical tool for nonprofits. AI simplifies tasks, allowing organizations to do more with fewer resources by creating, personalizing, and optimizing fundraising efforts.

Understanding Generative AI and Its Impact

Deepa delved into the core of recent advancements in AI, focusing on generative AI powered by large language models. She discussed the transformation from machine learning-driven predictions to real-time interactive AI tools like ChatGPT, which have democratized AI access. This wave of generative AI enables nonprofits to generate content, whether it’s text, images, or even music, in ways previously unimaginable.

AI Tools for Nonprofit Success

Deepa introduced several AI tools that are instrumental for nonprofit fundraising:

• Chatbots and Real-Time Interaction: Tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok provide interactive platforms for nonprofits to engage, learn, and generate insights.
• AI Visual Creations: Platforms such as MidJourney and Grok allow nonprofits to create compelling visuals that resonate with their audiences.
• AI Music and Art Creation: AI technologies enable nonprofits to integrate music into their communication strategies, enhancing their emotional appeal.

Practical Applications of AI in Nonprofits

The session explored practical applications of AI, focusing on creating visuals, generating captions, and optimizing image prompts. Deepa demonstrated how AI could empower organizations to create stunning, impactful content on a minimal budget, allowing small teams to achieve big results.

Ethical Considerations and Data Privacy

Deepa addressed important ethical considerations, particularly around the use of photorealistic AI-generated images of people. She encouraged nonprofits to align AI use with their organizational values and priorities, ensuring ethical practices and data privacy.

Deepa’s Top AI Tools

Deepa shared her personal go-to AI tools: Claude for general use, MidJourney for image creation, Grok for real-time research and image generation, and HeyGen for producing videos. She emphasized the importance of understanding tool capabilities and selecting those that align with organizational needs and goals.

Embracing AI for Nonprofit Growth

The session concluded with Deepa encouraging nonprofits to embrace AI technologies. She urged organizations to actively build their “AI muscle” by integrating AI tools into their workflows, fostering innovation, and improving efficiency in their fundraising efforts.

In sum, this event equipped nonprofit professionals with the knowledge and tools needed to harness AI for enhanced fundraising and communication. Deepa’s insights and practical examples showcased the potential of AI to accelerate nonprofit missions and amplify impact.

Stay tuned for more engaging events from TechSoup Connect Western Canada, where innovation meets purpose!

Resources

Here are links for some of the tools mentioned in the webinar:

• AI for Nonprofits newsletter
• LinkedIn Article on AI Music for Causes
• TechSoup Blog on Generative AI Policy

Generative AI and AI Community Resources

• Illuminate AI
• Vancouver AI Community Meetups
• OpenAI for Nonprofits

Google Tools

• Google Workspace Video Products
• Google Notebook LM

Audio and Video Tools

• HeyGen
• Udio
• Suno