What are we doing about AI? How are we staying on top of it? How are we leaning into it instead of saying ‘that’s not about us’ or ‘we don’t work that way’? How are we eagerly stepping up and taking on this new way of doing things instead of worrying that our jobs will be replaced?
What does it mean that jobs are being replaced currently and will be at a rapidly increasing rate by 2027 — just two years from now? How can we capitalize on AI and all it can do for us? These are the questions I and many others have been asking ourselves. And honestly, it’s a lot. I am both excited, thrilled and terrified at the prospect of all of these changes and what it means for little ol’ me, for my organization, for the nonprofit sector and for the world.
Let’s all take a collective breath together. Pause. Use this time to reflect. What’s working well? What areas can you be more efficient in? What areas of your work are slowing teams down? Where do we have flexibility for growth, or even further, a NEED for growth and expansion?
With a possible economic downturn and ongoing threats to federal funding, strengthening our fundraising efforts is likely a key area of growth for all of us.
For many in the nonprofit sector, we wear many hats. That means a constant desire for increased efficiency and increased cross-functionality. We are going to continue to see and feel the need to do more with less. How can we use AI to help us in this way?
Here are some things we are trying. I’d love to hear what is working well for others as well.
- Putting together a social media story reel campaign strategy — something that in the past we didn’t have time for or might have been overlooked — but is still impactful — is now something we can get a draft of and then fine-tune the details.
- Drafting a thoughtful response to a tricky email question
- Researching data points that extend beyond the school district
With all of this, we are sure to check biases, ensuring fairness and fact-checking — while also adding that special human touch. These are just a couple of examples of how you can become faster, more efficient and do more and better for DPS students, educators and families.
For those who are not quite ready to lean into these more vigorous AI tools just yet, I get it. I was in your shoes. I recommend getting your feet wet to help the AI world feel a little less intimidating.
From a communications perspective, some great, simple ways to use AI are through ChatGPT or Gemini for content writing, speech writing, media interview preparation, email draft polishing, social media content enhancing, proofreading, creating more robust campaign documents for internal use, etc. You can also utilize Grammarly’s plagiarism checker to ensure AI is being used responsibly! Just be sure when using AI as a communications tool, that you use strong prompts with your organization’s messaging to help make the content more authentic to your organization’s voice and overall tone.
While many still have conflicting opinions on AI and if it’s considered “cheating” or asking someone else to do your homework…I leave you with this. If you are NOT doing this while the rest of the world or industry is jumping on the bandwagon, you will fall behind.
AI usage is enabling workers to save an average of 1 hour per day, allowing more time for creative and strategic tasks. A survey of 297 users in the Copilot for Microsoft 365 Early Access Program showed that 70% reported increased productivity, 73% could complete tasks faster, and 85% found it easier to draft initial versions of documents. While this might not feel “fair” it is simply the reality of the future.
Let’s be committed to learning together. Sharing successes and perhaps even more importantly failures and lessons learned together. Whether we are fundraising to support the children of tomorrow so they can achieve overall success and well-being or are working in similar or vastly different areas of the nonprofit sector, there are shared learnings that can come from this exciting new territory.
And by learning together, I really do mean TOGETHER. Reach out to friends and peers in similar spaces. Ask them what they’re doing individually and as an organization to capitalize on this new-ish AI world. Share what has worked well for you and others with friends. While some might consider talking about “work” with friends and family a faux pas, I am going to admit something embarrassing… I am talking about this at dinners. I am asking family members at holiday gatherings. I am texting friends about this. Reaching out to colleagues and other organizations on LinkedIn. I am accessing information in whatever way I can find. Because I truly believe AI is the next big thing. The next big way to achieve the next level and whatever is next. And I want our organization to stay top of mind, stay a leader in the industry…and AI is going to help us get there.
This takes time. Time many of us might not feel that we have. But I urge you not to ignore AI. Approximately 39% of workers’ existing skill sets are expected to be transformed or become outdated over the 2025–2030 period. Those who are not utilizing the various tools of AI will be left behind. We just have to be willing to roll up our sleeves and commit to this new path. At the end of the day, we are all in this together.
