From Skepticism to Excitement: Transforming Non-Profits with AI
Discover how a virtual AI workshop reshaped perspectives and empowered a non-profit team to harness the power of technology.
A couple of weeks ago, I logged onto Zoom, ready to lead an AI workshop for a non-profit organization. This wasn’t just any workshop for me; it was part of a mission born from over 14 years in the non-profit sector, driven by a desire to make a real difference, particularly in the realm of animal cruelty. I’ve always believed that technology, when harnessed correctly, can be a powerful force for good. Non-profits, however, often find themselves lagging in tech adoption due to limited funding and expertise. Over the past year, I’ve been experimenting with the best ways to bridge this gap, and these workshops have emerged as a promising solution.
As participants joined the virtual room, the energy was palpable even through the screen. We delved into AI’s vast potential, and one particularly memorable moment came during the Q&A session. A staff member who had been quietly listening raised her hand. Before asking her question, she shared something that struck a chord with me. "Thank you so much for sharing this," she began. "I have to be honest; I was reluctant to even come to this workshop because I always thought AI was just about creating posts for social media. But you have shown me so many other ways that it can be used, and I am excited to try this out." Her words encapsulated exactly what I hoped to achieve—a transformation from skepticism to excitement and a newfound eagerness to explore AI’s potential.
Throughout the workshop, we explored practical and engaging examples. We took a screenshot of their donation page and asked ChatGPT to suggest improvements. The team was amazed to see that the AI’s recommendations aligned perfectly with their ongoing plans to rebuild the website. This validation was both reassuring and inspiring for them. We discussed various other applications—from drafting emails and analyzing survey data to predicting emotional responses to fundraising campaigns and using AI tools to summarize meeting notes. The idea of creating personalized music for staff birthdays even added a fun twist, showcasing AI’s creative potential.
The reactions were overwhelmingly positive. There was a collective sense of ‘wow, I didn’t know this was possible,’ accompanied by appreciation for practical tools like a prompting template. The ability to use voice commands instead of typing and the option to have ChatGPT ask them questions to gather necessary content were particularly well-received. These tips helped the team feel more comfortable and confident in their ability to leverage AI.
Looking ahead, my goal is to continue developing these workshops to be packed with value, inspiration, and education. We are still in the early stages of AI, and there is so much to experiment with and learn. By upskilling through learning about prompting and trying different models for various tasks, we can lift others within the organization and the non-profit sector as a whole. Non-profits are perfectly positioned to benefit the most from this technology—they just need to start using it.
As I wrapped up the workshop, I left the team with a thought that often guides my approach to AI: “This is the worst this technology will ever be.” I encouraged them to develop an AI policy for their organization, allowing everyone to have a say and to collectively decide how they will or will not use AI. Revisiting this policy regularly is crucial, as the technology evolves so rapidly. Together, we can harness the power of AI to make a real difference. Let's embrace this technology, experiment boldly, and inspire others to join us on this transformative journey.
The above article was written fully by ChatGPT 4o using a tool I developed to interview me and explore ideas and concepts. It is trained to continue to explore ideas, use previous inputs as inspiration to explore deeper and act like an expert interviewer to connect ideas. Once complete it generates a story using a storytelling framework. I have not edited this story to show the quality of the output based on an interview and provide a screenshot of the full interaction below.
Me, myself and ChatGPT 4o
