Ops Insights #036 Debrief from Nonprofits Leaders Summit

February 2, 2024 | Read Time: 4 minutes | Written by Jenny Kleintop

Six years ago, when I started learning about artificial intelligence (AI), AI was just entering the nonprofit sector. It was a taboo topic then and mostly lived with the data scientists. As I was learning, I asked a ton of questions. I wanted to learn everything I could from the data scientists. It was highly overwhelming but, at the same time, very fascinating. I thrived on having the ability to dive deep in the weeds with the data scientists and then translate it into simple and relatable language to the non-data scientists, which was everyone else working in the nonprofit sector.

Fast forward to today, and everyone is talking about it, yet no one has figured it out, and this is okay. Listening to the Microsoft for Nonprofits Leaders Summit was reaffirming and inspiring. We were given permission that it’s okay not to know all the AI right now, and the stronger message was we must come together to learn and be part of developing AI over the next 5-10 years. We must step up together and take hold of it before it takes hold of us.

“Get ready for a lot faster pace of change. The next 5-10 years will be an even greater rate of change. Everyone needs to be ready for change management.” - Comment made at the summit

We are now coming together and the for-profit sector has opened up to help the nonprofit sector in massive ways. Communities are now forming to move forward together with AI. Here is one: Nonprofit Community.

➡ Offering resources.
➡ Sharing knowledge.
➡ Learning alongside us.

Highlights from the Summit

4 highlights from the panel at the summit:

🔦 Get away from Excel spreadsheets, go all in on your CRM Database, and get your cornerstone right. Yes, Excel sheets will likely never go away, but the message was to take the leap and get all data into the CRM. This means investing in the resources and expertise to implement protocols, guidelines, and processes. When all the data is in one place, the ability to analyze, assess, and draw insights from it can happen.

🔦 Don’t overcomplicate it. Keep the data and processes simple. Focus on the key information that will help make the right ask. Ask yourselves: What is the most simple way we can make this to get to what we need?

🔦Get ready for a lot faster pace of change. The next 5-10 years will be an even greater rate of change. Over the last 5 years, you could still move forward if you didn’t want to dive into AI. However, it’s no longer this way. It’s no longer only the curious ones who should dive in, it’s everyone as change is here. Everyone needs to be ready for change management.

You can view the post from Microsoft for Nonprofits here.

You can watch the LinkedIn Live streams here.

Trevor Noah spoke at the summit and it was the first time I heard Trevor speak. I was glued to the screen as it was extremely engaging and inspiring... go watch the recording.

4 highlights from Trevor's talk:

💡 Think of tech as a way to improve a human’s ability to do something. 

💡 There is a misconception that AI is doing the thinking. It is not AI doing the thinking. The AI is able to take human thinking and scale it.

💡 You cannot learn if you are not willing to be wrong.

💡 When you are in the space of philanthropy, think of yourself as a servant. Rather than telling people what they need, ask them what they need. When you hear what they need, then use the technology to address that need.

As I heard Trevor talk, I kept saying yes. Yes, yes, yes. Trevor had a way of talking that was relatable, and the more we talk about AI, the more people will get comfortable with it. We want you to get comfortable with AI and tech, as once you can get past the overwhelmingness of it, you can start to see how it’s a way to improve your way of working. 

  • Free you up from the 80% of mundane tasks you don’t want to do.

  • Automate the 80% of manual tasks you do today in order to put that 80% energy into other tasks.

  • Allow you to increase your personalized interaction with donors and constituents by 80%.

To wrap up, the biggest message I heard at the summit is we have the opportunity to do something that has never been done. Together we want to step up, we need to step up, and now is the time. If we do, we can be part of putting guardrails in place and roll out AI ethically and in a way that will truly be an asset for the better.

Take Action

  1. Watch the recordings.

  2. Think about the 80% of better you can achieve. 

  3. Take out a notepad and write down those 80% items you’d like to redirect elsewhere.

You’ve got this!

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Ops Insights #037 When Everything is a Priority

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Ops Insights #035 Stop the Internal Drama