Artificial intelligence, commonly called AI, is a tool that can help your nonprofit organization maximize its impact with minimal resources. As an emerging force in the technology sector, AI has become the center of both excitement and apprehension, but there are ways that your organization can responsibly harness this technology to streamline processes today.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
While AI seems omnipresent in the technology sector, it can be difficult to define. Simply put, AI is the ability of a machine to replicate the effects of human thought, such as communication, problem-solving, and decision-making.
AI as an umbrella term refers to a wide variety of technologies, including:
- Predictive models: Predictive models analyze data for patterns in order to predict outcomes. Many of us encounter predictive models regularly through social media, where the algorithm predicts the kind of content that will encourage us to stay on the application for longer. If you like and comment on a post, the algorithm learns from that experience, using that data point to show you similar content.
- Propensity models: Propensity models refine predictive modeling to determine the likelihood of an individual completing an action. When discussing AI for nonprofits, propensity modeling can play a key role in predicting how donors give.
- Generative models: Generative models, like ChatGPT, synthesize data to produce the most likely response to a prompt.
The Benefits of AI for Nonprofits
AI tools allow nonprofit organizations to streamline operations, ultimately saving time, money, and energy. AI tools can help nonprofits with:
- Creating engaging communications
- Targeted outreach
- Social media
- Customer service
- Narration transcription
- Planning and process optimization
According to a recent study, 77% of nonprofits believe their organization would benefit from using more AI. Additionally, AI has been shown to increase productivity by up to 40% and reduce operational costs by 30%. These statistics highlight the significant benefits that AI can offer to nonprofits, allowing them to do more with limited resources and make a greater impact on their communities. By embracing AI tools and technologies, nonprofits can unlock new opportunities for growth and innovation in their mission-driven work.
When you delegate tasks to AI, you free up your team to work on other things that require a truly human touch, making the most of your staff’s talents and refining resource allocation so that everyone can focus on making a difference.
AI Tools for Nonprofits
There are a wide variety of AI solutions for nonprofit organizations, and the ones you choose will depend on your organization’s needs. Start by asking yourself where you have redundancies, bottlenecks, and inefficiencies in your organization; these areas could be improved with AI integration.
Data Analysis Tools
- Sisense: a data analytics tool that leverages AI to analyze data and provide actionable insights
- BigQuery: Google’s AI data analysis and storage tool that integrates with other Google products
Social Media and Marketing Tools
- Hootsuite: Hootsuite allows you to schedule social media posts and then provides real-time, AI-powered analysis so that you can tailor your social media strategy to your intended audience
- Canva Magic Studio: an AI media generator to assist with graphic design needs, including presentations, social media posts, and videos
- AdCopy: an AI marketing assistant that integrates with Meta products
- Buffer: a social media management tool that uses AI to provide content ideas and summaries, as well as to identify social media trends.
Administrative Tools
- Chat GPT: a generative AI that can assist with writing, research, and images
- Google Gemini: Google’s generative AI that works similarly to Chat GPT
- Otter: a text-to-speech application that uses AI to generate meeting transcripts and summaries
- Grammarly: an AI editor that assists with grammar and spelling, as well as more nuanced issues like flow and tone
For resources specific to your organization’s area of impact, Google’s AI for Social Good has a vast database of AI tools to address the needs of nonprofits and social justice initiatives.
Tips for Responsible AI Use
- Output requires input. AI can only generate results based on what you input into it. Detailed prompts will produce detailed results, and the best inputs are often your own first drafts. You can also keep refining a product with additional prompts.
- Always check AI work. AI is trained to generate the most likely result, and to do so, it will often invent “facts,” cite unreliable sources, or make spelling or grammar errors. Thoroughly proof all AI-generated products.
- Don’t copy generative AI exactly. Not only are AI products not as nuanced or personalized as those created by humans, but they may also use copyrighted materials. Avoid plagiarism by using AI-generated work as a jumping-off point, not the final product.
- Be wary of bias. AI is trained on existing resources, which means that it will reflect the biases of the material it was trained on. Monitor AI tools for bias, and make sure that everything you produce reflects your organization’s values.
- Protect privacy. Anything that is inputted into generative AI becomes part of its algorithm. Avoid sharing any sensitive donor, volunteer, or organizational data.
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