Why Nonprofits Can't Ignore AI

Why Nonprofits Can’t Ignore AI: A Practical Conversation About Capacity and Mission

Introduction

Welcome to the inaugural blog post of Mission Aligned Intelligence, a platform dedicated to exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and the nonprofit sector. In this space, we're having honest discussions about leading, serving, and adopting technologies in a world where AI is not a distant future but a present reality. For those entrenched in the nonprofit world, the concept of AI might evoke confusion, excitement, or even daunting overwhelm. Is AI a threat or a tool? Can nonprofits afford to ignore it, or do such decisions risk more than they realize? These and more are the hard-hitting questions we’re tackling.

The Dual Role of Nonprofits

Nonprofit organizations are often misunderstood. Many believe that nonprofits merely need to adopt business-like efficiencies to thrive. However, as Mike Mitchell, founder of Nonprofit AI, points out, nonprofits are indeed businesses but with a dual customer model. They must balance the needs and interests of donors with those of the client population they serve. This dual relationship often creates tension but ideally should sync harmoniously to meet mission goals.

Understanding User Experience and UX in Nonprofits

Our conversations also touch on how nonprofit leaders perceive and integrate user experience (UX) and AI. Alyssa, a UX design expert transitioning into the nonprofit realm, elucidates the common misconception that user experience design is solely about aesthetics. In reality, UX is about deeply understanding people’s needs and crafting experiences that meet those needs, ultimately augmenting the mission-driven goals of nonprofits.

The Role of AI in Nonprofits

Both Mike and Alyssa are clear that AI presents an exciting opportunity to break down silos within organizations, helping to connect fragmented social intelligence. AI is more than a simple tool; it is a strategic partner that can potentially empower organizations to achieve their missions more effectively. Nonprofits not engaging with AI risk losing social capital and the potential to supercharge their mission-driven efforts.

AI: Misunderstood and Undervalued?

There is a real concern that some nonprofits may adopt AI similarly to any other software, missing its broader strategic potential. Nonprofits need to see AI as an extension and connector of people and knowledge, not merely a tool to add to the subscription list.

The Ethical Landscape of AI Adoption in Nonprofits

The hesitation by some nonprofit leaders to embrace AI often stems from ethical concerns. These leaders fear that AI might be more harmful than helpful. However, intentional and ethical adoption of AI can enrich the ability of nonprofits to achieve justice and mission goals.

Conclusion

AI will soon be embedded within every aspect of our technological landscape, becoming impossible to ignore. For nonprofits, actively shaping how AI integrates into their mission is not just an option—it’s a necessity. Through thoughtful conversations and strategic planning, nonprofits can leverage AI to harness its full potential.

Call to Action

For our listeners and readers, we suggest an exercise: write down three tasks this week that made you wish for an easier solution. While this may seem trivial, we promise it will offer practical insights in the episodes to come. We're here to help transform how you use AI to advance your mission ethically and effectively. Subscribe to our podcast or share it with those in the nonprofit sector. Together, we can build a future where technology and mission-driven work coexist productively.

Thank you for joining us in this new journey. To learn more, visit our website for additional resources and insights.

Full Transcript

Introduction to Mission Aligned Intelligence

[00:00:03] welcome to the very first episode of Mission Aligned Intelligence, a podcast for nonprofits about ai, where we plan to get honest about what it means to lead, served, and adopt in a world where artificial intelligence is no longer a distant possibility, but a present reality. So if you're in the nonprofit space, you may already feel confused, excited, overwhelmed.

[00:00:25] Or all of the above. Is AI a threat, a tool? Is ignoring it really an option? Or are we risking more than we realize? That's the real world conversation that we're here to have. We're not gonna be here every week on this podcast with easy answers, but instead you'll hear from us. Two people from very different worlds, which we'll dive into more today.

[00:00:48] sharing what we've learned so far. Moments that we've got right and we've got wrong, and lessons that we may have had to unlearn. Our plan is to teach other nonprofit [00:01:00] leaders like you why we believe thoughtful conversations about AI are more urgent for nonprofits than ever. This isn't about a hype or technology.

[00:01:09] It's about trust, humility, and figuring out together what happens when technology and mission-driven work collide. So whether you're skeptical, curious, or just. Exhausted from it all. We invite you to join us as we crack open the tough, questions. So let's get practical specific and start a conversation that hasn't existed until now.

Meet the Hosts: Mike and Alissa

[00:01:36] Today we're gonna dive into who we are and why we're here starting a podcast and talking with you today. So let me start with my co-host and the founder of nonprofit ai, Mike Mitchell. Mike, before we get into nonprofit AI and what that is, I want you to introduce yourself and maybe talk a bit about what people outside of the nonprofit world usually [00:02:00] misunderstand about your work and what nonprofit leaders in general do.

[00:02:05] Yeah. Well, it's great to be kicking this off with you, Alissa, and I am so excited about this, podcast that we're doing. so I would say the most, relevant piece of my own professional background is that it's been a journey across multiple roles where I've been an executive director, but I've also been in senior manager roles, and I'd say in every one of those roles.

[00:02:26] Has been how do I implement, technology in the organization or the department that I lead to serve the ends of the mission of the organization? And I'd say the two things that most people, maybe get. Wrong about nonprofits or don't fully, capture? I'd say the first is that they're businesses.

[00:02:47] Like any business, being a nonprofit is simply a tax designation. So in the nonprofit sector, you'll hear this a lot. It's just a tax designation, but in the sense of being a business, we have to raise [00:03:00] money. we have to end the bottom line at the end of the year with at least, a net positive, at least $1, to make us whole.

[00:03:08] And, , so that's really key. And I'd say the second thing is that, most people don't realize about nonprofits is that there are actually two groups of customers for every nonprofit there are the donors, and those donors have a set of interests. and then there is the client population or the cause or the mission, and sometimes those two.

[00:03:29] Don't necessarily overlap, perfectly. And that can create tensions and often confusion. but ideally the two are very in sync. And that's something that most people don't realize. So if you're making widgets, you have to persuade somebody to fund the widget and you have to persuade someone to buy the widget and the two are not one.

[00:03:49] And so those are, two things and a little bit about my background. Okay, Alissa, what about, same question back to you. 

Understanding Nonprofit Challenges

[00:03:58] Would do nonprofit leaders tend to misunderstand about, uh, UX and [00:04:00] ai, when they first hear those words?

[00:04:02] And what is UX. Yeah, so a little bit about my background. as you know, I come from, user experience design or ux. I've spent my career designing experiences like website apps, even interactive spaces where, based on what people needs, mostly for companies and startups, usually as a consultant or an agency partner.

[00:04:25] , So people from businesses. Or nonprofits might misunderstand user experience design, and assume that it's the same as graphic design or interface design. So making things look pretty. And that's definitely a conversation that I have to have upfront a lot, which is, it's not just, about making things pretty, it's about, um.

[00:04:44] Going through a process of deeply understanding people first, looking at what they need, how they interact with every element of an experience, and then curating or improving that experience through all touch points. So yes, making interfaces pretty is part of it. but more important than [00:05:00] that is easy to use.

[00:05:01] creating reminders, suggestions, making it easy to get help along the way. easy ways to get out. That's all part of the user experience. That's something that I love doing and have spent my career sort of matching and, coordinating those user needs with, requirements of a business.

[00:05:19] So this is, the beginning of my career of doing that for nonprofits. So I'm excited to learn about that with you along the way. 

The Role of AI in Nonprofits

[00:05:26] but I think there are a lot of things that will apply, to nonprofits that I've learned through So when I started going from UX to more, of ai. Applying that design lens to ai, I found, this world where the ability to shape those experiences was, was supercharged. So I don't necessarily have to design something and then wait for a developer to build it, but I can use AI to build those custom, software that might take months or years, to bring those experiences.

[00:05:53] Life. So this has been even more rewarding now that I'm learning, the world of nonprofits from you because as we'll [00:06:00] explore in the next coming episodes, hopefully there are endless ways that nonprofit leaders wanna grow, and expand and grow their mission. But, they're needing to do more with, with less resources.

[00:06:14] So, . We have been working together on nonprofit AI for the last several months, , but we haven't really dove into this. So tell me about the first time you realized, that nonprofit exhaustion wasn't about passion or commitment, but something, structural that was broken. Yeah, well, I'd say that, certainly leading organizations my whole career has been, a constant, struggle with frustration and also, thinking about the frustration that other people feel and wanting to be empathetic, towards what they face as staff.

[00:06:51] The biggest thing and the biggest moment was that when I realized that organizations have massive amounts of [00:07:00] social capital, essentially social intelligence of what's happening inside an organization, but the fact that it's fragmented, you have intelligence over here about what works and doesn't work with volunteers.

[00:07:12] You have intelligence over here about what works with, donors and, you have. Lots of different silos where this intelligence exists, but it doesn't intersect. And when I started thinking about that, I was like, wow, is this a way that AI could play a role in connecting this fragmentation? now that kind of thing might exist in the business community as well.

[00:07:37] I'm sure it does on some level, but the differences in the nonprofit sector, it. Tends not to have the resources to link that intelligence. It doesn't have the infrastructure. So artificial intelligence is an exciting opportunity because it's not about just let's do an email or let's do something like a grant application.

[00:07:56] Let's figure out how to make it a strategic partner. And [00:08:00] so that was where I realized that there was something. Really wrong, but also something that could be really right as well. what about you, Alissa? when did you foresee AI being used in a way that made you want to get involved and have an impact?

[00:08:16] Yeah, so I had a baby in November, 2023 and took about 10 months off. the difference in the landscape of design and UX design, my role and career as I knew it was completely changed. so before I left chat, GPT for it just been released and people were using it as They use Google.

[00:08:35] but when I came back, there were more powerful models, tools, resources coming out daily about how to use AI for design, user research, everything that I do. I realized that soon AI will be able to build interfaces from requirements maybe better than I can in some cases. I do believe, you know, similar to what you're saying is that.

[00:08:58] Understanding people, [00:09:00] real human relationships, connections, needs, and being able to translate that into requirements for the technology is something that won't be replaced, in the near future. So there's a lot of big claims in the tech world, but I think. 

[00:09:15] AI is still a tool for people to use and enhance their work and connections and relationships and, mission-driven work. and the people who can learn to use them will supercharge their skills. 

[00:09:37] So you mentioned when you started kind of seeing the. that fragmentation and seeing how AI could use it. 

AI as a Strategic Partner

[00:09:44] what about sort of the step before that was there, do you remember sort of what you were thinking AI was before you started actually using it to apply it to that, yeah, I did.

[00:09:55] and what I thought of AI was, first of all, there was a lot of buzz about what it [00:10:00] was, and so I just thought, oh, it's another software. and then when I started learning about ai, I thought, oh, well this can help with tasks. it can help me, as I said earlier, do a better email or do a grant application.

[00:10:13] Realizing that AI could be more, than a task master, but actually a strategic mission mover. then I started to think, wow, there's something here. Because I think prior to that, I had also just been listening to the hype of AI being simply either it's gonna take all of our jobs or it's gonna save the world.

[00:10:36] And that had crowded out really good thinking about the fact that AI could be a strategic partner, an ally, if it was, used intentionally. And if we, as folks in the sector could decide that we wanted to, turn it into something that we wanted to shape, and use to empower nonprofits.

[00:10:57] And do you think, nonprofits. [00:11:00] Choosing not to adopt AI might actually be harming them? I do, and it's one of my big concerns, because I think the experience has been that, the fear of AI or the sort of righteousness that AI is something that's bad is going to limit the ability of nonprofit leaders to actually.

[00:11:23] become shapers of the future and to use it as a tool towards their end, towards their mission end, towards their engagement of volunteers. And so without using it, there's a risk of losing social capital, losing donations, and losing a hope for a future that every nonprofit aspires to, that has a mission.

Ethics and Risks of AI Adoption

[00:11:46] and I think the word you used there, righteousness is kind of interesting. So I think it's something we'll come back to probably in one of the next few episodes, is the kind of ethics and, concerns from that standpoint. [00:12:00] and I think it's been really interesting kind of starting this journey with you.

[00:12:04] Yeah. Before you understood how nonprofits actually work, what did you assume about why they struggled with technology? Yeah, so it's interesting 'cause I have had such limited kind of interaction with people who actually work in nonprofits, but I think I would've assumed that they were more behind than they are the ones that I've worked with so far with you.

[00:12:29] So they're. I mean, there's a huge amount, and this won't be a surprise to anybody listening who works in nonprofits, but there is a lot of, technology built specifically for nonprofits. the adoption and, you know, how effective that technology is used is, is all over the place, which is very similar to, to companies of all sizes.

[00:12:51] But, I think the people that we've met that work in the nonprofits, the leaders and board members, they are. More, more [00:13:00] savvy with, with technology and, and some of the adoption than probably I realized. And there's a whole host of tools out there that I also had no idea that it existed. But, I do think a lot of the.

[00:13:13] The user experience, design skills and experience that I have crossed over probably, enough that I do feel like I'm able to make a difference. but yeah, it's been very, interesting kind of applying those skills and, processes and kind of a new world for me.

[00:13:32] And, what did working with, the nonprofits that you've been introduced to through this teach you, that no amount of, user design experience could have taught you? Yeah, I mean, I think I'm still sort of getting a sense of this, but, really being mission driven, having that passion for what they're delivering for their participants, for their, community.

[00:13:57] I mean, it sounds obvious, but it [00:14:00] is, The reason for coming to work every morning for, for these people. They, we've, we'll also dive into this more and, and this won't be a surprise to anyone, but there is a lot of burnout in the nonprofit space. There's a lot of people who are paid a lot less than they maybe could be at companies, but they really do care a lot about it.

[00:14:18] You can really feel the passion, even when we're talking about, small operational improvements and things like that.

[00:14:30] we might, I guess shifting a bit more to some of the AI adoption. is there anything that, scares you about nonprofit adopting AI badly. I mean, I think, the one thing is that they don't understand that AI is more than just the software. So if they see it as just another piece of software that they're putting in, next to Salesforce, next to, their CRM, their HubSpot.[00:15:00] 

[00:15:00] Next to their outlook, they're gonna be really underwhelmed. and they're not gonna be able to, it will just add to the weight of the many different tools that they own. It'll add to their subscription costs, et cetera. so that's a main thing that scares me, that it is not. Simply a software that it is a tool.

[00:15:20] There's an extension and connector between people, between knowledge and as we said earlier, intelligence. And so it's my hope that, you know, through these conversations, through the work that we're doing at nonprofit ai, that we can help people understand that no, it can actually leverage, intelligence across an organization and, serve mission better.

[00:15:42] What about you? What scares you most about nonprofits? not adopting ai? Yeah, I mean, what you said makes a lot of sense, is like not adopting it at all Almost won't be a choice because they'll see it, it's gonna be incorporated into everything. And it really [00:16:00] is today, you know, it's next to your email, it's next to your, document management and it's in every Google search you do.

[00:16:07] so if you're not adopting it in a mindful way, in a way that. Is thoughtful. You've put policies in place, you've explored or turned on and off settings of tools that you use every day to meet that policy or meet, your personal comfort level with, privacy and data. then these organizations could be exposing themselves to a lot more risk than they even realize.

[00:16:34] I think you've spoken to this, quite a bit as well, where not adopting it is really not gonna be a choice. It's whether you, adopt it in a way where you decide how that works with your organization, or it's sort of passively, gathering your information alongside stuff that you already do every day.

[00:16:55] Right. I mean, it's almost like the intention leads to being [00:17:00] more, ethical in using the tool and, embracing a pathway that brings justice versus one that seeds, intelligence to these big companies that will use it for ways that they want, not ways that a nonprofit wants.

Consulting for Nonprofits

[00:17:28] Nonprofit AI space, as consultants. and that's kind of been my background more from the corporate side, but what would you say that AI consultants or, consultants for nonprofits in general that come from corporate might miss about nonprofit culture?

[00:17:41] Or I guess more selfishly, what do I need to know about nonprofit culture to, deliver these services, in the best way possible? Yeah, I think that, a lot of times the stereotype, in the consulting world is that, nonprofits are not, I don't know if competent is the right word, but, if they [00:18:00] just ran like a business, then they'd be fine.

[00:18:02] If they just, could learn a little bit of technology, they'd be fine. and so I think you alluded to this earlier, is that if they realize that, actually there's a lot of competence within organizations like these, but again, if they don't have the capacity to, deploy it in the right way, the organization's.

[00:18:23] tend to miss out on meeting mission. And that's, what a lot of, AI consultants from the tech or corporate world, miss. so that's what I would say.

[00:18:39] what about you? How are nonprofits and nonprofit consultants talking about ai? Are they, avoiding it, completely. why do you think that is? I think, the ones that we've spoken to obviously are, not avoiding it. they're sort of realizing that the wave is here, but they are feeling, a bit confused or overwhelmed 

[00:18:58] The feeling is like a [00:19:00] lot of new technologies, it's like this is going to be more work for me in the short term, and I do not have the time or the resources to figure it out. So, that's, that's my impression. Again, sort of new to the nonprofit consulting world, but would you agree that's kind of what you've seen from, nonprofits and cons, nonprofit consultants related to ai?

[00:19:20] Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. 

Practical AI Solutions for Nonprofits

[00:19:23] and tell me if, if someone's listening, hoping will tell 'em exactly what tool to buy, you know, what should they know. so we've spoken about this to some of our, our clients as well, like for, for better or worse. AI is the same as a lot of technology in some ways, which is there isn't a one size fits all approach.

[00:19:42] So, a lot of adopting ai, building AI solutions is like. Building any solutions. So we need to sit down, understand the needs, problems, goals, and find ways to solve them. So, this is kind of one of the big challenges with [00:20:00] AI is that It is unlimited. It does have unlimited possibilities for businesses and nonprofit organizations.

[00:20:07] so the goal on this podcast will be to teach you listeners, to ask the right questions to build AI into your work and organizations safely, which is the same thing, Mike, that we do every day for, our nonprofits. Partners. if someone is listening and thinks that we might talk about, how AI has all the answers, what should they know about that?

[00:20:30] The first thing I would say is, don't think that way. I was actually speaking to a friend recently about just the nonprofit sector in general and how tough it's been and what she said to me, and this is someone that works with, I mean, she used to lead an organization that was made up of hundreds of nonprofits.

[00:20:46] and she said that the main thing that she was seeing was the organizations that succeed have exceptional leadership. and that leadership knows how to implement things like ai. Right. And even if they [00:21:00] don't know, they're willing to ask questions, they're curious and they wanna reach out and figure out, how do I do this?

[00:21:06] They don't have all of the answers. and they want to explore that. So AI doesn't have all the answers. and one of the things that I think that you and I can do is really help. Nonprofits, as we've already done with numerous clients, get, move along a journey and, and learn more and become, sort of partners.

[00:21:27] This technology as it continues to, to emerge. Yeah, I'm, I'm looking forward to it. And, yeah, that's, that's kind of why we've, we've started this podcast and, and why we're here. 

Conclusion and Next Steps

[00:21:38] So, next episode, we're going to start with the thing that I think everyone listening can relate to, which is why so many nonprofits are exhausted, and why adding more passion and more hours isn't actually the problem or the solution.

[00:21:54] So before then, if you're listening to this, we want you to do one thing. Write down three tasks you did this [00:22:00] week that made you think, I wish I didn't have to do this. You don't have to solve it, just write it down. So we're going somewhere with this. We'll, we'll help you apply this information in the next episode, and we want you to have some real practical value that can help advance your mission.

[00:22:18] And thanks for joining us, everyone to this first episode of Mission Aligned Intelligence. And don't forget to subscribe wherever you are listening. we'd also appreciate it if you shared the episode. with anyone you know, in the nonprofit sector, we are making a difference and a very real one.

[00:22:34] And we want to help organizations do the same so that their, missions are met, their strategic plans are met, and that the things that they serve, get served and that a difference happens, so that we can help them, get there as well. Thank you. And in the meantime, if you wanna learn more about us, you can visit our website at nonprofit [00:23:00] N-O-N-R-O-P.