How can you put AI to work for your nonprofit?
AI is reshaping nonprofit work, but adopting it responsibly takes intention. Farra Trompeter, co-director, is joined by Cheryl Contee, chief innovation officer at BrightWorksAI.com, and Darian Rodriguez Heyman, founder of Helping People Help, to discuss insights from their new book, AI for Nonprofits, including practical, ethical ways nonprofits can use AI from fundraising and communications to operations and culture.Â
Transcript
Farra Trompeter: Welcome to the Smart Communications Podcast. This is Farra Trompeter, co-director and worker-owner at Big Duck. Today, we’re going to ask the question, How can you put AI to work for your nonprofit? It’s a question I know continues to be on many people’s minds these days, and we’re in fact recording this conversation in December to publish right away in the new year in January. So I am sure, as you’re starting the year, you’ll continue to wonder about this, and I hope this conversation provides value. We have had several other conversations on the Smart Communications Podcast about AI, including episode 185: How can you approach AI with an equity lens? And episode 173: How can you use AI for strategic communications? So, if you’re wondering about that and more, you can always find links at bigduck.com/insights, including the transcript for this conversation. But let’s zoom out. We’re going to talk bigger picture today with two folks I’ve known for many years. First, Cheryl Contee, who uses she/her, is the chief innovation officer at BrightWorksAI.com, which helps mission-driven teams adopt AI confidently, ethically, and in ways that strengthen your people, programs, and purpose. She’s also a senior advisor for PosterChild.AI and co-founder of Change Agent AI, mission-driven and game-changing AI-powered startups. Cheryl, welcome to the show.
Cheryl Contee: So glad to be here with you, Farra. Thanks for having us.
Farra Trompeter: Of course. We also have Darian Rodriguez Heyman, who uses he/him pronouns. Darian is the founder of Helping People Help, specializing in AI implementation, fundraising, board development, and strategic planning for mission-led organizations, as well as the former executive director of the Craigslist Foundation. Darian is also the founder of AI4NP.org, a fiscally sponsored initiative by NTEN, a digital learning hub for AI, for good resources and responsible AI adoption. He’s written several books, including Nonprofit Fundraising 101. Darian, welcome to the show.
Darian Rodriguez Heyman: Thanks so much for having us. Great to see you again.
Farra Trompeter: Always. Well, Cheryl and Darian co-wrote a bestselling new book called AI for Nonprofits: Putting Artificial Intelligence to Work for Your Cause, and we’re going to get into that and more.
Cheryl Contee: Sure. Well, lots of people are reading this book. You know, we were really excited that when it launched, it achieved the top 10 of business and finance…
Darian Rodriguez Heyman: I mean, I think like many technologies before it, people kind of dive into using it without taking the time to think about what success looks like…
Farra Trompeter: Cheryl, anything you’d add to that?
Cheryl Contee: I think people sense that a big change is on the horizon…
Darian Rodriguez Heyman: And if I can just add one more comment…
Farra Trompeter: Now I imagine when you were doing research on the book…
Darian Rodriguez Heyman: Yeah, what I would say is that in truth…
Cheryl Contee: Yeah. And I would add, you know, as a co-founder of Change Agent AI…
Farra Trompeter: Great. Well, I want to direct something more to those ostrich friends out there…
Darian Rodriguez Heyman: Yeah, I think we are seeing sort of our heads in the sand largely across the sector…
Cheryl Contee: Yeah, and I would just add, you don’t want to be using a quill pen when everybody else is using a computer…
Farra Trompeter: Well, let’s say someone is taking their head out of the sand…
Darian Rodriguez Heyman: Yeah, I’m happy to kick it off…
Cheryl Contee: Nothing to add to that. He said it perfectly.
Farra Trompeter: Check, check, Darian…
Cheryl Contee: Sure. I would say, you know, I know that what I hear a lot about are environmental concerns…
Darian Rodriguez Heyman: Yeah. I agree completely…
Cheryl Contee: Yeah, I would just jump on that and say…
Farra Trompeter: Great. Well, lots of things for folks to chew on…
Cheryl Contee: No, I just, you know, I hope that people…
Darian Rodriguez Heyman: And I think from my side…
Cheryl Contee: And what I would add is, in our book…
Farra Trompeter: Great. Well, thank you for giving us so many big ideas and practical things we can do, and I hope everyone has a great year ahead.
