How much of your day do you spend changing the world? How many hours do you dedicate to building meaningful relationships with the communities you partner with? How much time do you truly spend innovating, creating, and coming up with bold, new ideas?

As non-profit fundraisers, our job is to make the world a better place — to champion social justice, challenge the status quo, and create lasting pathways for positive change. However, our fearless, tireless, do-more-with-less attitude can sometimes hinder our ability to move forward — especially when moving forward requires a great leap.

Right now, that leap is Artificial Intelligence and we have two choices. Jump or be left behind.

No, this blog post wasn’t written by a bot. It’s not a message from the robot overlords urging you into submission. It’s a note from a fellow fundraiser, a concerned citizen, and someone who believes the power, beauty, and creativity of the human spirit are unmatched — and still uses AI.

There are plenty of extremely valid reasons to be wary of AI. It was built by people after all. It’s implicitly set up with their biases, their knowledge gaps, and their priorities in mind. Additionally, there are real-world implications to AI that make some rightfully hesitant to jump on board. Will it cost hard-working individuals their jobs? Will it devalue the work of artists and creators? Will it be used to deep-fake videos during elections?

Early adopters of AI have the unique opportunity to shape its learning, guide its programming, consider its applications, and harness its power for good. If values-driven people sit on the sidelines during this critical timeframe we’re allowing others to shape the trajectory of AI. We must be involved in the conversation — and even future legislation. 

We’re already seeing some of the positive impacts open-source AI can have for our sector. With the help of AI small organizations can reach more supporters in meaningful ways from crafting compelling copy, to analyzing enormous amounts of data in a fraction of the time. AI has the power to level the playing field propelling grassroots movements forward and amplifying voices that weren’t previously heard.

No matter what size organization you work with, we all have tasks that could benefit from the assistance of AI. What if you didn’t have to stare at an empty page for 30 minutes before coming up with a first draft? What if you could analyze huge swaths of data faster and more effectively? What if you didn’t have to create 20 versions of your campaign message for different channels? None of these tasks are fundraising. None of these tasks are changing the world. 

With the help of AI, we free ourselves of the mundane and gain time back in our day to create relationships, innovate, connect with our communities, and so much more.

AI won't replace fundraisers, but it could transform fundraising.

As Phillip Deng, CEO of Grantable, recently pointed out, when the sewing machine was invented in 1790, seamstresses everywhere feared they’d be put out of work. It seemed inevitable that this new technology would replace them.

However, that’s not how the story played out. The sewing machine increased access as well as demand for clothing. Now that fabric could be produced more quickly, people bought and replaced garments more regularly. The textile and clothing industry boomed.

But perhaps, more importantly, it unleashed the opportunity for more creativity, ingenuity, and personalization in the industry. Without laboring over each individual stitch, the same seamstresses who feared they’d be replaced transformed clothing and textiles from an everyday necessity into art, expression, and at times, a form of revolution.

If we were free to let go of everyday tasks and focus instead on creativity, connections, and yes, revolution, what would we be able to achieve for our clients, our communities, and our world?

Ready to take the leap? Still on the fence? Stay tuned for more articles about how staff at MWD are using AI to inform our work, what we’re excited about, and what’s still giving us pause.

 

About the author: Zoe Clarke is a Senior Account Executive at Mal Warwick Donordigital. She has eight years of experience in leading best-in-class fundraising and communication campaigns. Zoe believes in challenging the status quo and investing in creative and inspiring new fundraising tactics to engage donors, shape communities, and build a better world.