Imagine choosing an expensive high-end smartphone with dozens of fancy features—a high-resolution camera, advanced productivity apps, and complex settings—but never bothering to get educated about those features, only using it to make calls and send texts. While some people do this without feeling stressed or thinking about the wasted dollars, in a nonprofit setting this… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Uncategorized
The AI Fix-It Fantasy: What Won’t Change in Your Nonprofit
Hey there, fellow do-gooders! We all love the idea of technology swooping in to save the day, right? But let’s get real: not everything can be fixed with a fancy algorithm or a shiny new app. So, grab your popcorn and let’s chat about what AI won’t fix in your nonprofit.– Fundraising Fumbles: Imagine this:… Read more »
Nonprofits Navigating ChatGPT Quirks: Understanding the Mistakes it Can Make
Is your nonprofit harnessing the power of AI like ChatGPT in your daily operations? Well, buckle up, because today we’re diving into a topic that’s as quirky as it is important: the mistakes ChatGPT can make. Did you know that if properly prompted, ChatGPT will claim that the word “mayonnaise” contains more than two letter… Read more »
Nonprofit Technology Planning for Disasters (and Turnover)
Every year we face natural disasters from fires to hurricanes to earthquakes to tornadoes and flooding. We never know when disaster may strike. Technology can help a nonprofit recover faster when it is thoughtfully used. A nonprofit without a disaster recovery plan may suffer permanent data losses and can struggle for weeks to reconstruct the… Read more »
The Best Nonprofit Online Strategies are Data-Informed
Want to improve the results you get from the effort you put into your online presence? Your nonprofit’s best online strategies are the ones informed by your data. Data not just on activity but also on what content is most popular across your website, emails and social media channels. You don’t have to be a… Read more »
A Practical AI Path for Nonprofits
In my work helping philanthropic and nonprofit organizations consider how to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools into their work, a pathway for good outcomes is emerging. It starts with Foundational Elements (for some this means dusting these off): – Strategic Plan that includes Technology – even better if there is a detailed Technology Plan… Read more »
Leading with Joy – Three Takeaways
Reading Leading with Joy by Akaya Windwood & Rajasvini Bhansali. Some tips from the authors, from their recent book party on how to cultivate joy as a leader. – Create the conditions for joy. Find ways to bring joy into your life (not add it to your to do list). Reflect on what brings you… Read more »
Nonprofit Storytelling, Online Engagement and Measuring Success
I crafted and presented a workshop for the grantees of the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment recently on Storytelling, Engagement and Measuring Success. Attendees were from mostly grassroots organizations, many working in rural areas and most with very limited resources. I chose to cover these topics together because in over 20 years of… Read more »
Unconscious Whiteness in Philanthropy: Reflections
Three takeaways from my participation in Unconscious Whiteness in Philanthropy course w/ the excellent Alison Traina and Alison Sirkus Brody. The course is a five-session cohort learning experience to deepen understanding of how white supremacy manifests in philanthropic organizations and systems, hosted by Northern California Grantmakers. – White Men Wanted. There is a need for… Read more »
Lessons from a Successful Nonprofit Collaborative Technology Project
I spent 5 years working with 4 nonprofits on a collaborative technology project. Below I share the lessons we learned, the challenges and the benefits of having nonprofits collaborating on a technology project. This was the project the developed the SafeChat Silicon Valley crisis counseling service. It involved four domestic violence service providers near San… Read more »