Between changing giving habits and methods, the rise of new tech, and the pandemic’s ongoing impacts, there are plenty of trends and developments to keep up with.

Artificial intelligence is among the most talked-about nonprofit trends of the past several years. But even as AI becomes an increasingly common part of nonprofit toolkits, a lot of misconceptions still exist. This overview will cover the fundamentals you’ll need to know.

If technology isn’t your team’s strong suit, the real purpose and value of AI can easily get lost in the weeds, but it’s not as complicated as it might first seem.

Artificial intelligence for nonprofits helps you fundraise and communicate more efficiently by generating and continually updating predictions about how donors will behave.

On a rolling basis, AI tech provides you with lists of donors who are the most likely to take specific actions, like giving a donation to a direct mail appeal. You can then use these predictions to directly shape your fundraising and outreach strategies.

Here are a few ways nonprofits are already using AI to fundraise more efficiently:

  • Generating mailing lists for appeals. AI can tell you exactly who’ll be likely to give to your appeal, making it easy to save on printing and boost conversions.
  • Managing your monthly giving program. AI tools can also show you which individuals are likely to upgrade their donation, join, or churn out of your program.
  • Identify mid-level and major gift opportunities. Compare AI predictions against your own prospect lists to give your development team an added level of precision.

Read the full article about AI for nonprofits by Tim Paris and Chris Paver at Charity Navigator.