New AI call template to support nonprofits

Artificial intelligence (AI) and its application have exploded in interest over the last six months, especially with the public launch of ChatGPT and other Large Language Models (LLMs). This interest has extended into the philanthropic and corporate social responsibility (CSR) space. Nonprofit professionals, grantmakers, and corporate executives are often resource-constrained and are interested in understanding how they can leverage this new technology in their own jobs, and stay ahead of the curve.

In response, Catchafire has created a new AI call template to support nonprofits, grantmakers, and professionals.

AI and philanthropy

While AI continues to develop, we already know that it will have a transformational impact across industries, with huge implications for philanthropy. AI could lead to increased efficiency and effectiveness, allowing nonprofits and grantmakers to focus on high-level strategic tasks and advancing their mission.

For nonprofits, AI can significantly streamline work for overextended staff, leading to greater efficiency and mission impact. There are a number of ways AI can support nonprofits:

• Administrative functions: AI can help with streamlining daily operations, task management, and project planning. This frees up staff to focus on their mission and programmatic work.
• Customer service: AI-powered chatbots can provide donors with the information and support they need to answer inquiries and make donations. Chatbots can be active 24/7, enhancing a nonprofit’s responsiveness and engagement with donors.
• Data analysis: By analyzing a large volume of data, AI can help review data, identify trends, and provide insights that influence high-level strategy and decision-making. This could help with fundraising, when nonprofits are trying to gain a better understanding of their donor giving profiles, or with program evaluation, when staff are assessing their community impact.
• Fundraising and donor engagement: With a prompt, AI can develop personalized donor communications and fundraising appeals. AI can also help identify potential high-value donors and predict donor behavior for fundraising staff working on engagement strategy.
• Marketing and communications: AI can provide quick templates or marketing materials like press releases, social media posts, newsletters, proposals, and thank you letters.

AI holds great promise, and there is still a lot to unpack–that’s where Catchafire comes in. With our latest call template, we aim to bridge the knowledge gap on AI between grantmakers, nonprofits, companies, and volunteers. This will help ensure the responsible use of AI in the philanthropic space.

Our approach

With AI as a growing field, many nonprofits are looking for resources and expertise to learn if they should use AI and how to implement AI technology in their organizations. That’s where Catchafire comes in–we can connect nonprofits to AI experts who can help brainstorm, answer questions, and strategize on the use of AI and ChatGPT. Our talented group of volunteers can help integrate AI into nonprofits’ workflow, upskill employees, and leverage AI for impact.

As part of our project menu, we’re releasing a new call template focused exclusively on AI. Within minutes, nonprofits can post the AI template and seek expert advice from a volunteer on Catchafire. With a one hour consultation call, nonprofits will have the space to talk to an expert to learn about AI, how to use it to fit their specific organizational needs, and best practices around AI and LLMs like ChatGPT. This is a critical professional development opportunity for staff to build their knowledge and reflect: how can AI help them advance their mission and create equitable outcomes in their community? How can nonprofits leverage AI to enhance organizational capacity?

Grantmakers who provide nonprofits with access to Catchafire are providing access to an invaluable resource–leveraging AI is not covered in traditional grant budgets. Access to Catchafire provides a unique professional development resource to nonprofits who are excited to learn more about AI and how they can use it in their fields.

For companies, it is also an investment in professional development–providing their employees with access to Catchafire as a virtual volunteering platform allows them to educate and upskill their workforce, contributing to employee engagement, retention, and satisfaction. Through Catchafire, companies can contribute to cutting edge technology in a low-risk way. Employees are able to learn and grow while giving back to their communities using their unique skill sets.

Volunteers with experience in AI tools will have the opportunity to lend their expertise and give back to the community. They can deepen their knowledge in the growing field of technology, while sharing their insights with nonprofits who are excited to learn more about how they can use AI in their own organizations.

AI’s potential will only continue to grow–with our call template, we’re ensuring that nonprofits have the access to the resources and talent they need to stay on top of the latest technologies.

Get involved

If you’re a nonprofit, grantmaker, or company, and would like to learn more about Catchafire, let’s connect. Email us here.