Nonprofit Direct Connect: Practical AI for nonprofits

Join other area nonprofits, board members, and business leaders to share best practices and ideas to overcome everyday nonprofit business challenges!
This month's topic: Practical AI for Nonprofits: Using AI Safely, Strategically, and Effectively
Please join us for this session with Jake Butts, President of GxP Solutions. A light lunch will be provided.
Practical AI for Nonprofits: Using AI Safely, Strategically, and Effectively
Description:
Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming part of everyday work, but many nonprofit leaders are still asking the same practical questions: What is AI actually good for? What should we avoid? How can our staff use it safely? And where does it fit into the real work of running a mission-driven organization?
This interactive, non-technical presentation will introduce nonprofit leaders and professionals to the practical use of modern AI tools, especially large language models like ChatGPT. The session will focus on real-world applications, responsible use, and simple techniques that attendees can begin applying immediately.
Topics covered include
What large language models are, what they do well, and where they fall short
Security, privacy, and data considerations when using AI tools with organizational or client information
Common nonprofit use cases, including writing support, summarization, reporting, spreadsheet analysis, brainstorming, and grant-related tasks
Practical prompt engineering techniques for getting more useful, specific, and reliable outputs
The most common AI workflows, such as supplying documents, analyzing spreadsheets, comparing information, drafting communications, and turning messy notes into structured outputs
Personnel and policy considerations, including staff training and responsible AI guidelines
How to think about AI as part of a broader operations strategy rather than a one-off tool or shortcut

Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how AI can support nonprofit operations, how to identify appropriate use cases, and how to begin building safe, practical habits for their teams. The presentation is designed for non-technical audiences and emphasizes approachable examples, organizational decision-making, and responsible adoption.