Some not-for-profits try ChatGPT once, get a generic answer, and quietly decide: “This isn’t for us.”

When you’re juggling programs, staff, volunteers and reporting, reading ten pages of fine print isn’t easy. That’s why I used AI to support a client with their latest contract, and it changed the whole conversation.

Last week, I found myself back where it all began, deep in qualitative data.

“It was scary how easy it was.” That was the first reaction from a client last week after we built a custom GPT together — just in time for Halloween.

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A not-for-profit leader asked me: “Should we put our limited budget into digital ads?” On the surface, it seemed like a yes/no question. But instead of asking AI directly, I guided them to use AI more deeply. 

The FrustrationA few weeks ago, I was working on a research task in ChatGPT to fill missing contact details for a not-for-profit CRM. I’d given the AI a clear instruction… or so I thought.The result? Half the info was missing, and what was there looked like it had been guessed.Rather than starting over, I asked ChatGPT to slow down and explain its thinking step-by-step before giving me the final answer. That’s when the results changed completely, it caught errors, used better sources, and even flagged details that needed human checking.

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This week I attended three different workshops; one on cybersecurity, one on AI strategy, and one on marketing. They were well-run, informative, and delivered by people who clearly knew their stuff.

Between elections, climate events, funding changes, and the rapid development of AI, it’s impossible to keep up with everything.

I remember when I first came across Google Search.Back then, the internet was more a place to visit than a place to use. A few fun websites, some chat rooms… not much more.

In all my workshops, the question of AI safety and data protection consistently comes up. Many professionals in the not-for-profit sector are eager to harness AI’s potential but are rightly concerned about what happens to their data when they use tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity. These concerns are valid, and understanding the risks and best practices is crucial.