From Automation to Augmentation: How Generative AI is Changing Nonprofit Leadership
Ten years ago, I was using Zapier to duct-tape my nonprofit tech stack together. Stripe handled donations, Trello kept our roadmap alive, and Slack became our nervous system. Every app had a job. My job was to make them talk to each other—and not break anything in the process.
That DIY digital infrastructure helped me run lean, scale programs, and engage donors with minimal overhead. But it had limits.
Today, as a nonprofit executive in the age of generative AI, I’m no longer just automating tasks—I’m augmenting thinking.
And that’s a massive shift.
From Workflows to Thought Partners
Zapier and similar tools were built to move data between platforms. Generative AI, by contrast, helps move ideas forward. It doesn’t just connect systems; it complements human reasoning. It drafts, suggests, rewrites, brainstorms, summarizes, and learns from context.
When I first started out, writing donor emails meant opening a blank document and hoping inspiration struck. Today, I can feed AI a campaign goal, past donor copy, and a tone reference—and get a rough draft that sounds 80% like me. Then I make it 100%. That first draft doesn’t just save time—it gets me thinking faster.
The same applies to board updates, social posts, grant proposals, and even blog posts like this one. I’m not outsourcing creativity; I’m accelerating it.
AI Doesn’t Replace the Human—it Amplifies the Hustle
In the nonprofit world, we’re used to doing more with less. We’re also used to skepticism—of new platforms, shiny tools, and anything that promises magic. Generative AI isn’t magic. It’s leverage.
Here’s how I use it in my day-to-day:
Drafting messages and letters to donors, funders, and partners
Summarizing meetings or research into action items or decisions
Rewriting internal docs to match tone, reduce jargon, or clarify expectations
Prototyping ideas before bringing in designers or consultants
Creating templates for fundraisers, board members, or volunteers
Compare that to 2014, when my biggest breakthrough was getting Mailchimp to automatically tag someone based on a Stripe donation. That’s not to diminish that work—it was necessary, and it worked. But AI brings a new layer: insight generation, not just workflow execution.
What Hasn’t Changed: The Need for Good Judgment
No matter how fast the tech evolves, the role of the nonprofit executive is still to lead with clarity, empathy, and purpose. AI won’t tell you how to navigate a community crisis. It won’t replace the board meeting where big strategy decisions get hashed out. And it won’t feel the weight of a parent calling you for help after a new diagnosis.
But what it can do is give you more space—mental, emotional, and operational—to show up where it matters most.
That’s the opportunity.
A Final Thought: Curiosity is the New Superpower
I never set out to be a “Chief Automation Officer.” I just wanted to build things that worked. Generative AI is just the next evolution of that mindset.
If you’re a nonprofit leader and you’re curious—even just a little—about how this tech might help you serve better, work faster, or think more clearly, lean in. Start small. Use it for that email you’ve been avoiding. Try summarizing that 10-page grant report.
You might be surprised at what you unlock.
And who knows? In another ten years, we may look back at today’s tools with the same fondness I have for Zapier and Slack. But right now, in this moment, we have a chance to redefine what it means to lead with both heart and horsepower.
