Fundraising.AI

The Framework

Fundraising.AI

Episode 54

THE PODCAST

Episode 54 - AI Fluency: The Skill Every Leader Needs Now

THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY

WATCH ON YOUTUBE

Listen To The Episode

OVERVIEW

What does it mean to be AI fluent? And why is this skill becoming crucial not just for tech teams but for nonprofit leaders, fundraisers, and other mission-driven professionals? In this week’s episode, Nathan and Scott ponder these very questions. They also unpack what truly drives innovation: curiosity and imagination, while commenting that the biggest barrier to progress isn’t tools but people’s own imagination. They examine various aspects, from hiring strategies to leadership errors, and how AI can assist in attracting and retaining employees to maintain organizational relevance. They also discuss the critical tension of the need to explore new tools without falling for every shiny object that comes out. Whether you are just getting started or already experimenting with modern AI tools, join Nathan and Scott as they dive into leading with intention, not just adoption.  

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

  • [02:19] The newest memory upgrade of OpenAI.
  • [06:26] The importance of custom instructions.
  • [10:41] OpenAI Academy for AI literacy and community learning.
  • [17:41] AI 2027: An in-depth study on AI in the next couple of years.
  • [19:15] NotebookLM and its ability to distill large amounts of information into a digestible format.
  • [24:20] The role of curiosity in innovation.
  • [26:14] The importance of AI fluency.
  • [29:18] The challenges of AI Fluency.
  • [36:20] Tip of the Week – Keep a visual reminder of ‘How Can I Help?'
  • [36:48] Ponder of the Week – Just because we can, doesn’t mean we should.

TIPS AND TOOLS TO IMPLEMENT TODAY

  • AI is developing fast. Use it as it is now, imperfect but competent.
  • Build a culture of ‘what else can this do?’. It leads to innovation.
  • Hire with AI in mind. Fresh talent brings fresh perspective.
  • Treat every new hire as a learning opportunity.
  • Build a toolbox. Know which tools are good for which tasks.
  • Encourage innovation and continuous learning from the very start.
  • Create a culture of experimentation.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

FAVORITE QUOTES

  • “When you think about how generative AI is built and why it works as well as it does, it is because they found that by consuming so much information, which wasn't possible before in history, but by consuming every written thing on the internet, that language became very predictable and very precise.” – Nathan Chappell
  • “Technology will continue to present itself to be able to do things at an increasingly fast pace, and maybe some of those things are not beneficial.” – Nathan Chappell
  • “The biggest limitation to exploring what's possible with AI is your own imagination.” – Nathan Chappell
  • “There are many ways to use these tools. I think people just really underestimate how powerful they are and what they're capable of.” – Nathan Chappell
  • “Curiosity is the one thing that we as humans still have, and that's what has pushed every tool to date in the history of humanity to more efficiency, or any image invention.” – Scott Rosenkrans
  • “AI fluency for me is that quest for understanding what it is capable of, and what it is not.” – Nathan Chappell
  • “It's not the data, it's not the models that make AI adoption successful, it's the culture, and that speaks to those soft skills.” – Scott Rosenkrans
  • “It's not about just learning the tools. It's about having that mindset of being able to test things and fail things and just look for new opportunities.” – Scott Rosenkrans
  • “Just because we can, doesn’t mean we should.” – Nathan Chappell

Connect with US

Other Episodes You Might Enjoy

MEET YOUR HOSTS

Nathan Chappell

As a thought leader, public speaker, author and inventor, Nathan is one of the world’s foremost experts on the intersection between Artificial Intelligence and philanthropy. Nathan serves as Senior Vice President of DonorSearch AI, where he leads AI deployments for some of the nation’s largest nonprofit organizations. Nathan’s subject matter expertise has been featured in several publications, including Fast Company, University of Notre Dame and the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy. In 2021, Nathan founded Fundraising.Ai as a member-centric collaboration of nonprofit professionals with a focus on data ethics, data equality, privacy and security, sustainability. Nathan presented the first TEDx on the topic of artificial intelligence and the future of generosity in 2018. Nathan is a member of the Forbes Technology Council and holds a Masters in Nonprofit Administration from University of Notre Dame, an MBA from University of Redlands, a certificate in International Economics from University of Cambridge and a certificate in Artificial Intelligence from MIT.

Scott Rosenkrans

Scott Rosenkrans is the Assistant Vice President of DonorSearch Ai and has been with the organization for three years. He began his journey in the nonprofit sector twelve years ago as a prospect researcher. He quickly became fascinated with data as he noticed the organization that he previously worked for was amassing a wealth of information but was unsure how to efficiently use the data and resources to its full potential. This led him to become interested in predictive modeling and data analytics. During this time, he began to create an immense commitment to delivering tailor-made machine learning models to nonprofits.

The thing that Scott loves most about working for DonorSearch is the ability to prioritize what is best for the client and nonprofit sector above all else. He believes that growth is our most important core value because the DSAi team continuously evolves and brings a unique perspective that provides value to our clients. He stays ahead of industry trends because of his insatiable drive to constantly try out new things.

Favorite nonprofit: Shriner’s Children Hospital because of their extreme commitment to providing exceptional medical care, while also alleviating the financial burdens on families.