Fundraising.AI
Episode 27
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OVERVIEW
Meet Woodrow Rosenbaum, the visionary Chief Data Officer behind GivingTuesday’s global impact. With a robust background in market dynamics and audience transformation, Woodrow is in charge of understanding and promoting generosity worldwide. At the helm of the GivingTuesday Data Commons, he spearheads collaborative efforts across over 300 organizations and data teams in 50 countries. His pioneering research on individual giving behaviors informs strategic decisions and drives innovation in nonprofit data infrastructure.
Beyond his role at GivingTuesday, Woodrow plays a pivotal role in shaping global philanthropy through his leadership on the Generosity Commission Research Task Force and as former Co-Chair of Global Impact Canada’s Board of Directors. His insights into technology and public policy, as a previous Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center, underscore his commitment to leveraging data for social good.
Starting today’s conversation, Woodrow shares his journey from commercial marketing to leading data-driven initiatives at GivingTuesday, highlighting the evolution and impact of the Data Commons. He explains how GivingTuesday has revolutionized donor acquisition and retention and how collective giving fosters a sense of community and higher engagement. Moreover, Woodrow discusses the critical role of generosity in a thriving civil society, emphasizing the importance of authentic engagement in building trust within the nonprofit sector.
Delving deeper, Woodrow explores the AI Readiness Survey insights, revealing the current state of AI adoption among nonprofits and the challenges they face. He underscores the need for improved data practices and discusses the exciting potential of AI-driven solutions explicitly tailored to nonprofit needs.
Woodrow then shifts to discuss the innovative tools and strategies being piloted to drive sector-specific innovation. He highlights GivingTuesday’s role as a catalyst for technological adoption and experimentation and shares insights into the collaborative successes of the Fundraising.AI community. Through these efforts, Woodrow emphasizes the significance of leadership and open co-creation in achieving remarkable outcomes.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
- [01:35] Woodrow's Role at GivingTuesday
- [03:08] Applying Systems Thinking from Commercial Marketing to Nonprofit Data Strategies
- [04:15] Solving Measurement Challenges for GivingTuesday and Elevating Nonprofit Data Infrastructure
- [06:29] The Unexpected Impact of GivingTuesday on Donor Retention and the Broader Generosity Landscape
- [09:50] The Crucial Role of Generosity: Quantifying and Elevating Community Support within Civil Society
- [12:34] Balancing New Practices and Technology to Strengthen the Nonprofit Sector
- [14:47] The Power of Collective Action: How GivingTuesday's Unique Approach Drives Higher Engagement and Donor Retention
- [18:37] The Human Element in Effective Workplace Giving
- [19:27] Building Trust Through Authentic Engagement
- [22:00] Shifting the Mindset: Embracing Abundance and Integrated Storytelling in the Nonprofit Sector
- [26:43] AI Readiness in Nonprofits: Embracing Innovation and Overcoming Challenges for Sector-Specific Solutions
- [30:57] Leveraging AI to Enhance Nonprofit Data Practices
- [32:30] Driving Sector-Specific Innovation and Adoption through GivingTuesday
- [36:41] Transforming Fundraising with AI: Celebrating Collaborative Success and Leadership in Innovation
TIPS AND TOOLS TO IMPLEMENT TODAY
- Clean and maintain accurate data to enhance donor communication and trust.
- Start with AI tools tailored for nonprofits to optimize operations and engagement.
- Position generosity as fundamental to community engagement and mission success.
- Break down silos between programmatic, marketing, and development teams to create cohesive storytelling.
- Build trust through personalized and relevant interactions with supporters.
- Shift from transactional to relational approaches in donor stewardship.
- Foster a sense of belonging and impact through collective giving initiatives.
- Lead sector-specific tech adoption and experimentation, leveraging platforms like GivingTuesday.
- Assess and improve readiness for AI tools by enhancing data practices and addressing sector-specific concerns.
- Create open forums for collaborative innovation, inviting diverse participation and leadership.
FAVORITE QUOTES
- "Nonprofit donations are the smaller piece of the generosity landscape." - Woodrow Rosenbaum
- "It's a mindset shift; we've got to lose the scarcity mentality in the nonprofit sector." - Woodrow Rosenbaum
- "We want to drive sector-specific innovation instead of trying to follow it." - Woodrow Rosenbaum
- "Fundrainsing.AI has just been tremendous; what you've accomplished is so remarkable." - Woodrow Rosenbaum
- "Generosity is a fundamental component of how people feel empowered to care for themselves and their communities." - Woodrow Rosenbaum
- "There's less reluctance to get into this tech wave, but nonprofits still lag behind in sector-specific solutions." - Woodrow Rosenbaum
- "We're using AI tools to evaluate what AI tools are out there." - Woodrow Rosenbaum
- "Giving Tuesday has been a catalyst for driving technological adoption and experimentation." - Woodrow Rosenbaum
- "The big difference between the commercial sector and non-commercial sector is, we have a lot better data infrastructure in the commercial sector than the nonprofit sector." - Woodrow Rosenbaum
- "Critically, those other ways that people give are not competitive with nonprofit donations and participation in nonprofit giving. Not to say that there isn't a problem there. But the problem is not competition." - Woodrow Rosenbaum
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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.
