Should Your Nonprofit Use AI?: Pros and Cons and Best Practices
We’ve seen it firsthand — “We’d love to do more online — but we don’t have the tools, the people, or the time.” At Collab with Kat, we often hear this from small, grassroots organizations working hard to keep pace in an ever-changing digital landscape.
The truth is that fundraising trends evolve quickly, digital tools multiply rapidly, and now Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly becoming a part of all types of organizations’ workflows and planning. The pressure to adopt every emerging technology can be overwhelming, especially when opinions on AI vary widely. Some see AI as groundbreaking; others feel cautious, even skeptical, about its impacts.
Pros and Cons of Incorporating AI Into Your Nonprofits’ Workflows
AI, like any tool, has strengths and limitations. It won’t replace the meaningful, relational work nonprofits do every day. Instead, thoughtful, selective use of AI can complement your efforts, saving time, enhancing decision-making, and freeing you to focus on deeper human connections.
However, there are some potential cons to using AI that we and many of our clients continue to be concerned with:
1. Your Content and Outreach Becoming Bland, Generic, and Boring:
As more and more nonprofits use AI, their social media and campaigns are becoming increasingly similar and ultimately, forgettable. The balance between using AI and incorporating a human touch into your content can be challenging for those not adept at developing content that both connects with and stands out to your readers. In most cases, AI is best used as an idea generator and an editor as opposed to your lead writer.
2. AI Impacting Your Organization's Ability to Secure Grants:
Using AI to generate content for reports and grants is becoming increasingly popular in the nonprofit sector. However, as we use more tools to generate content, funders are becoming increasingly weary of reading redundant applications lacking a human touch. If your team cannot rework content generated by AI to improve its flow and storytelling, you will likely find yourself receiving fewer offers from funders.
3. Entry-Level Positions Being Replaced or Reduced Due to AI:
A major focus of many organizations is to save money and resources whenever possible. Unfortunately, this has led some nonprofits to mistakenly replace real workers with AI. At Collab with Kat, we like to think of AI as an energetic intern that has joined the team – they are wonderful to aid in research and bounce ideas off of, but have a lot to learn and often make mistakes. Ultimately, the expertise and skills of your team are invaluable and irreplaceable.
Best Practices for Nonprofits to Successfully Integrate AI
Many nonprofits are past the question “Should we use AI?” Now, in many meetings and conversations, the focus is more on: How can we thoughtfully, ethically, and realistically engage with it?
In this blog post, we have outlined five practical ways nonprofits can tap into AI effectively and without losing sight of their mission.
1. Leverage Data to Make Better Fundraising Decisions
Understanding your donors’ interests and habits can significantly enhance your fundraising efforts. Some email platforms or donor databases use AI-powered tools to highlight useful patterns—like what content resonates with a specific demographic of donors or when donors typically engage.
For example, imagine a grassroots education nonprofit testing two different subject lines for their campaign. An AI-powered platform like Mailchimp or Constant Contact can help you determine which line received more interest to help you pivot mid-campaign and increase your donor reach.
Data-driven decision-making is now easier, even with limited resources. AI tools can provide real-time feedback, allowing nonprofits to make informed adjustments mid-campaign.
How to Get Started: Not sure where to begin? Start simple. Tools like Mailchimp and Constant Contact are user-friendly platforms designed to help nonprofits create and send professional email campaigns, even if you don’t have a tech team.
With Mailchimp, for example, you can:
- Use ready-made templates to build newsletters and donation appeals
- Segment your contact lists to send personalized messages
- Track open and click rates to understand donor behavior
2. Embrace Practical Automation
Your outreach activities, including email, social media, and newsletters, can take up a lot of. AI can lighten administrative tasks by sending thank-you notes or scheduling social media posts. Automating these tasks can free you up to engage with your community and build deeper relationships.
Imagine all the time you could save if a tool helped you schedule your posts across Facebook and Instagram for the month, in just a few hours.
However, not every task should be automated. Maintain a personal touch where it matters most: one-on-one interactions and sensitive communications.
How to Get Started: Start small, like setting up automated email replies or watching a tutorial on ChatGPT and Canva’s AI systems to generate social media topics and posts.
3. Choosing the Right AI Tool For You
Not every AI tool will fit your organization’s needs—and that’s okay. The key is to identify where you need the most support (e.g., email outreach, donor tracking, content writing), and then look for platforms that match both your goals and your budget.
How to Get Started: Begin by asking yourself and your team . . .
- What task/s is/are taking the most time for our team right now?
- Where could automation or insight improve our efficiency?
- Do we need a free tool to start, or can we invest in a low-cost application?
For example:
- Mailchimp’s Intuit Assist is a generative artificial intelligence that can assist you with content generation and automation or
- Constant Contact also provides AI-assisted content generation and a marketing campaign builder.
- Bloomerang’s AI can help you with analyzing donor data or predicting giving patterns, as well as content generation and donor management
- Canva Magic Write or Jasper AI can support content creation and social media scheduling.
Many of these tools offer free versions or discounted plans for nonprofits, so you can test what works before committing long-term. Start small, stay curious, and build confidence one tool at a time.
4. Focus on Team Capacity, Not Just Tools
Introducing new digital tools—including AI—can add strain if your team feels overwhelmed. It’s far more beneficial to slowly build confidence with one well-chosen tool rather than quickly adopting many.
Training your team — or yourself — to use a new feature, even for 30 minutes a week, is more impactful than adopting five new tools you aren’t very familiar with.
How to Get Started: Run informal skill-sharing sessions. Have staff or volunteers pick one AI platform that is relevant to your work to start. For example, if your team is trying to boost your organization’s performance on social media and generate content faster and more effectively, perhaps they will focus on Canva’s AI add-ons. They can start by showing each other how to perform specific tasks on Canva’s AI, schedule posts, go through Canva’s resources or YouTube to pick up a new tool, organize sessions to create content, and practice mass production of posts.
5. Prioritize Ethical Use of Technology
Using technology ethically and responsibly must remain central to your operation. Just because AI can perform certain tasks doesn’t mean your organization should use it for everything.
Ask these questions regularly:
- Are we gathering only the data we genuinely need?
- Do the tools we’re using align with our core values?
- Are we actively protecting the privacy and dignity of our community?
How to Get Started: Create a simple “Digital and AI Ethics” guideline—just a short, practical list of do’s and don’ts reflecting your organization’s values.
Final Thoughts
At Collab with Kat, we firmly believe digital tools should be seen as just that – a tool. It is not a replacement for your highly skilled team members, and it will not fix the complex and diverse challenges nonprofits are addressing.
In any case, if you are joining the leagues of many nonprofits that have chosen to adopt AI, we want to make sure that the AI tools you use empower your team, not overwhelm them. If you have questions or want help navigating the complex landscape of AI, we’re always here to support you in finding the approach that best fits your unique context.
📩 Reach out and connect with us anytime — we love helping small nonprofits make big things happen.
In the meantime, we invite you to also check out:
- DonorSearch’s Overview of AI for Nonprofits
- CharityHowTo: Nonprofit Management & Leadership – Which Training Topics Matter Most
- RKD Group: Digital Fundraising in 2025 – 3 Trends Nonprofits Need to Know
- MoneyMinder: 5 Digital Fundraising Trends for Small Nonprofits in 2025
- ADB Blog: Should AI Be Used for Public Good or Private Profit?
