AI Isn’t the Complete Answer — But It Might Provide Some Useful Tools (Part 1)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere. It’s in our inboxes, our feeds, even our homes —and, increasingly, in our fundraising strategies. AI is often positioned as the solution to all our problems. Let’s not bury the lead: it won’t be. AI won’t solve everything, but it still has a place in the nonprofit space. In part one of this blog twofer, we’ll explore AI’s role in the nonprofit and public media sectors. In the next installment, we'll share some thoughts about AI-powered fundraising tools. 

Before diving deeper, let’s define two key concepts: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. 

  • Artificial Intelligence is the ability of a machine to “think” like a human — recognizing patterns, processing information, drawing conclusions, and making recommendations. 

  • Machine Learning is how AI develops that intelligence — learning from data, identifying patterns and improving performance over time. 

Understanding the Landscape: Generative vs. Predictive AI 

AI comes in many flavors, but two types are especially relevant to nonprofits: 

  • Generative AI creates new content—text, images, audio, video, and even code. Tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, and Canva fall into this category. 

  • Predictive AI analyzes historical data to forecast future behavior. It helps identify donor churn, segment audiences, and optimize outreach strategies. 

The most powerful fundraising strategies combine both. Predictive insights guide generative content creation.  

Why Nonprofits Are Leaning In 

Nonprofits are integrating AI faster than the private sector. According to Twilio’s 2024 report, 58% of nonprofits use AI in digital communications, compared to 47% of business-to-consumer (B2C) businesses.  

“Building strong relationships with stakeholders is core to nonprofits’ ability to achieve their missions, and AI is helping them scale these engagements,” says Erin Reilly, chief social impact officer at Twilio. “Those that can balance personalization and transparency with AI-driven digital engagement will have the ability to further their impact and scale their missions.” 

Public Media’s AI Snapshot 

Last fall, CDP conducted a Digital Fundraising Landscape Survey. While only 40 stations responded, it’s a useful indication of how public media is using AI. 

 
 

Public media is on par with the industry trend with 54.5% of respondents using AI. 

 
 

78% of those are using AI for copy generation and editing assistance, followed by graphic creation and predictive modeling.  

 
 

Most stations report direct staff usage of tools like ChatGPT and Copilot, with additional use in social media tools and around major donor engagement. 

What’s Holding Public Media Back? 

 
 

Despite growing adoption, barriers remain: Ethical concerns top the list, followed by privacy, legal issues and a lack of training. 

 
 

Even when those barriers are addressed, over half of surveyed organizations still hesitate to use AI. This tells us that trust and clarity are just as important as capability. 

Stay tuned for part two of this blog series where we’ll identify common nonprofit challenges and explore AI-specific solutions and real-world wins.  

Susannah Winslow