4 Practical Steps To Empower Your Team With AI

Created By: Terry Cangelosi
November 13, 2024

As the days grow shorter and the new year approaches, the window to maximize your 2024 return on investment in AI is closing. We’ve shared in the past about the need for nonprofits to budget for AI, as well as ways to get started, set up policies to use AI responsibly, and prioritize ethical disclosure, however, we continue to hear one primary challenge faced by many nonprofits. Despite best intentions and interest, they can’t dedicate the staff time for a “major” internal analysis and can’t justify an “expensive” enterprise AI solution. So, how can our partners leverage responsible AI to enhance their workforce without the above?

One way is by flipping the script – instead of focusing on how AI can cut down the administrative burden and streamline tasks, let’s focus on how AI can empower staff to learn, grow, and perform more effectively. Instead of using AI to enhance the work, try to use AI to enhance the employee. To help think about this, below are four simple, actionable steps nonprofits can take to build their team’s skills and foster a culture of continuous improvement using AI:

1. Foster a Culture of Learning

Embed AI education into any existing learning and development structures to encourage staff to explore new skills and ideas and boost AI literacy. Encourage employees to take ownership of their skill development by identifying areas where AI can help them work smarter. Let staff explore AI-driven learning tools or join online courses in their free time.

Try this! 💡Invite staff to present a new skill or insight they’ve gained using AI tools or resources at a monthly all-staff meeting, turning AI skill-building into a collective experience and sparking collaboration.

2. Encourage Data-Driven Decision Making

AI excels in data analysis, but staff must be comfortable using data to make decisions. Encourage team members to start small by analyzing simple data sets (eg. donor patterns, volunteer schedules, or program outcomes). Empower staff to ask questions about the data (practicing data safety) and use AI-based tools to seek answers. Even simple insights from basic data tools can help staff make more informed decisions, boosting their confidence in handling data.  

Try this! 💡 Host a data-driven decision-making learning session, using basic AI-powered tools to show staff how to identify trends in the data and make choices based on the insights.

3. Automate Tasks to Make Time for Ideation

Automating routine tasks can give staff more time to focus on mission-driven work and creative problem-solving. Instead of focusing on the technical side of AI, help your team identify simple, repetitive tasks they can offload using AI. This frees up time for innovation, planning, and strategic thinking—key areas where staff can grow into leaders.

Try this! 💡 Have team members create and collaborate on a list of tasks they find repetitive. Discuss simple AI (and non-AI) tools or methods to automate those tasks and encourage staff to test low-cost automation platforms.

4. Build Confidence in Experimentation

One of the most empowering aspects of AI is the ability to try new approaches and lean into change. Nonprofits can cultivate a mindset where staff feel comfortable experimenting with AI to improve their processes. Encourage them to test new tools or approaches on a small scale without fear of failure. The goal is to make AI the tool for experimentation, helping the team feel more comfortable taking risks.

Try this! 💡Set up an “AI pilot program” in which the organization chooses one small project or team to experiment with AI solutions and then shares its lessons with the rest of the team/organization.

Empowering Staff for the Future

AI doesn’t need to be complicated or costly to make a big impact. By focusing on actions that empower staff to grow, collaborate, and innovate, nonprofits can use AI to build a stronger, more skilled team. Through fostering a culture of learning, encouraging data-driven decisions, simplifying task automation, and promoting experimentation, nonprofits can tap into the power of AI without the need for enterprise solutions or dedicating robust staff time.

At Orr Group, we’re enthusiastic about the future of AI and hope to share that enthusiasm with our nonprofit partners. We are ready to assist your organization in brainstorming ways to seamlessly and safely integrate AI into your fundraising and other operational efforts. Contact us to learn how we can help elevate your organization to new heights.

Terry Cangelosi is a Senior Director and Head of Operations at Orr Group. Terry brings 10+ years of nonprofit operations experience to ensure the most efficient operations in Orr Group’s workflows, technology, and infrastructure. Terry is a member of Orr Group’s AI Taskforce.