Autonomous Fundraisers: Do We Need Them?

Created By: Craig Shelley, CFRE
September 12, 2024

Earlier this summer, an exciting development emerged in the fundraising world: an idea that a fully autonomous fundraiser, powered by AI, could become a reality. Version2.ai and Givzey, pioneers in the space, have since partnered with 13 organizations to test its capabilities and effectiveness. Early results from institutions like The College of Charleston and William & Mary show promise, with 13 gifts secured from 119 donors, totaling $3,400, all from interactions with these autonomous fundraisers. During our recent Orr Group TALKS “Leveraging Technology to Accelerate Fundraising”, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Givzey’s Founder and CEO Adam Martel to explore this concept further. It’s clear that this technological advancement is generating buzz within the philanthropic community.

>> Read more: The A.I That’s Already Raising Money

Meeting AI Skeptics Where They Are

This breakthrough has been met with excitement from some and derision from others. Many of us, who have primarily made our living and advanced the causes we care about by building personal relationships with donors and conducting solicitations face-to-face, immediately called upon our lived experience to argue there was no way you could ever replace those interactions with technology. Simply put, “A computer can’t do what I do”. That refrain in its various forms has been heard throughout history from countless professions. Just because we can do something with technology doesn’t mean we should do something with technology, was a point raised by those of us who grew up with movies like Jurassic Park and The Terminator.

As we grapple with this latest technological revolution, it occurred to me that we’re not calling on the full breadth of our lived experiences to weigh this step forward. Yes, I have seen the largest charitable gifts secured via personal relationships and face-to-face solicitations. But I have also seen so many understaffed fundraising teams that simply cannot keep in touch with all the prospects that would likely support their organization’s work. Yes, I have seen the prospect that eagerly engages with the fundraising team and becomes a long-term supporter. But I have also seen scores of prospects who never respond to a fundraiser and must wonder if some of them simply don’t want to engage in the way we’ve assumed they do. Some people don’t like talking to other people, but shouldn’t they also have the opportunity to give?

Shifting The Status Quo

Earlier in my career I had a boss who kept a sign on his desk that read, “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got.”  Do we think the status quo in the nonprofit sector – where philanthropic giving is flattening and countless missions continue to be underfunded – is sustainable or desirable?  We have an obligation, as leaders committed to social and societal change, to explore every opportunity to make those changes. We’d be narrowminded and shortsighted to not consider every technological advancement that might further our work or make our teams more efficient.

I don’t see the question of autonomous fundraising as being one of replacing fundraisers; I see it as having the potential to augment and scale our work. Reaching the greatest number of people and meeting them where they are (and at some point, almost all of us are in front of a screen) is the fundamental activity of fundraising. ‘Autonomous fundraisers’ are still in the early days of piloting, and we don’t know exactly what will come of this technology, but it seems like there’s enough potential there to try. 

I grew up in New York City and have spent most of my career leading and advising nonprofit organizations, which is to say that at my core I’m a skeptic with just enough optimism to think the world really can be better. Autonomous fundraisers are worth the exploration, as is anything that will help us attract more capital to achieve good in the world.

Our team is excited about the future of AI and its potential to amplify nonprofit success. Orr Group stands 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.

Craig Shelley, CFRE is a Partner and Chief Growth Officer at Orr Group. Craig advances the missions of nonprofits by bringing a change-management and entrepreneurial approach to strategy, organizational development, fundraising, and board optimization.