NonProfit POWER Covers Artificial Intelligence and Direct Marketing on Its Second Day

NonProfit POWER resumed yesterday with a full day of educational content and networking for nonprofit leaders and decision-makers. The event, which occurred Dec. 5-7 at The Notary Hotel in Philadelphia, is an invitation-only, hosted summit that consists of one-on-one meetings, boardroom case studies and educational sessions about the latest fundraising and marketing tools and techniques. The night concluded with dinner at Fogo de Chao and a casino night at the hotel (with pretend money). Here's a brief look at what yesterday's educational sessions entailed.

Fundraising Automation

The NonProfit POWER conference kicked off its second day with “Artificial Intelligence and Fundraising in Real Life,” a discussion on artificial intelligence (AI) functionality for fundraisers and marketers. Leading the discussion were Isaac Shalev, president of Sage70; and Mark Becker, founding partner of Cathexis Partners.

Becker and Shalev introduced attendees to the myriad benefits that AI software can deliver for nonprofits from personalized relationship-building communications, to automating rote tasks within organizations. Major takeaways included determining what it is attendees want to achieve with AI in their organizations specifically, how software can automate tasks and ultimately improve internal operations for nonprofits, and finding the staff that is willing to embrace change — and the sometimes challenging task of implementing such software programs. Despite the many misconceptions, Becker and Shalev noted that AI cannot replace the human element that is necessary in the nonprofit sector, and that finding the right balance between machine and human is key.

From left, Mark Becker, founding partner at Cathexis Partners, and Isaac Shalev, president at Sage70, took the stage Tuesday morning to talk about artificial intelligence.

Direct Marketing Remodeling

Angie Moore, chief individual fundraising officer for CARE USA, shared how her organization overhauled its direct marketing program.

Following the AI fundraising session, Angie Moore, chief individual fundraising officer for CARE USA, led a talk discussing what happens when you have a 75-year-old international aid organization with a traditional mass-market program that desperately needs to be overhauled.

Over the course of the session, titled "CARE USA’s Journey to Overhaul Its 75-Year-Old Direct Marketing Program," she discussed the wins and pitfalls for the 24-month journey of rebuilding leadership appreciation, creating cultural shifts, recasting the value of a program, and forcing radical strategic change across key channels.

“The whole sector of international aid is moving away from the old way of working,” Moore said. "Call it what you want — white saviorism, colonialism, whatever you want to do, whatever you want to call it. It's bad, and it doesn't have a place in how we work."

To change its fundraising strategy, Moore explained that CARE USA did a complete overhaul of the images it utilizes for fundraising campaigns. Instead of depicting the strife and struggle of their constituents, the organization now uses happier images. However, Moore pointed out that does not mean CARE USA is ignoring the struggles of the people they are helping entirely. They’re simply finding another way to tell their stories.

“We are not going to pretend like these people are living happy lives and not struggling with poverty or famine or whatever it is," she said. "But we're going to make sure that we do the right thing and tell the full story because, trust me, our help is only one part of the picture. These people that we're working with around the globe — they are survivors, they want something better for their family, and they're willing to work 300% together. So we want to tell that full story, not just talking about just the problems but also talking about the solutions and their role in their own survival.”

Check out our photo gallery for more highlights from the second day of NonProfit POWER. Find a recap of the first day of the conference here.

Save the Date for NonProfit POWER 2023

Next year's NonProfit POWER will take place at the Hilton Inner Harbor in Baltimore from Dec. 4-6, 2023. Stay informed on when more details are available for the next NonProfit POWER by subscribing to NonProfit PRO's e-newsletter or checking the NonProfit POWER event site.