Hands-On AI Masterclass for Fundraisers. From Curious to Confident.

Session description
You are hearing “we should be using AI”… but between ethics, privacy, and just finding the time to learn, it’s hard to know where to start — especially in a small shop.

This 3-hour, hands-on masterclass is designed specifically for fundraisers who want to use AI thoughtfully, not blindly. Together, we will explore how tools like ChatGPT can help you with writing, planning, and donor stewardship without compromising your values, your donors’ trust, or your community.

In this session, you will:

• Ground your AI use in ethics and equity
  Learn how to think about AI ethics and biases– rooted in community-centric philosophy.
• Practice prompts in real time
  Bring the kinds of tasks that fill your week: drafting appeals, thank-you notes, campaign ideas, case statements, and reports. We will practice prompts live so you leave with a small library you can reuse right away.
• Build a clear “first steps” roadmap for your organization
  Walk through practical steps for introducing AI into your team or shop: what to try, what to avoid for now, how to set guardrails, and how to talk about AI with leaders, board, and colleagues.

You will leave with:

• A starter set of ethical AI guidelines you can adapt for your organization
• A prompt mini-playbook

"What is your one AI question you want to bring to the session?"

This isn’t a tech lecture. It’s a practical, human-centred lab to help you move from “AI is overwhelming” to “I know how to use this, safely, for my fundraising work."

Meena Das, CEO

Meena Das (she/her) is the CEO, consultant, and facilitator of two practices - NamasteData and Data Is For Everyone. Namaste Data focuses on advancing data equity for nonprofits and social impact agencies, while Data Is For Everyone provides tools and resources to help people learn how to navigate the world of data.

Meena is a specialist in designing and teaching equitable research tools and analyzing engagement. She supports nonprofits in three critical areas: data collection assessments, community surveys, and staff workshops on topics like improving data equity and human-centric algorithms. You can learn more about her work through her two newsletters, ‘Dear Human’ and ‘Data Uncollected’, or directly connect with her on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/meenadas.