In this lively interview, Shawn Olds, co-founder of Boodle.ai, discusses the applicability of artificial intelligence (AI) for nonprofits. The conversation revolves around how AI can revolutionize fundraising efforts and improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of nonprofit organizations. Shawn emphasizes that AI is not a replacement for human interaction but a powerful tool to support and enhance nonprofit work. He encourages nonprofits to embrace AI and leverage its capabilities to improve their fundraising and engagement efforts.
Shawn begins by explaining the genesis of Boodle.ai, highlighting the need to bring data science and machine learning to the nonprofit sector in an easily consumable manner. He emphasizes that AI will primarily take over the time-consuming and mundane tasks in analytics, data collection, and data processing, allowing nonprofits to focus on building relationships and engaging with donors.
The conversation touches upon the challenges faced by nonprofits in understanding and utilizing the data they collect. Shawn points out that many organizations seek more data without a clear understanding of how they will use it effectively. Boodle.ai addresses this by providing a platform that can perform identity resolution and enrich nonprofit data with third-party data, enabling organizations to better understand their donors and build effective fundraising strategies.
The interview also looks at the importance of personalized outreach and engagement in fundraising. Shawn dispels the misconception that technology, including AI, hampers personalization. Instead, he highlights that AI is a tool that enhances the fundraising process by enabling nonprofits to analyze large amounts of data and generate personalized communications based on donor profiles and past campaign successes.
The conversation further explores the role of AI in campaign management and how nonprofits can leverage AI-generated insights to optimize their fundraising efforts, emphasizing the significance of an omnichannel approach, combining various communication channels to reach donors effectively. And Shawn shares amazing examples of how AI is already being successfully used in the nonprofit sector, such as facial recognition technology assisting refugee identification and targeting of fundraising.