Between facing new fundraising challenges and navigating ever-evolving societal and technological landscapes, today’s nonprofits don’t have it easy. As demand for their services continues to skyrocket, these dynamics leave nonprofits with limited time and resources to focus on their mission-driven work today—much less position themselves to thrive in the future. So, we have to ask ourselves the question: how can nonprofits “future proof” their organizations?

An expert in data-driven innovation and technology for good and the author of Lean Impact: How to Innovate for Radically Greater Social Good, Candid CEO Ann Mei Chang delves into these dynamics and offers a mix of practical and forward-looking solutions nonprofits can implement now to set themselves up for lasting success.

WORKSHOP OUTCOMES:

1. Data on the state of nonprofit fundraising. Ann Mei shares insights on the challenges nonprofits currently face, including donor prospecting and retention, and staff burnout. She will explore implications of recent executive orders related to government funding and how the potential loss of that revenue stream would affect the sector. 

2. Evaluating new technologies. She will share a practical framework that prioritizes solving the right problems before adopting solutions—regardless of the hype surrounding them—to help nonprofits assess whether an emerging technology like generative AI will help advance their mission-driven work.


3. Creating a culture of innovation and leveraging AI. Ann Mei will offer actionable advice on creating a culture of innovation. She will also explain how data fuels AI, and thus the importance for nonprofits to capture, clean, and share accurate data about their work to attract funding and beyond.