Your donors expect personal, authentic communication — but your team is stretched thin. As nonprofits race to adopt AI for donor communications, should your organization jump on the bandwagon or pump the brakes?
The what
With 78% of nonprofit organizations already using AI in their fundraising and marketing programs, AI-powered donor communications are moving from experimental to business-as-usual.
The technology promises efficiency gains that sound too good to ignore: automated first drafts, instant personalization at scale, and data-driven insights that would take humans weeks to compile. Major platforms are integrating AI into their core fundraising tools, making adoption easier than ever.
The pressure to adopt is intense. Meanwhile, your peer organizations are already using AI to reach the same donors you're courting.
The why
Donor communications carry unique emotional weight. When supporters open your emails or read your appeals, they're investing in authentic human connections and genuine impact stories — not algorithmic output. Generic, AI-generated messaging can erode trust built over years.
Should you really care?
Yes, but use it to support relationship building, not replace it.
The key insight: AI should amplify your human touch, not replace it. Use AI for the heavy lifting (data analysis, initial drafts, segmentation) but keep humans firmly in control of strategy, final messaging, and relationship building.
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