Daily Buzz: The Rise of AI in Nonprofits

Artificial intelligence has become a major part of private businesses, and nonprofits have taken notice.

“Nonprofits have also started using AI for automating procedures and tasks,” writes Robert Jordan in a recent post  (opens in a new tab) on the Nonprofit Hub blog. In fact, a 2019 report by Salesforce  (opens in a new tab) claimed that AI in the nonprofit sector was projected to grow 361 percent in the next two years.

“AI, which uses machine learning techniques for streamlining the operations and enhancing programs at the nonprofits, has acted as a catalyst in transforming many organizations,” Jordan says.

What does that transformation look like? One example is the automation of customer service. Nonprofits are harnessing AI-based chatbots to offer 24/7 customer service to their members. According to Jordan, some organizations have even used chatbots to assist in raising funds and resolving food and water crises. For example, the World Food Program has used them to monitor food insecurity in hard-to-reach areas.

Nonprofits are also employing AI to better connect with audiences and improve company engagement.

“Artificial intelligence can calculate and understand complex datasets through predictive analytics. Nonprofits can use this to make future recommendations and generate actionable advice to consumers,” Jordan says.

A Tasty Lesson in Viral Marketing

The makers of Jif peanut butter team up with Giphy to try to settle the GIF/Jif debate once and for all https://t.co/9VyPGpDOnC  (opens in a new tab) pic.twitter.com/FrLbD1VtNJ  (opens in a new tab)

— The Verge (@verge) February 25, 2020  (opens in a new tab)

Want to make noise in marketing? Insert yourself into one of the most hotly contested debates on the internet. The J.M. Smucker Company, the maker of Jif peanut butter, teamed up with Giphy to release a special jar of peanut butter labeled “Gif” in an effort to end the argument about the pronunciation of the image file format, GIF.

“Jif peanut butter wants to make the case that it owns the soft ‘g’ pronunciation while GIF should be said with a hard ‘g,’” writes Jay Peters in The Verge  (opens in a new tab). According to Peters, the idea seems to be that the special edition jar should be placed next to a normal jar of Jif to prove that there’s an obvious difference in how each word should be said.

By leveraging this viral marketing opportunity, the J.M. Smucker Company has sparked a new wave of discussion on its social media channels and beyond, even after GIF’s creator himself tried to settle the debate  (opens in a new tab) in 2013.

Other Links of Note

A good CRM system can improve efficiency and provide a better constituent experience. TechSoup helps you find the right one for your organization  (opens in a new tab).

Can I use this photo for my social media post? Hootsuite breaks down image copyright policies  (opens in a new tab) for social media.

What can your organization learn from event data? You can determine what attendees value  (opens in a new tab), says a recent blog post from MemberSuite.

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