Overview:

This workshop introduces participants to the fundamentals of applying Artificial Intelligence (AI) to real-world nonprofit challenges. Through a structured, hands-on approach, attendees explore how to define problems, identify user needs, and ideate AI-powered solutions that are ethical, impactful, and feasible.

Key Modules:

1. Understanding AI in Context

• Introduction to AI concepts: machine learning, natural language processing, generative AI, computer vision, and chatbots.
• Real-world use cases tailored to nonprofit challenges.

2. Problem Definition

Participants select from real nonprofit scenarios such as:

• Food insecurity in suburban areas (fresh food deserts).
• Volunteer engagement and retention.
• Donor behavior analysis.
• Digital access barriers.
• Internal knowledge management.
• Impact reporting and data storytelling.

3. Problem Exploration

Guided questions to define:

• End users and stakeholders.
• Pain points and systemic barriers.
• Success metrics and desired outcomes.

4. Ideation & Solution Design

Matching AI capabilities to problem types:

• Predictive analytics for forecasting.
• NLP for summarizing and automating text.
• Generative AI for content creation.
• Computer vision for image-based insights.
• Chatbots for scalable support.

5. Case Study: ‘Food in Reach’

• A prototype solution that maps food deserts using GIS, community surveys, and predictive analytics.
• Features include real-time data integration, impact dashboards, and stakeholder engagement tools.

6. Pitch & Impact

Participants learn to articulate their AI solution’s value:

• Data collection and integration.
• Analysis and visualization.
• Stakeholder engagement.
• Monitoring and evaluation.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Frame a nonprofit challenge as an AI-solvable problem.
• Identify appropriate AI tools and techniques.
• Design a user-centered, data-informed AI solution.
• Communicate the impact and risks of their proposed solution.