Where Do You Begin?

Anything discussing AI (Artificial Intelligence) can be quickly overwhelming. It's so BIG - where do you even start? Do I even want to deal with AI personally, let alone for my nonprofit? How safe is it, especially when we're talking about donors and our organizational data? What about those "hallucinations" you hear about? Is it already too late to start? 

​There are seemingly more questions than answers. You are not alone. 

The suggestions presented here are aimed at a basic start as surveys suggest nonprofits aren't using AI at all yet. Many tools nonprofits use or purchase have AI embedded in them. Those are topics for another day along with more advanced organization use of AI.

​Is it really worth it?
If I were writing this 6 months ago, I'd have likely said "It depends." Now I offer "Yes - with caution and training."

My nonprofit focus has always been the little guy—small nonprofits, from just getting started to finally able to afford salaried staff. This is my area of expertise. Mid-sized and larger nonprofits have been our front runners testing out AI in nonprofits and blazing trails for the nonprofit world. Even so, studies indicate while many think AI may be valuable, it's not really as heavily used in nonprofits as you may think. This recent study indicates AI is not in high use for fundraising. This survey reflects how little AI is being used in general in nonprofits at this time. 

How Do We Start?
This article by Wendy Clow offers some great ideas and a beautiful graphic for 10 steps. For the small nonprofits I assist, this is still more advanced than many are ready for. We're going to dial it back even further. For as little as AI is being utilized in nonprofits, these suggestions may be a practical path forward no matter the size of your organization. 

• Education: Learn about AI and the variety of things it can do. Start personally with your own life and uses. Hopefully more than one in your nonprofit are interested so you can share ideas to benefit your organization. Consider ways it may be useful in your nonprofit starting in small ways. There are loads of free education resources available to guide your AI literacy. I highly recommend The Artificial Intelligence Show podcast, emails, and free webinars offered by SmarterX. Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft also all offer free education in how to use their AI tools. 
• Create AI Policy: Now that you're familiar with AI and the potential for what can be done with it, your team should set some guardrails and guidelines about what's acceptable in your organization. While AI can do a lot, your nonprofit holds sensitive information about your donors, volunteers, and board members. While it's easy to wave a hand and think "it's all public knowledge anyhow" - it's not.
  • How much access will you give AI to your files? (I suggest it's very limited to a shareable file and not your full computer.)
  • Consider tools or software you may purchase, the information needed to do what you need, and their AI policies. Sharing personal information is a huge legal concern.
  • How much will your team be able to use the nonprofit AI for their personal use, and how much might they inject into the organization's system? What's acceptable and what are hard no's? 
  • Find templates: There's no reason to reinvent the wheel on this one. Do searches for a version you like that's adaptable for your organization. Community IT Innovation offers one with nonprofits in mind. 
• Identify 2-3 easy use cases: How might AI make your nonprofit time faster, better, or more efficient? Look for the easy wins to start. 
  • AI as note taker: This may make your Recording Secretary's job easier to build minutes. AI may even create a draft of your minutes using past minutes as examples. (note I said draft - human review before posting is always recommended) There are AI tools that are free or cheap, possibly built right into your smart phone, that can record conversations that can be shared with the team. (with permission, of course)
  • AI to create emails: Emails can be time intensive, especially if you feel like you're repeating yourself. You will still want some way to personalize messages before you hit "send." Your nonprofit may also need to put into words or policy what your "brand voice" is to create consistency between people in the organization, let alone to train an AI tool. 
  • AI as a thought partner: Generative AI can help you flesh out fundraising ideas, organization strategy, or event planning with generally more details in less time than you would do on your own. These chats have results more advanced than the basic "search" option but not as in depth as research assistant level. This is often very conversational by typing or voice.
  • Research assistant
    • NotebookLM: This Google tool lets you upload docs, pdfs (including entire books/manuscripts), videos, audio, slides, websites, and more to help you learn about topics with a variety of outputs - quizzes, "podcast" with two voices "interviewing" each other about the topic, and more. This is specialized in using only the materials you provide as its source material, reducing "hallucinations."
    • Deep Research: Another Google tool using Google Gemini (Google's AI system) in "Deep Research" mode. (you can select different search modes depending on your project needs) Deep thinking can use your prompts, or ask it to interview you to create a best prompt to go deep into any topic. This often returns pages of content and sources on the order of a major analytic paper. While significant content is created, it is then up to the human to confirm and validate the information and sources returned. This is often a barrier for users with big ideas but short on time to vet the information before running forward with it.

Have You Used AI in Your Nonprofit?
Love to hear how you're incorporating AI into your nonprofit or what's holding you back! Let's Chat or find me on LinkedIn or Substack!

How Do You AUDITION Goals?

Full credit for the concept to Jon Acuff! He's a man on a mission about goals! He's written numerous books on the topic. I've mentioned him before on this blog here, here, and here. Jon has a new 30-day program beginning February 1, 2026 if you're reading this before it starts.

(I receive no affiliate bonuses or anything for shouting out his resources. He's just an awesome resource that may interest you.)

Try Out 1-3 Goal Ideas - Audition Them!
That's all - test out your goal ideas for 30 days to see if they're solid enough and whether you can commit to them. This can be done anytime in the year. Here we are after Quitters Day and talking about starting goals for the year!

Choose ONLY 1-3. More than that increases your chance of giving up as "too much" or burning out. You likely already have some habits or goals to maintain. Control the overwhelm.

Dream, Plan, Do, Review
These are Jon's basic steps to goal setting with my take on them. 

• Dream
  • Create a Brag Table: What are your wins from last year? Make a list or get tangible—put items on a table to see your accomplishments. (a race medal, a granola bar, completed project)
  • Create a Lessons Table: What would you consider doing differently and lessons learned? These are not necessarily negative (what could have been better), but literally what did you learn - take any classes or read an inspiring book?
  • Envision you in a year or at the end of this year: Really get into it - how will you feel, think, or look? Get all the senses into it to really put yourself in that place. How do you feel 65 pounds lighter or after you ran that 5k or got that dream job?
  • Consider what (or who) to remove to achieve this dream. Too many projects on your list? Time to get firm with yourself so you can be firm with others. Every "yes" is a "no" to something later if your plate is too full. Toxic relationships in your life? This is where you prioritize your needs - self-care. Get off the hamster wheel of "too much."
  • Do this with a kind and curious eye, not a critical one. Just examine yourself and your schedule, your hopes and dreams. Dare to dream what could be! No judgements. 
• Plan
  • Who inspires you? Consider a vision board. Who is a role model? Anyone who can be an active mentor in your journey? Maybe a podcast or audiobook to have in your ears regularly?
  • What are you trying to accomplish? Make it measurable. How will you know DID IT!
  • Where do you envision yourself working on this goal? Mentally put yourself there, then make it happen. Have a comfy chair with a cup of hot tea? Gym vs mall walking or the local park for exercise?
  • When will you work on this goal? Make a calendar appointment with yourself and keep it - no shifting for a better offer. You are worth the time commitment! 
  • How? What action will you take and steps to make progress? 
• Villains impacting goals
  • Too vague: "Lose weight." "Do this better." Hard as it is, the specificity is the anchor. 
  • Too big: "Run a half-marathon" when you've never run a mile is tough to stick with.
  • Wrong season of life: You can only accomplish so much when you have multiple wee ones to raise for now. This season doesn't last long, but you can realistically do only so much beyond raising humans. Same if you're caring for parents or are a caregiver.
  • Lone Wolf syndrome: There is strength in community. It doesn't need to be Jon's group. Build your own accountability group or system! Share your progress on your socials. Find a few others with similar goals for regular check-ins and cheering.
    • A group of even a couple of others holds you accountable.
    • They see things you can't see clearly. (they tried to tell you that guy was a jerk, but you were too deep in the moment)
    • Per Jon, sharing "doubles the wins and divides the losses." The group magnifies and shares the wins while commiserating and reassuring about the losses. 
    • "Archive progress and hold the wins for you." The group will remind you you're doing better than you realize. 
    • "Hope, discipline, and joy are contagious."

Back to Basics
What will you be doing next year with your goal achieved? Attach a reward to it! 

• You've written that long-promised book: Indulge in a get-away with your spouse or family!
• You've lost the equivalent of a football player in weight: Plan on a swanky spa day when you reach your goal! 
• Focus on something FUN rather than a number on a chart or in your bank account!

What Goals Will You Audition?
I'd love to hear what you're working on! I'd also be honored to be your accountability buddy as we cheer for each other!

Let's Chat or find me on LinkedIn!

What is Substack?

Yes, another social media platform. We have a number of tools available in our social media arsenal: Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, and even YouTube are the big ones. There are a few smaller options out there as well. 

Substack indicates it's called "a media company, a newsletter platform, and a social media network" but instead calls itself "a subscription network." They boast "more than 50 million active subscriptions, including 5 million paid subscriptions." As a point of reference, LinkedIn boasts over 1 billion subscribers approximately 340 million actually using it monthly. 

Who is the Audience?
The market is similar to LinkedIn but more broad. With their additional focus on podcast options and videos, that sets them up as TikTok and podcast platform competition as well. (Spotify, Amazon, and Apple are big podcast mediums)

What Makes It Different?
Substack's big difference from the rest is a paid subscription option. Readers can choose to pay for your content to read exclusive content or the ability to comment on posts which isn't available for free. Free content is perfectly acceptable as well and encouraged, certainly as you build your subscriber base!

Substack more sees the paid content as a way to build community - folks pay for the trust, recognition, and community of fellow commenters. You can choose (and adjust as you go) what folks will pay for your content, anywhere from $5-$75/mo, with an audience size of at least 50 on up. 

Substack is also based on the idea that subscribers are yours, the creator. You have access to and can download names + email addresses of your subscribers which you can then add to your personal email list off platform. Substack naturally encourages you to instead import your off-platform email list to Substack. However, if you're looking for an option to own names + email addresses for your personal email newsletter, this is the perfect way to have connections "off rented land." (not beholden to the whim of the social media platform) You may choose to simply hang onto the contact info should your access to Substack suddenly go away. If you have folks that you email that don't go on Substack, keep your personal email list going to them. 

As with LinkedIn, Substack publications are being indexed by Google and can be found on searches, broadening your reach on search functions. 

Key Differences Using Substack:

• Opportunity to be paid for writing, podcasts, or videos - far easier to achieve than any other platform.
• Names + emails you can keep - I don't know of any other social platform that enables that. 

Is It Easy to Use?
There is a bit of a learning curve for this one. 

Substack does have a wealth of Resources available to guide you with many links to blog posts and more to get you started. Hitting that link walks you through "How to Start," but you'll see a number of additional resources in the tab's dropdown menu. 

YouTube has a number of folks providing videos and information about how to get started on Substack. There are certainly Substack accounts happy to help you through the process - do a search once you create an account. 

Setting up the very basics is easy and similar to setting up your LinkedIn or other social profiles - banner image, personal image, name, and short bio. Once this is set, you can start reading and post content. 

Types of Content
There are 2 types:

• Notes: short content, text/image/link as you do on most social media platforms
• Posts: long content like blog posts or newsletters. Getting set up with your "newsletter" is its own separate set up as it is on LinkedIn. Basically each post is like an article or blog post. Not long or hard, but separate and additional. 

How to Connect with Others
Substack has a few ways to "follow" creators. The two basics are "follow" and "subscribe," but there are a couple of nuances as well. This is a fabulous Substack article describing the differences in more detail. 

• Follow:  you can see the short notes someone posts but not their longer content or receive email notification of new posts.
• Subscribe: paid vs free. Either way, you are on the creator's list for full content with notifications via email and the app of new posts. 
• Pledge: folks can pre-commit to pay for your content, ready when you do set up a paid option

Great - An Additional Social Option When I'm Stretched Thin
Not wrong. I'm a firm believer in focus for your energy, time, and sanity. But don't forget to simply repost or reuse your content to multiple platforms.

• Website blog: Start here as it's your property, not relying on the whims of the social platforms. This should be the basis or Ground Zero for your content.
• LinkedIn newsletter/articles: copy/paste your blog post with a little formatting time invested.
• Substack: copy/paste your blog post just as you did on LinkedIn.
• Facebook & Instagram: share a short message encouraging folks head to your original website blog post where you hopefully have a pop-up or buttons to subscribe to your email newsletter. Use the Meta platform to post the same message on both platforms. 
• X/Twitter: copy/paste what you posted on Facebook and the rest - link to your website blog post. 

Is Substack in Your Marketing Plan?
I hear a number of LinkedIn users are also heading to Substack as the audience and format feels similar. The benefits of Substack are pretty tempting. I anticipate a lot of growth on Substack in 2026 between the paid subscriber benefit and access to names + email addresses. There are too many stories of creators getting shut down, even temporarily, for no obvious reason on any other social media, having to rebuild completely from the ground up once service may be returned. 

• Solopreneurs/freelances: Depending on where your ideal client hangs out, Substack may be a great format for you.
• Authors: If you're a nonfiction author, Substack may be a great option for you as with LinkedIn! Fiction authors may find more connection on TikTok (BookTok), Instagram (still growing in reach), or Facebook.
• Nonprofits: This may be a great option for your newsletters if you don't want the hassle or cost of a website for a blog. Nonprofits ARE beginning to find Substack as another option to share news. 

Where Are You?
What socials do you focus on? Let me know - love to follow you and cheer for each other! Have you given Substack a try yet?

Let's Chat or find me on LinkedIn! I'm on Substack but JUST getting started.  

Word of the Year as a Goal

How did the Word of the Year trend start? Turns out this is credited to English professor Allan Metcalf in 1990, then Executive Secretary of the American Dialect Society, eager to capture the spirit of the year with language, inspired by Time magazine's Person of the Year. Merriam-Webster began its lists in 2003 and the College English Dictionary in 2013. 

Over time, it evolved into a self-improvement goal concept. The Bright Balloon shares an extensive article about the concept. #oneword became a trend beginning in the 2010s.

The Power of One Word
It's not a bad idea. Goals are hard to come up with let alone to stick with. Quitter's Day is now a recognized thing - 2nd Friday of January. For the concept of New Year's Resolutions beginning 4,000 years ago, Strava conducted research in 2019 leading them to predict the 2nd Friday of January as when goal motivation begins to seriously drop. More recent research indicates about 2/3 abandon resolutions in the first month. 

Maybe a single word is easier to sustain than one or more goals! 

• One word can be a broad reference covering multiple aspects of your life. (for the skeptics in the house, admittedly something generic like a horoscope)
• Goals are more structured typically - think SMART goals which have Specificity and Time involved.
• Less pressure to achieve specific items which may lead to guilt and a sense of failure. 

Intention
I'll admit, I do struggle with the rigidity of goals, numbers, and specificity. I resonate more with the flexibility of an overarching word covering many aspects for my year.

Intention feels right for me this year.

• I'm beginning my 4th year in business as a solopreneur. I've explored a variety of paths, keeping myself open to clients and jobs that suit me, and sort of going where the wind blew me—my version of "vibe marketing." 
• It's time to be a bit more directed in my business, making a point to be where my ideal clients are, whether that's online or in person. 
• It's easy to be too flexible in a work-from-home solopreneur's schedule, especially when I have a family to tend to. Intention will help me prioritize client work and set specific daily minimum plans while allowing plenty of flexibility. 
• I do aim to set a few business goals - no more than 2-3 - in short time spans that are achievable (monthly/quarterly), where I can see the reference point and can keep moving the goal posts forward. 

Your Word of the Year
If you do Word of the Year, what's your word? I'd love to cheer for you to stick with it!

While Intention may not be your word this year, as a small nonprofit, solopreneur, or nonfiction author, do you approach your business with Intention? How do you hold yourself accountable and stay on track? Let's Chat or find me on LinkedIn!