Before You Plug in the Robots: What Nonprofits Need to Get AI-Ready 

AI isn’t great at your job—but it can still help, if your team’s got the right foundation. These two UnTangled episodes break it down.

Let’s be real: There’s a lot of noise out there right now about AI—what it can do, what it might do, and who it’s supposedly coming for. Nonprofit teams are hearing it all: the hype, the fear, the pressure to “do something with AI” even if they don’t have the time, tools, or clarity to know where to begin.

We kicked off our UnTangled LinkedIn Live series by diving straight into that reality. Our first two episodes tackled a pair of core questions:

• Is AI really coming for our jobs?
• And what kind of mindset shift do nonprofits need in order to make smart, strategic use of AI—without burning out or getting distracted by every shiny new tool?

These weren’t theoretical discussions. They were real conversations with folks who’ve been working in nonprofit tech for decades: Tommy Spann and Brad Caldana. Both have helped orgs navigate seismic changes in digital tools before, and both have sharp perspectives on what actually works—and what’s just hype.

Here’s what we know: AI can be a game-changer, but only if your house is in order. If you’re still struggling to define audiences, streamline workflows, or get your tools to talk to each other, AI won’t fix any of that. In fact, it might just make it worse.

Top 5 Takeaways from the First Two UnTangled Episodes

1. AI isn’t great at your job (and that’s a good thing).
   AI can’t build relationships, understand nuance, or lead with empathy. But it can handle repetitive tasks so you can focus on what humans do best.“AI saved me a ton of time and helped me prepare. But it’s the human intelligence that’s actually going to get the gift.” — Tommy Spann
2. AI without strategy = louder chaos.
   If you don’t have audience clarity, a clean tech stack, and defined workflows, AI will just help you make more messes—faster.
3. Mindset matters more than tools.
   Don’t bolt AI onto your org like another tool in the shed. Adopt what Brad Caldana calls an “innovation mindset”: a willingness to rethink systems, structures, and the way your org works.“Most orgs treated digital as an add-on. What they missed was the shift: ‘How do we adapt who we are to use this tool well?’” — Brad Caldana
4. Start small, start smart.
   Generative AI like Claude or ChatGPT can help summarize donor calls, clean up meeting notes, and draft the first version of an appeal. That’s a great entry point—just make sure you’ve got someone leading the charge who has the bigger strategy and larger organization goals in mind.
5. You’ve got to get your house in order.
   AI can’t fix bad segmentation, unclear roles, or disconnected tools on its own. If you can direct it well, with a solid plan, it can absolutely help you with some of these fundamentals that can help your team move faster and think smarter.

Where Firefly Comes In: AI-Readiness for Nonprofit Marketing and Fundraising Teams

At Firefly, we’re building the foundations that make AI useful.

We help your organization:

• Clarify audiences and desired outcomes
• Tighten up internal workflows
• Configure engagement tools for smart segmentation
• Get real about what’s working (and what’s not)
• Create a strategic roadmap to improve engagement and fundraising outcomes

Once you get some of these foundational elements in place, tools like generative AI can help with the execution of the plan and create efficiencies along the way. But without aligning your teams first, and creating the path forward, AI will only add more chaos to the mix.

Watch the Conversations

Episode 1: Is AI Coming for My Job?

With guest Tommy Spann, we talk about:

• The difference between generative and agentic AI
• Where humans and machines truly coexist well
• How nonprofit teams can get the most from AI tools without fear

Episode 2: Mindset Shifts for the AI Era

With guest Brad Caldana, we dive into:

• The “innovation mindset” modern nonprofits need
• Why strategy still matters more than the tools
• Easy ways to start using AI today (without getting overwhelmed)

Want to Talk About Your Team’s AI Readiness?

We help nonprofit teams get strategic—so tools like AI actually work.

If your team is thinking about how to dip a toe in (or go all in), let’s talk.