UnTangled with Maan Sacdalan: 3 Automations to Actually Make Your Workday Easier

I have been having a lot of conversations about AI lately on UnTangled, with clients, and with friends across the nonprofit tech world. No matter who I talk to, I hear the same thing in different words: AI is not here to take over. It is not here to replace our brilliance, our relationships, or the very human ways we move missions forward. What it can do is make our work lighter, our workflows cleaner, and our days a little less overwhelming.

In my latest UnTangled episode, I talked with the incomparable Maan Sacdalan. She is one of those people who can look at a messy collection of systems, tools, and data and somehow make everything fall into place. If women ran the world, which frankly would solve quite a few of our problems, I imagine it would look a lot like Maan calmly connecting platforms while drinking an iced coffee.

What I appreciate most about conversations with her is that they remind me of something simple. AI is most powerful when our workflows are clear, our data is connected, and our people have the support they need to shine. None of this requires a giant budget, a new tech stack, or an all-hands strategy retreat. It requires curiosity, intention, and the willingness to start small. Because the truth is that you cannot automate what you do not understand. You also cannot automate a mystery workflow that is held together by hope, outdated notes, and one team member’s memory of how things were done seven years ago.

Before we get to the actual automations, here is the heart of it. AI becomes meaningful when it creates space for real connection, real strategy, and real mission-driven work. Everything else is noise. That is why the examples Maan shared felt so refreshing. They are real, practical, and within reach. They show exactly how small automations can create noticeable relief.

The 3 Automations Maan Shared

1. Automating Data Flow From a Photo Contest

Many organizations run sweet engagement campaigns such as cutest pet or favorite moment contests. Supporters upload photos into a standalone platform, and then someone on staff has to wrestle that information out so it can be used elsewhere. Maan built a Zapier workflow that pulls in the submission, formats and cleans the data, places the photo on the website, and sends supporter information directly into the CRM with proper source coding. It replaces hours of manual copying and pasting. It also produces cleaner, more useful data for everyone who needs it.

2. Connecting Shopify Purchases to Salesforce and Engaging Networks

If you have a merch store or use Shopify for small donations, you may know the pain of e-commerce data that never seems to make its way back into your CRM. Instead of adding yet another integration tool, Maan used Zapier to move Shopify data into Salesforce and then into Engaging Networks. The result is a complete picture of supporter behavior without adding extra tools, extra cost, or extra maintenance.

3. Personalized Onboarding and Stewardship via SMS

This one might be my favorite, because it shows how automation can support human connection rather than flatten it. Starting with a simple spreadsheet, Maan created automated SMS flows that help with employee onboarding, donor welcome journeys, 30, 60, and 90 day check ins, birthday messages, reminders about incomplete steps, and prompts for supervisors or gift officers to reach out personally. These messages are not meant to replace real communication. They make intentional, timely outreach possible on a busy team.

A More Thoughtful Future With AI

What this conversation reinforced for me is that AI becomes meaningful when it helps us work with more clarity and less strain. It is not the center of the story. People are. Missions are. The communities we care about are. AI is the set of tools that holds the backstage together so the real work can shine out front.

If your organization is trying to figure out where to begin, do not start with the flashiest technology. Start with the moments where your team feels stretched or stuck. Start with the places where the work feels heavier than it should. Start small enough that you can learn as you go. Those small shifts build confidence, and confidence builds momentum.

If you want to see these examples in action, the full conversation with Maan is a wonderful place to begin. It is full of practical ideas, plenty of laughs, and a shared belief that we deserve tools that make our lives easier, not harder.

Watch the full episode!

And if you want to talk about how to get started with some automations at your org to help save you some time, let’s talk!