The Future of Fundraising

Welcome to the Future of Fundraising.

My team, our Innovation Partners, and I believe it’s important that fundraising leaders understand not only the why behind autonomous fundraising, but also the how. All autonomous AI follows a framework of sense, solve, and go. Waymo illustrates this beautifully to educate consumers about the decision making process used in their self-driving cars. Understanding this allows us to gain transparency where there’s traditionally a black box.

Traditional fundraisers excel at building relationships, interpreting nuances, and exercising empathy. Intuition, past experiences, and emotional intelligence help them navigate complex donor interactions.

Autonomous fundraisers distill patterns and use strategies just as traditional fundraisers do. The difference is they use pattern recognition and AGI rather than career experience. Because autonomous fundraisers use large datasets, advanced algorithms, and Fundraising Neural Nets and Algorithms (FNAs), they can onboard extremely fast and immediately engage multiple donors simultaneously.

Here’s how our team breaks down the framework of autonomous AI specifically for Givzey’s Version2 Virtual Engagement Officer.

Sense

The autonomous fundraiser begins with processing data, including:

• Donor Data: giving patterns, preferences, and engagement history
• Organizational Data: campaigns, fiscal cycles, and specific organizational goals
• Environmental Factors: contextual elements such as the time of year, special events, or external socio-economic factors

Solve

The autonomous fundraiser then evaluates this data to identify the most suitable approach for donor engagement through:

• Donor Evaluation: understanding the unique characteristics and preferences of each donor based on their past interactions and giving behavior
• Organizational Evaluation: assessing the current state of fundraising campaigns and organizational priorities
• Environmental Evaluation: analyzing external factors that may influence donor behavior, such as holidays or economic conditions

Go

Finally, the autonomous fundraiser determines the best type of outreach and takes action. This involves:

• Choosing the Right Communication: selecting the appropriate method for outreach (ie. email, text, direct mail) and the nature of the message (cultivation, solicitation, or stewardship)
• Executing Engagement: engaging with the donor through the chosen channel, ensuring the message aligns with learned insights
• Responding: responding to donor feedback and adjusting strategies in real-time, fostering an ongoing relationship.

I hope this look into what’s typically a “black box” for AI solutions communicates the importance of the collaboration between human fundraisers and autonomous AI to drive meaningful connections with donors–helping them feel more valued and engaged.

Have a great week.

[Live Workshop]: Converting Serial Event Attendees Into Multi-Year Donors

Thursday, October 24 at 2:00 PM ET.

You know you’ve captured a donor’s attention when they repeatedly attend your events—but how do you turn that enthusiasm into a commitment that lasts years beyond?

In this workshop, Givzey’s Renee Quinn, a former fundraiser herself, outlines the practical strategies for converting event attendees into loyal, long-term supporters of your mission.

Learn how to build on their existing engagement, create personalized touchpoints, and develop a consistent donor journey that fosters deeper connections.

By understanding donor motivations and refining your approach, you can turn one-off participants into valuable multi-year donors who contribute to your organization's sustainability.

(SAVE YOUR SEAT )

[DONOR RETENTION]: The Power of Multi-Year Pledges

This?FREE GUIDE?is written from the perspective of a lapsed donor – a SYBUNT who understands why his annual gift isn't automatic every year. It offers both analysis of the donor retention challenge and donor-centric suggestions to change the dynamic.

In hundreds of conversations with annual and leadership giving officers, common challenges repeatedly emerge:

• "With limited staff the scale and number of donors is difficult to manage"
• "We struggle with having the same conversations with annual donors every year."
• "Donor retention rate is difficult to change."
• "How do we juggle managing portfolios and one-to-one outreach with Giving Days, direct mail, and mass appeals?"

These challenges highlight the need for a more efficient and effective approach to donor retention.

But not every fundraiser has experience and comfort making a multi-year ask and the vast majority of donors have never been approached beyond a single annual gift.

(DOWNLOAD NOW )

[Podcast]: Harnessing AI for a Better World with Vilas Dhar

Could AI help us tackle intractable social problems and create a more just and equitable world?

Vilas Dhar, president and trustee of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, believes so. In this episode, Phil and Grace ask Vilas about his vision for how AI can play a pivotal role in promoting equity. Vilas makes the case that now is the time for philanthropy and donors to step in.

“How do we begin to use these tools in ways that show the way forward in terms for AI for good?”

Learn about the McGovern Foundation’s work to equip nonprofits with AI tools to magnify their impact.

(LISTEN )

Fundraising Jobs

Our featured jobs come from our amazing subscribers. If you have jobs you would like posted in the Future of Fundraising newsletter, please email [email protected] with your requests.

• Vice President for Advancement and Executive Director of the Empire State University Foundation $180,000-$200,000 | Empire State University SUNY | Saratoga Springs, NY | APPLY>>>
• Assistant Dean for Advancement, Renée Crown Wellness Institute $171,000 - $183,000 | University of Colorado at Boulder | Boulder, CO | APPLY>>>
• Chief Development Officer $200,000 - $220,000 | YMCA of Metropolitan Washington | Washington, DC | APPLY>>>

See what else the future holds for fundraising today>>>