Insight
Empowering Advancement Through AI: Strategies for Leaders in Education
May 17, 2024
Adrienne Peres
For educational institutions and nonprofits, the extraordinary potential for AI to transform advancement strategies — furthering an organization’s mission through fundraising, donor engagement, and alumni relations — is becoming increasingly clear. However, the reality is that most nonprofits and educational institutions are just beginning their AI journey. A recent study conducted by CASE and GiveCampus confirms this, revealing that while over 70% of advancement teams are using AI in some capacity, only 5% have a formal initiative in place, and a mere 13% have received proper AI training or resources. This means that many employees are utilizing AI tools without adequate guidelines, training, or understanding of security and privacy concerns.
The study also found that advancement teams primarily use AI for communication tasks, such as crafting personalized emails, while less than 5% harness these tools for predictive analytics. Moreover, 60% of employees never use AI at all to inform decision-making.
These findings highlight a significant opportunity for higher education and independent school advancement teams to gain a competitive edge by implementing AI tools strategically and effectively. By addressing the lack of guidelines and training, institutions can empower their teams to make data-driven decisions, streamline workflows, and enhance donor engagement.
Here are five concrete examples of how AI can revolutionize educational advancement:
1. Personalized donor outreach: AI-powered tools analyze donor data to provide gift officers with tailored outreach recommendations, including the optimal time to reach out, the most effective communication channel, and personalized talking points based on the donor's interests and giving history. This enables more targeted and impactful donor engagement.
2. Advanced prospect research and wealth screening: AI is taking prospect research to the next level by analyzing unstructured data sources, such as social media posts, news articles, and online reviews, to gain deeper insights into a prospect's interests, affiliations, and philanthropic tendencies. AI algorithms can also identify patterns and connections between prospects, uncovering new opportunities for cultivation and solicitation.
3. Predictive modeling for annual giving: AI-driven predictive models can identify which donors are most likely to give, how much they are likely to donate, and when they are most likely to make a gift. This information can help advancement teams tailor their annual giving campaigns and allocate resources more effectively.
4. Chatbots for donor stewardship: AI-powered chatbots provide 24/7 support to donors, answering common questions about giving options, tax deductions, and impact reporting. Chatbots can also guide donors through the giving process and offer personalized recommendations based on their interests and preferences.
5. Optimizing gift officer performance: AI can analyze gift officer activity data, such as the number of donor visits (including key performance indicators like number of face-to-face visits with donors), proposals submitted, and gifts closed, to identify best practices and areas for improvement. By providing gift officers with data-driven insights and recommendations, AI can help optimize their performance and increase fundraising results.
The CASE study underscores the urgent need for leadership in educational advancement to proactively guide their institutions through the AI journey. By establishing clear guidelines, providing comprehensive training, and identifying strategic use cases, advancement leaders can empower their teams to harness the full potential of AI while mitigating risks and ensuring ethical implementation — and, ultimately gaining a significant competitive advantage in the evolving landscape of educational advancement. As the adoption of AI becomes increasingly essential for success, it is imperative for advancement leaders to take decisive action and pave the way for a more innovative, efficient, and impactful future.
