Carrie Ducote

In many nonprofits, campaigns are only considered successful if they raise money. That belief quietly undermines long-term fundraising. Some of the most effective campaigns do not include an ask at all. They inform, orient, and engage supporters so that when you do ask, people are ready and willing to say yes. Donor information campaigns, newsletters, and volunteer-focused outreach are not distractions from fundraising. They are the infrastructure that makes fundraising work.

Nonprofit leaders are often told they have to choose: lead with emotion or lead with data. Tell stories or prove outcomes. Inspire hearts or satisfy funders. That framing is wrong. The most effective nonprofit communications do not choose between narrative and numbers. They sequence and integrate them so each strengthens the other. When emotion shows why the work matters and data proves it works, trust follows.

AI can help nonprofits move faster. It can draft grant narratives, appeal emails, case statements, and reports in a fraction of the time it used to take. But speed comes with a tradeoff. Left untouched, AI-written content often sounds correct, polite, and flat. It meets the requirements, but it does not move people. It reads like something that could belong to any organization, anywhere.