Proposal for SOS Children’s Villages: session on future tech and generative AI

It feels like every week of 2023 has seen some new huge developments in AI. Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, the hype around generative AI (artificial intelligence) has been immense. The technology – and products built on the technology that can generate text, images and video – are game-changers. They promise a huge disruption, like the personal computer or the Internet itself.

But in the past years, there's also been hype about the metaverse, blockchain, the internet of things and many other technology development. Though not all hype turns into reality, the fact is we live in a world of exponential technologies and change, where change comes quicker than we can anticipate.

In late October 2023, staff from SOS Children’s Villages – many of whom focus on digital data analysis – will meet in Vienna for a workshop. When asked about the session, they have said that they would like to use the opportunity to investigate how AI can help them be more productive in their analysis and data storytelling. This meeting also offers staff an opportunity to look to the future and think about how generative AI and other big emerging technologies could affect digital and data-driven fundraising in the future.

Platforms like ChatGPT could help staff face this future, offering support in two distinct ways:

On a practical level, adopting generative AI is still challenging. A key barrier is simply how to get started… knowing what tools exist, what prompts and plugins to use, what are the security, ethical or other risks in each tool. Other challenges include the speed of change; the propensity of generative AI to “hallucinate” (make things up); legal, ethical and regulatory issues around the content tools use as an input or that they produces as an output; and understanding the risks it poses for labour markets.

But not engaging with generative AI now is not a sensible option, and understanding generative AI, and ChatGPT in particular, offers the opportunity for participants to understand in a very hands-on way how generative AI tools can help them be more strategic, persuasive, efficient and effective in their day-to-day work. And they will be central in preparing for the future.

As a result of a session at the data intelligence in fundraising workshop in October 2023, SOS Children’s Village staff should:

Following this session, other activities could be developed to widen the scope of conversations, or provide more practical support to teams in SOS Children’s Villages. This could include webinars or other sessions that:

My passion is helping non profits realise a transformative vision of what they could be in the digital and AI age.

Over 15 years as a senior digital leader, I have worked with non-profit organisations to understand their goals; explore the possibilities digital offers for achieving these goals; and map and deliver the changes they needed to succeed.

My experience and knowledge from my time working as Head of Digital in MSF Spain gives me a strong perspective on what the opportunities and challenges are for fundraising in international NGOs, including around the use of digital data and innovation.

In addition, since 2021 I've been working as a non-profit digital strategy consultant, alongside studying for an Executive MBA at ESADE Business School in Barcelona. Through this role, I've undertaken strategy projects at national and international non-profits – including Oxfam Intermon, the International Science Council, Greenpeace Spain, Relate, Concern Worldwide (UK) and Family For Every Child. In each organisation, I’ve worked with senior leaders to help them develop and start realising an ambitious digital vision. The consultancies have covered income generation, product development, audience development and changing organisational skills and mindsets.

Previously, my work building a digital team at UNISON led to it being listed in the Digital Leaders 100 list in the UK, while at ODI my digital strategy was awarded Digital Strategy of the Year at the European Digital Communications Awards.

Finally, since the release of ChatGPT in November 2022, I have focused much of my time on understanding how generative AI can best be used to help a charity (or charities) have the greatest impact, and also what changes might be needed to processes, culture, skills, strategy and structure to do so. I have run hands-on training sessions with a number of clients, including MSF and the International Science Council, on using ChatGPT and I am reading, experimenting, thinking and publishing articles on its applications for non-profits.

Here are some recent example posts I’ve written on related subjects:

I am also actively developing an experimental “Fundraising Copywriters Assistant” to test how AI can be used in fundraising copywriting.

The workshop would be delivered in October 2023.

Based on the deliverables above, and assuming the workshop uses a format already developed for other clients but tailored to this audience and their needs, the investment would be as follows:

Total investment €1400

This does not include travel and accommodation.

50% of fees would be invoiced in advance of the session, 50% following the session. Payment is due within 30 days of the invoice.