The AI Revolution Could Be Key to Your Organization’s Future Success
I see you.
You are passionate about your organization, but you are over-leveraged and underfunded. Everyone you encounter offers obvious advice on how to propel your organization forward. It’s not that you haven’t thought of these ideas—it’s that there simply isn’t enough capacity to address everything that could be done. There is only one of you and, at best, a very small and overstretched staff.
Small arts organizations in under-resourced and smaller communities often struggle to manage operations, marketing, fundraising, and program development. But I have good news: an AI revolution is coming. As with any revolution, there will be winners and losers—but I believe you can be a winner.
AI companies are on a path to creating artificial intelligence capable of handling nearly anything you can do behind a computer—perhaps even better. Experts once estimated it would take about a decade to reach Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)—a hypothetical form of AI with human-like cognitive abilities, capable of learning, adapting, and performing a wide range of tasks across various domains. Now, many believe AGI could arrive in as little as two to three years. I strongly encourage you to listen to a recent episode of The Ezra Klein Show on this subject.
This shift will have massive implications for the labor force. I don’t want to diminish or ignore the challenges that may arise from this moment of change, but there is also opportunity. AI-powered tools can streamline tasks and make modern labor more efficient. For the nonprofit sector—often understaffed and stretched thin—this could mean finally having the capacity to tackle all those projects you never had time for. AGI has the potential to free up arts organizations to focus on their creative and community-driven missions while offloading time-consuming administrative work.
This technology will continue to evolve, and its impact on the world is already underway. I strongly recommend that you start learning how to harness AI right now. Position yourself to ride the wave rather than be overwhelmed by it. This guide explores practical ways AI can support small arts organizations today, complete with tool recommendations.
Please get started.
There is a lot listed below and I wouldn’t expect you to use it all at once due to both financial restraints and current technological capabilities, but do get started with some form of AI as soon as possible. Start with one or two AI tools in key areas, such as grant writing or marketing, and gradually expand usage as you become more comfortable.
1. AI for Grant Writing & Fundraising
Finding Grant Opportunities
Tool: Instrumentl (Instrumentl.com)
Instrumentl helps organizations discover grant opportunities that align with their mission.
How to Use: Sign up for a free trial, enter your nonprofit’s focus areas, and get a list of potential grants with deadlines.
Tool: GrantStation (GrantStation.com)
A research tool that connects nonprofits with funding opportunities.
How to Use: Use keyword searches and filters to find relevant grants.
AI-Assisted Grant Writing
Tool: ChatGPT (OpenAI.com)
Assists in structuring grant proposals and refining application language.
How to Use: Provide key details (funding amount, impact, goals) and ask ChatGPT to draft a proposal or executive summary.
Tool: Jasper (Jasper.ai)
Generates persuasive grant narratives using AI-powered copywriting.
How to Use: Input grant details and use pre-built templates for professional grant writing.
2. AI for Organizational Management
Project & Task Automation
Tool: Notion AI (Notion.so)
Automates note-taking, meeting summaries, and task organization.
How to Use: Set up a workspace for grant tracking, project planning, and automated meeting notes.
Tool: Asana AI (Asana.com)
Helps schedule and assign tasks with smart automation.
How to Use: Create a board for upcoming grant deadlines, donor follow-ups, and event planning.
Financial Forecasting & Budgeting
Tool: QuickBooks AI (QuickBooks.intuit.com)
Automates bookkeeping and provides financial health insights.
How to Use: Sync with bank accounts to get AI-powered financial reports.
Tool: Xero AI (Xero.com)
Helps with financial forecasting for nonprofits.
How to Use: Upload financial data and use predictive tools to plan budgets.
3. AI for Marketing & Audience Engagement
Automated Content Creation
Tool: Canva Magic Write (Canva.com)
Generates captions, blog posts, and social media content.
How to Use: Choose a content type, enter a prompt, and let Canva’s AI create text and visuals.
Tool: Copy.ai (Copy.ai)
AI-powered copywriting tool for email campaigns and social media.
How to Use: Enter a topic and get AI-generated posts tailored for arts organizations.
SEO & Website Optimization
Tool: Surfer SEO (Surferseo.com)
AI-driven keyword analysis for better search rankings.
How to Use: Enter a blog topic and get recommendations for optimizing content.
Tool: Google Performance Max (Ads.google.com)
AI-powered ad optimization for arts marketing.
How to Use: Set a budget, define a target audience, and let Google optimize campaigns.
4. AI for Program Development & Artistic Creation
AI-Enhanced Creative Tools
Tool: AIVA (AIVA.ai)
AI-generated music composition for performances.
How to Use: Select a genre and let AIVA create original compositions.
Tool: DALL·E (OpenAI.com/dall-e)
Generates visual art and promotional images.
How to Use: Enter a description of an artwork or poster concept, and AI creates an image.
Accessibility & Inclusion
Tool: Otter.ai (Otter.ai)
AI-powered live captioning for events and performances.
How to Use: Upload an event audio file or use live captioning during performances.
Tool: Google Translate (Translate.google.com)
Helps with multilingual content accessibility.
How to Use: Translate website content or event descriptions for a diverse audience.
5. AI for Financial Sustainability & Revenue Growth
Membership & Donor Engagement
Tool: Patreon AI (Patreon.com)
AI-assisted audience engagement and membership growth.
How to Use: Set up membership tiers and use AI analytics for personalized content recommendations.
Tool: Substack AI (Substack.com)
AI-driven email newsletters and donor outreach.
How to Use: Use AI-generated insights to craft engaging email campaigns.
E-commerce & Digital Sales
Tool: Shopify AI (Shopify.com)
AI-driven online store optimization.
How to Use: Use AI tools to recommend products, manage pricing, and analyze sales trends.
Tool: Etsy AI (Etsy.com)
Helps optimize product listings for arts-related merchandise.
How to Use: Use AI-generated descriptions and tags to improve product visibility.
Conclusion & Next Steps
Implementing AI tools in small community arts organizations doesn’t require a tech background—just a willingness to experiment and find solutions that save time and enhance efficiency.
Actionable Next Steps:
Identify one AI tool from this list that addresses your immediate needs.
Test the tool using a free trial or demo.
Integrate AI tools into daily workflows and monitor their effectiveness.
Stay updated on AI advancements to continue optimizing operations.
By embracing AI strategically, small community arts organizations can expand their impact, streamline operations, and ensure sustainability, even with limited resources. All of this will begin a process of making a transition as the landscape of labor shift dramatically in the coming year. Again, jump on the train. Don’t let it pass you by.