Episode 38: Making AI Accessible, Fun, and Impactful for Nonprofits with Tim Lockie

October 9, 20243 min read

Overview

Tim Lockie is the CEO of The Human Stack, an organization dedicated to helping nonprofits and teams integrate technology, including AI, into their workflows. With a background in nonprofit work and tech implementation, Tim is passionate about making technology accessible and practical, especially in data-driven decision-making and fundraising.

In this episode, Tim shares the origin and development of the “Human Stack,” a concept born from his nonprofit background and experience implementing Salesforce in 2009. Noticing that only 5% of organizations effectively use data for decision-making, Tim coined the term “Human Stack” to describe the collaborative nature of human teams, mirroring how tech stacks work together.

Tim recounts the launch of the Human Stack in 2022 after rebranding his previous firm, initially hesitant about incorporating AI. However, later, he recognized the importance of AI and created courses to help organizations embrace technology, including AI for fundraising. He elaborates on his “AI for Anyone” course, designed to make AI accessible and enjoyable, using a “trampoline model” to ease users into the experience.

Tim explains how the ethos of responsible AI, influenced by the fundraising AI framework, shapes his training, helping nonprofits practically integrate AI. As the episode progresses, Tim shares his excitement for the upcoming fundraising AI summit and the release of his new AI Playbook, a course aimed at helping teams leverage AI in their workflows. Throughout, the conversation emphasizes the shared goal of making AI a force for good, especially in the nonprofit sector.

Cover art for episode 38: Making AI Accessible, Fun, and Impactful for Nonprofits with Tim Lockie

Episode highlights

02:06 Origin Story of the Human Stack
09:09 AI for Anyone and Its Evolution
20:54 AI for Anyone Course Details
25:19 Integration of Fundraising AI Ethos
26:19 Thoughts on Upcoming Summit and Tim's AI Playbook

Tips and tools to implement today

Help team members see themselves as AI users, regardless of their experience level.
Join the 5% of organizations using data to drive decisions—start small with key metrics.
Overcome reluctance; AI can enhance both human and organizational efficiency.
Educate your team on AI and technology to reduce fear and foster adoption.
Use engaging models to make AI learning enjoyable.
Help team members see themselves as AI users, regardless of their experience level.
Regularly collect feedback to ensure your courses or tools are user-friendly.
Build an ethos of responsible AI by integrating it into your training programs.
Participate in AI-focused summits or workshops to stay connected with innovations.
Help teams integrate AI in everyday workflows with practical, leader-oriented guides.

Favorite quotes

"When it comes to how you use AI collectively, there's a wide gap in the way that we do this." - Tim Lockie
"If you can create delight for people, they'll remember it, and that will change them almost instantly." - Tim Lockie
"The same methods that I use to help people embrace technology, I just need to start doing with AI." - Tim Lockie
"When it comes to workflow, it's really hard to see how to help leaders see what we can do with this as a team." - Tim Lockie
"AI for Anyone was about helping people understand this is a safe place to come and explore who you're going to be without ever using those words, introducing a framework within minutes that they can get their heads around the entirety of it." - Tim Lockie
"There are people that are using AI all the time, even prompting on ChatGPT, but don't think of themselves as AI users." - Tim Lockie
"I worked really hard to find a way to create a simple model that helps people understand what the AI parts of this are, and what the self parts of this are, and then how those connect and, at the same time, really emphasize that AI is fun." - Tim Lockie
"I think that it's safe to say that fundraising AI has done a lot of my training around AI." - Tim Lockie
"If it wasn't for the framework, if it wasn't for my participation in helping the framework come out, if I didn't listen to you talk about beneficial and responsible use of AI, which are the two highest agency pieces of your agency with AI, I feel like I would have missed a lot of it." - Tim Lockie
"My framework is what it is because of fundraising AI's influence. It heavily influenced it." - Tim Lockie