If you work in or with nonprofits and you're not reading this book, you're not preparing for the future, you’re trying to build the car while it’s speeding down the road. Nonprofit AI by Nathan Chappell and Scott Rosenkrans isn’t just timely; it’s essential. It’s not hype. It’s not tech utopia. It’s an honest, grounded, and strategic guide for anyone serious about social impact in an AI-shaped world.
The authors manage to walk the rare line between clarity and complexity. They don’t dumb things down, but they also don’t assume you’ve got a data science degree tucked behind that strategic plan sitting on your shelf. Early on, they make their thesis clear and in bold font: “AI adoption is inevitable; responsible and beneficial use of AI is not.” That sentence alone could be the mantra for the sector right now.
A relentless focus on what matters
What makes this book stand out is its relentless focus on what matters. You’ve sat through the webinars, conference sessions, and sales pitches. This isn’t that book. You know, the one that pretends to be educational, but actually tries to sell you something. This book isn’t about shiny tools, it’s about trust, transformation and the tension between mission and modernization.
The authors offer real use cases, compelling frameworks, and a structure that helps readers see the forest and the trees. From AI-driven donor engagement to predictive analytics, it’s all here. But more importantly, it’s framed in a way that reminds you: the humans are still the point.
One of my favorite phrases? “AI moved your cheese, and it’s not coming back.” It’s cheeky but it’s also the truth. The nonprofit sector cannot afford to lag behind. This book makes that urgent and inspiring.
If you’ve ever asked yourself “Where do I start?” or “How do I talk about this without scaring my board?”, this book is your answer. It belongs on every nonprofit leader’s desk and every board member’s nightstand. Because the future isn’t just coming, it’s already here. And this book is how we meet it responsibly, ethically, and with our mission intact.
Nonprofit AI is available for purchase here.
Cherian Koshy, CFRE, CAP is Vice President at Kindsight.
