Hugo Castro, author of the Accidental Techie newsletter on Linkedin, and Gozi Egbuonu, accidental and now intentional tech leader, lead you through a discussion on the transformation from firefighter to strategic advisor.

In pt 1 they discuss the role of the "accidental techie" in nonprofit organizations and explore three bridges to transform your career: Skills, Relationships, and Projects. In pt 2 they finish up the fourth bridge: Communications, and take questions from the webinar audience.

If you never applied to a tech job, but somehow you are the person everyone turns to for tech help and assistance at your nonprofit, you may be the accidental techie of your office. Learn how to transform your valuable experience as a problem-solver into a professional career as a nonprofit tech leader from two people who have lived it.

Hugo and Gozi share what separates reactive problem-solvers from strategic technology leaders, and give you practical frameworks for repositioning yourself professionally. You’ll discover how to communicate your value differently, build the right relationships, and choose projects that showcase your strategic thinking.

Learning outcomes

• Build a transformation roadmap using four pillars: skills, relationships, projects, communication
• Identify your position on the accidental-to-intentional spectrum and key mindset shifts needed
• Reframe how you communicate your work to position yourselves as strategic advisors, not tech fixers-for-free.

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• Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/
• email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com
• on LinkedIn

Thanks for listening.

In this Nonprofit AI Podcast midweek check-in, Carolyn tackles the anxiety around AI and the changing labor market. While it can feel like AI is everywhere, a recent report from Anthropic shows we are nowhere near 100% adoption—but the roles most likely to be impacted are the white-collar, management, and knowledge-work positions often held by older, highly educated women in the nonprofit sector.

The conversation covers the gap between using AI tools and actually having a policy for them, and why wishful thinking isn't a substitute for a training budget. Carolyn discusses:

• Who is actually exposed to AI: Why seasoned nonprofit leaders and managers in roles like fundraising and strategic planning need to pay attention and stay engaged in the way their job descriptions are shifting to incorporate AI literacy.
• The Governance Gap: Only 19% of organizations have formal AI policies—maybe even lower in the nonprofit sector. But organizations without AI governance run considerable risks. The time to start is now.
• Why AI literacy is the new job requirement in nonprofit work: Moving beyond entry level tricks like drafting emails to using AI as a strategic partner for mission-driven work has huge possibilities. The nonprofit sector is uniquely positioned to use AI in innovative and impactful ways.
• High-quality training that won't break the budget: A rundown of free and low-cost certificate programs specifically designed for nonprofits.
• Evidence-based use cases: Look at how peer organizations are using AI for mission delivery, not just office productivity with Project Evident's library of nonprofit AI use cases.

As AI literacy becomes a baseline skill, Carolyn encourages nonprofit boards and executive teams to prioritize learning—ensuring staff have the time, tools, and training to navigate this shift safely.

Resources Mentioned:

• Anthropic Report: Labor Market Impacts of AI
• Infotech Research: AI Trends 2026
• Infotech Research: Data Priorities 2026
• NPTechForGood: AI Certificate for Marketing & Fundraising
• NetHope & Kaya: Fundamentals of AI for Nonprofits (Free)
• Data.org: AI Skills for Nonprofits
• Anthropic Academy: AI Fluency for Nonprofits (Free)
• Project Evident: Equitable AI Adoption Case Studies

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• Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/
• email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com
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Carolyn sits down with Steve Longenecker, Director of IT Consulting at Community IT Innovators, to tackle a question that's suddenly urgent for many nonprofits: now that AI tools like Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini can search your entire file system, are your permissions actually set up correctly?

The conversation covers the practical steps nonprofits can take to assess and clean up their SharePoint and Google Workspace permissions before — or after — turning on AI. Steve and Carolyn discuss:

• Why AI tools like Copilot only surface files users are already permitted to see — and why that's not as reassuring as it sounds.
• The "security through obscurity" problem: how files that were harmlessly buried for years can suddenly become visible to anyone.
• How Microsoft tracks "anyone at my organization" share links — and why you should change your default sharing settings now.
• What Restricted SharePoint Search is, and how it can help you safely roll out Copilot site by site.
• Practical first steps for nonprofits with messy, organic SharePoint environments.

As Steve puts it, old SharePoint architecture represents technical debt that's going to have to get paid down eventually — and AI may be making that day come sooner.

Resources Mentioned:

• Microsoft Restricted SharePoint Search — overview for organizations rolling out Copilot: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft365copilotblog/introducing-restricted-sharepoint-search-to-help-you-get-started-with-copilot-fo/4071060
• SharePoint permissions governance — a conceptual overview for site owners and leadership: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/overview-site-governance-permission-and-sharing-for-site-owners-95e83c3d-e1b0-4aae-9d08-e94dcaa4942e
• Community IT's Microsoft Tools Resource Library for Nonprofits: https://communityit.com/microsoft-tools-for-nonprofits/

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• email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com
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Thanks for listening.

How can nonprofits move past the efficiency plateau to find real strategic value in AI? In this midweek check-in, Carolyn Woodard discusses statistics from the 2026 Nonprofit AI Adoption Report from Virtuous and Fundraising AI, which reveals that while 92% of nonprofits are using AI, only 7% see a major strategic impact on their mission.

The episode also explores the concept of AI hygiene and why cleaning up your digital files for humans is the first step. Carolyn also discussed Google NotebookLM, a "walled off" library that you can create from your own resources, restricting your AI tool to just your own documents and data.

Carolyn also highlights the community-led governance model of AI Ready RVA and reminds nonprofit leaders that they do not need a computer science degree to lead an AI-ready organization. Instead, they need a clear mission, clean data, and commitment.

Key Resources Included

• 2026 Nonprofit AI Adoption Report (Virtuous/Fundraising AI).
• 92% of nonprofits surveyed are individually using AI tools for productivity and efficiency vs 7% that report they are using AI as a teammate for transformation.
• Data hygiene: cleaning your data and keeping it clean.
• AI hygiene: Preparing your data and data architecture so that AI tools can return the best outputs quickly, without multiple prompts and investigation into accuracy.
• NotebookLM. A tool within Google Gemini that can create a "walled off" library that AI will search within. Using vetted resources can help the AI be more trustworthy and return better outputs.
• AI Ready RVA - a cohort model for local resources and networking to help manage the learning and funding for pilot programs and events.

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Thanks for listening.

Are you struggling to articulate what your nonprofit actually needs from an IT provider? In this episode, host Carolyn Woodard and Community IT CEO Johan Hammerstrom discuss the rise of the generic, AI-generated Request for Proposal (RFP). While it is tempting to use AI to handle the heavy lifting of technical writing, doing so often results in a document that lacks the heart of your organization’s mission.

Johan explains why a successful RFP is less about technical jargon and more about your unique business needs. When you rely on a generic template, you end up with a generic partner. This conversation offers a roadmap for moving beyond checklists to find a support model that actually fits your culture and budget.

Johan and Carolyn explore the essential process of defining your requirements, including:

• The AI Pitfall: Why using AI to write an RFP without deep organizational context leads technical jargon. If you can't understand exactly what your rfp is asking for, neither will the vendors.
• The Thinking Process: A look at why the act of writing—rather than just the final document—is a vital exercise in disciplined thinking and clarity for your leadership team.
• Staff Feedback: How to gather input from your team to identify where legacy systems or siloed tools are creating daily friction and missed opportunities.
• Finding a Partner: Practical advice on how to draw out the unique requirements of your nonprofit to ensure your next IT provider is a true partner, not just a vendor.

A key part of this search is recognizing why many nonprofits feel dissatisfied with their current support. Johan identifies three specific pitfalls that occur when working with a regular, for-profit focused Managed Service Provider (MSP):

1. The Culture Gap: Most MSPs are geared toward a bottom-line, efficiency-first mindset that can feel brusque, abrasive or dissonant when it comes up against a people-centered nonprofit culture.
2. Misaligned Logic: Standard providers often recommend solutions based on revenue generation, failing to understand the resource-constrained and programmatic realities of the nonprofit sector when making IT investments or dealing with legacy IT.
3. The Priority Problem: In a large, general-market firm, smaller nonprofit accounts are often deprioritized in favor of more lucrative corporate clients, leading to inconsistent support, junior-level staffing, and frustration.

If you feel your current provider doesn’t quite get you, or if you are preparing to search for new support, this episode will help you ask the right questions of your AI tools, your staff, and your potential partners.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Link: How to Vet an MSP for Your Nonprofit

Link: How do I Know if an MSP is Right for my Organization?

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• Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/
• email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com
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Thanks for listening.

In this Nonprofit AI Podcast midweek check-in, Carolyn explores what it means to have agency in the age of AI. With so much pressure to adopt new tools, it can feel like nonprofits have no choice — but Carolyn makes the case that you and your organization have more power than you think, both in the tools you choose and the advocacy you pursue.

The conversation covers the environmental and community impacts of AI infrastructure, and what nonprofits can actually do about it. Carolyn discusses:

• Why individual AI use matter less than local and collective advocacy around data center regulation.
• Advocacy looks different in different locations where data centers are going in at a furious pace. Water issues? Electricity costs? Sites? Your advocacy should be local too.
• The community impacts of data center siting are complex — Carolyn gave just one example of institutional racism and the displacement over time of historic Black landowners in Northern Virginia.
• Creative policy models from Europe that nonprofits can advocate for in their own communities.
• You can align your AI tool choices with your organization's values — and why that matters.
• An update on Anthropic's lawsuit against the Department of Defense over its supply chain risk designation.

As AI infrastructure expands so quickly, Carolyn encourages nonprofits to stay engaged — using AI intentionally while advocating for the communities and values they serve.

Resources Mentioned:

• Webinar: AI Reluctance for Nonprofits, Josh Peskay and Kim Snyder, Meet the Moment: https://www.roundtabletechnology.com/news-and-events/webinar-library/thank-you/ai-resistance-for-nonprofits
• TechSoup AI Training: https://techsoup.course.tc/catalog/exploring-ai-with-microsoft-tools
• Anthropic vs the Pentagon to date: https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/09/anthropic-sues-defense-department-over-supply-chain-risk-designation/
• https://www.npr.org/2026/03/09/nx-s1-5742548/anthropic-pentagon-lawsuit-amodai-hegseth

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If you have wondered about the real difference between using a free tool like ChatGPT and an enterprise-level solution like Microsoft Copilot or Google Gemini, this episode will provide much-needed clarity. While the potential for efficiency is high, many nonprofit leaders are rightfully concerned about data security and how to ensure they are using these models safely.

In part one from their recent webinar, Community IT Outreach Director Carolyn Woodard is joined by Chief Technology Officer Matt Eshleman to demystify the current AI tool landscape, particularly for data security.

In part two, Matt and Carolyn go over ways to tell you are logged in to your official account or not, the importance of continuous and iterative staff education, and how (and why) to get started creating AI policies to share with staff.

They were only able to answer a few questions from registration and the audience during this webinar; you can find more questions answered on our reddit community page: https://www.reddit.com/r/NonprofitITManagement/ or in the transcript on our website here: https://communityit.com/webinar-how-to-use-ai-tools-safely-at-nonprofits/

Whether you are already using AI daily or are just beginning to explore its possibilities, this discussion offers a professional and grounded look at how to navigate these tools securely.

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In this Nonprofit AI Podcast, Carolyn explores the complex intersection of nonprofit values and AI vendor ethics. Following a high-profile public dispute between the Pentagon and major AI providers, we look at what these corporate decisions mean for organizations that prioritize mission-aligned technology.

The conversation covers the practical side of AI safety, moving beyond the headlines to answer urgent questions from our recent webinar. Carolyn discusses:

• The ethical ripple effects of the Anthropic and OpenAI rivalry regarding government contracts.
• Why enterprise-level licenses are the primary recommendation for protecting sensitive nonprofit data.
• How to navigate privacy when using AI for board meeting transcriptions and note-taking.
• Practical steps to turn off model training in freemium tools like ChatGPT and Gemini.
• The existential question: Is adopting AI truly inevitable for the nonprofit sector?

As AI continues to disrupt education, health, and environmental sectors, Carolyn discusses the importance of intentionality—whether your organization chooses to opt in or opt out.

Resources Mentioned:

• Community IT Subreddit Webinar Q&A: https://www.reddit.com/r/NonprofitITManagement/comments/1rekaqk/qa_how_to_use_ai_tools_safely_at_nonprofits/
• LinkedIn Guide: Turning off AI model training from Kim Snyder, AI for Nonprofits Trainer at Tech Soup and Meet the Moment
• Upcoming: Part two of our AI safety webinar series with Matt Eshelman. Full video here: https://communityit.com/webinar-how-to-use-ai-tools-safely-at-nonprofits/

_______________________________
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Thanks for listening.