Vorgestellt: John Abdulla, Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence in Fundraising
John Abdulla is a lecturer in the CAS Fundraising Strategies and Director, Constituent Product at Oxfam America in Boston, USA. His team oversees digital product and data strategy; responsible for managing data infrastructure, AI transformation, and developing technology platforms designed to create valuable experiences for Oxfam's community to realize and direct their power to end the injustice of poverty.
With over 20 years of experience in digital strategy, product development, and marketing, he has led major system transformations, website redesigns, advertising campaigns, content strategies, analytics programs, and public mobilization initiatives.
He is passionate about the power of agile teams to build great products and change the world—especially as we enter this AI technology revolution.
What fascinates you most about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in fundraising, and what motivated you to focus on this field professionally?
I have been riding the digital technology wave since the early days of the internet and, to me, AI represents a culmination of these advances that have already transformed our lives. If we can get it right, I believe there is tremendous power in AI to support more dynamic and donor-centric fundraising programs. The stakes have never felt higher, however, given the unparalleled power of AI to reshape our work and our society more broadly. I'm motivated to do what we can to wield that power for good.
How can NPOs balance the opportunities offered by AI with ethical considerations such as transparency, data privacy, and maintaining authentic donor relationships?
It's critical that as NPOs we experiment with AI early and develop guardrails that support our teams to responsibly leverage this technology. Given how boundless the technology can be, it will be on us to setup policies that support our teams rather than try to replace them. Likewise, we should strive to use AI to improve our ability to develop more authentic relationships with our donors. Taking a "human-in-the-loop" approach is key to ensuring a degree of transparency and responsibility.
Which developments and trends do you expect to have the biggest impact on NPOs in the near future?
NPOs are chronically trying to keep up with breakneck speed of technology, especially when it comes to managing massive amounts of data. Organizations that can wrangle their data—collect and organize it comprehensively in support of their objectives—will have a huge advantage in this AI revolution. I believe AI layered on top of our centralized data will form the central nervous system of the modern organization, shaping strategy and ongoing business intelligence.
The center for arts management would like to express its sincere thanks for the interview!