With AI’s ability to automatically produce content and process complicated datasets with high accuracy, museums worldwide are exploring ways in which this innovative technology can help them better achieve their missions and advance accessibility efforts. Through case studies, learn about three applications of this technology: content digitalization, language accessibility, and visual description.
October was filled with new debates on AI policies, a halt to one of the most significant AI safety bills in the United States, and a host of new AI developments in video, music, and even podcasts.
Arts and cultural nonprofits often operate in multiple markets for earned and contributed revenue. With increasing attention on data-driven decision making, effective market orientation often depends on effective data use. This fundamental collection, transmission, use, and interpretation of data within an organization collectively contributes to what can be considered an organization’s data culture.
Museums have increasingly begun to volunteer their spaces as polling places, acting as a democratic vehicle for their communities and adding to the greater fabric of America’s election infrastructure. In doing so, they can support local democratic processes and prove to their communities that they are not unbreachable temples for the elite, but open platforms for the people.
As exemplified by the Hollywood strikes of 2023, we find ourselves in a new era of Artificial Intelligence in film and television. While studios are looking to cut costs, performers seek job security, and consumers seek quality content. Through research conducted in collaboration with facial motion capture technology provider Faceware Technologies Inc., Master of Entertainment Industry Management students at Carnegie Mellon sought to gain insight on how AI-generated content will transform existing industries, including how this technology could affect employment in the entertainment industry, content development, budgets, contracts, legislation, and privacy rights.
Fundraising is the lifeblood of any non-profit organization. Not only is it the primary way to raise money for your organization’s cause, but it also keeps your organization running day-to-day to work on sustaining its mission. Your nonprofit should always be looking for new donation tools as part of your digital strategy. Non-profit fundraising has been made easier than ever before with the creation of technology and apps, such as Venmo.
Organizations’ marketing strategies and missions themselves may need to be reexamined to determine whether or not they align with the next generation of donors. There are a number of practices that organizations can start to embrace in order to expand their mission to a more diverse population while not running the risk of alienating their current support base.
Fundraising is a vital part of a nonprofit’s ability to achieve its mission. Cultivating relationships with individuals and institutions in this way can help an organization gain economic support, as well as important relationships and visibility. In order to create and maintain these relationships in development departments, organizations need to meet potential partners where they are and inspire them through their mission and projects. Today, and in the near future, these potential donors may likely be in a virtual space, specifically augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
Nonprofit fundraisers are continually searching for efficient systems to discover, approach, solicit, and measure support from prospects. The market for fundraising software is over-saturated with business management technology that is constantly evolving. An increasingly prevalent trend in startup software is the integration of artificial intelligence technology, which has become more popular today thanks to greater access to data volumes, sophisticated algorithms, and improvements in computing power. The technology, if truly effective with the right organization’s data, harnesses the potential to shape how we prioritize our time with donors.
Fundraisers take note: it is estimated that four to seven billion dollars a year goes unmatched by nonprofit organizations. Eighteen million people around the globe have access to a matching gift program, and it’s been surveyed that one in every three people who donate would actually be willing to donate more if they knew their donation could be matched in the first place. Matching gift programs and volunteer grant programs are more inclusive of corporate employees because the causes that they feel personally motivated to donate to or volunteer with are recognized and rewarded by their employers. The digital marketplace for these opportunities is growing making it easier for nonprofits to find their match.
Customer relationship management (CRM) systems are integral to any arts organization. They allow for the organization to collect data on their patrons in order to create better relationships with them. However, the current pandemic has shown some areas for improvement, specifically in terms of current technology’s relevance. One such area is the intersection of CRM systems and digital giving. Up-to-date and easy-to-use technology can put an organization ahead, but it is going to take a dedicated strategy to ensure progress.
Cryptocurrencies conjure up a variety of images. To some, they are shadowy currencies, born of vice and crawling out of the corners of the dark web to sew anarchy into the traditional financial system. To others, they are harbingers of a new wave of financial tools better suited to the digital age. This report analyzes the pathways, promises, and potential problems of crypto-assets within fundraising.
As we conclude our series on Emerging Technologies for fundraising, we are excited for the opportunities facing the arts sector. As noted in early parts, digital giving is growing at a faster rate than individual giving overall, thus it is critical for fundraising professionals to develop or continue to engage in new digital pathways. The findings and recommendations from the national survey are below with our full report available here or for download in the publications section linked above and organized by content category.
According to the 2018 Global NGO Technology Report, over "15% of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) worldwide regularly send text messages to donors and supporters." In addition, "43% of those NGOs use a Text To Give service for SMS fundraising." These trends continue in the United States, with the mGive Foundation's 2015 Text Donation Study finding "that for 46% of donors, giving via text is a preferred method." The most popular SMS campaigns tend to favor urgent crises, with over 65% of donors giving via text supporting disaster relief organizations, followed by health institutions and human services organizations. This particular study also referenced a "Giving Gap" where people who responded that they strongly favored using text as a method of donation rarely followed through with that wish. This led mGive to conclude that "it is likely that many donors are not being given ample opportunity to make text donations."
Given this evidence, there is a want from donors for text-based giving that is not being fulfilled. Here’s how your organization can learn to meet this demand.
Fundraising is a critical component of almost every nonprofit arts enterprise. This spring, the Arts Management and Technology Lab commissioned a national benchmarking analysis and survey of arts organizations on four emerging digital fundraising pathways: Text message / SMS giving, peer-to-peer portals, Facebook nonprofit tools, and mobile auction apps. The following kicks off a 5 part series that highlights the findings. This article offers specific statistics on fundraising with subsequent pieces providing details on the individual pathways and a summary of the national survey's findings.
