AI: Powerful tool or untamed beast? Why AI is going to change the nonprofit sector

As co-founder of TwoPurpose, an impact-first Salesforce consulting team for nonprofits, I follow technological developments closely.

In the book Trailblazer (2017), Salesforce Founder & CEO Marc Benioff describes how he convened his team in 2015 to fully commit to Artificial Intelligence. Similarly, Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, stressed in Hit Refresh (2017) that AI was a strategic priority from the moment he took office. Under his leadership, Microsoft made AI a core part of its strategy from 2014, including through major investments in cloud (Azure AI), collaborations (such as with OpenAI) and integrations into existing products such as Office and Teams. As a result, Microsoft has developed a broad ecosystem of AI solutions for different sectors. Salesforce, on the other hand, focuses mainly on AI within its own CRM platform, such as Einstein and now Agentforce AI. They are strong in customer-facing applications, but their AI reach is (currently) less broad and deep than Microsoft's.

Why are these tech giants betting so heavily on AI?

The rise of AI can be compared to Nikola Tesla's invention of alternating current. Whereas Edison had already ushered in an industrial revolution with direct current, Tesla brought a system that enabled energy over long distances: revolutionary, but also initially life-threatening! Alternating current was fiercely criticised, just as AI is becoming today. Yet now we cannot imagine a society without electricity.

The lesson is clear: the question is not whether to embrace AI, but how to do so responsibly and effectively.

Salesforce is currently betting heavily on Agentforce AI. Last week, with six TwoPurpose colleagues, we visited the Agentforce AI World Tour in Amsterdam.
Our key insights:

• Impressive possibilities: In especially large, innovative organisations, there are already pioneering applications.
• Few concrete implementations for non-profits: For charities, NGOs and membership organisations, we are still at the beginning. Yet it is clear: it is only a matter of time.

Because we believe non-profits should also benefit from this technological leap, we at TwoPurpose organise the event 'AI for Non-profits', with the theme: ''Master Your AI!'.

Learn how to deploy AI, and perhaps even Agentforce, in a safe, impactful way within your organisation.

Sign up!

On 21 May, TwoPurpose is organising the AI for Non-Profits event. Sign up here to via.