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Elevate Your EventThe Elevate Your Event Podcast is where we talk about how to plan and execute an unforgettable event that will dazzle your guests and generate more income for your organization. Author: Handbid
The Elevate Your Event Podcast is where we talk about how to plan and execute an unforgettable event that will dazzle your guests and generate more income for your organization. From fundraising and securing trendy auction items, to event production and logistics, get the best tips and advice from seasoned fundraising and event professionals who have been in your shoes. Language: en Genres: Business, Non-Profit Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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The Age of Agentic AI: How One Fundraiser Can Now Do the Work of Five
Episode 111
Wednesday, 29 April, 2026
AI isn’t just writing emails anymore—it’s reshaping how nonprofits plan events, engage donors, and run their entire fundraising operation.In this episode of Elevate Your Event, Jeff Porter and Mark Laba are joined by Handbid’s VP of Software Development, Taylor Romero, to unpack what “agentic AI” actually means—and why it’s a game-changer for lean nonprofit teams.From automating sponsorship outreach and auction procurement to rethinking guest check-in and event analytics, the conversation explores how AI can make one fundraiser as effective as a team of five—without losing the human touch donors care about most.If you’ve been wondering where to start with AI (beyond rewriting emails), this episode gives you practical ideas you can try right away.What You’ll Learn in This Episode1. AI won’t replace fundraisers—it will multiply their impactAgent-based AI systems can now automate donor outreach, sponsorship follow-ups, and auction item solicitation—tasks that traditionally take weeks of manual effort.“AI doesn’t replace the fundraiser. It makes one fundraiser as effective as a team of five.”2. We’re moving from building software to growing itTaylor explains a powerful mindset shift: instead of engineering software feature-by-feature, organizations are learning to guide AI systems that evolve solutions organically.This opens the door for smaller teams—and even non-developers—to create tools tailored to their workflows.3. Conversational interfaces will reshape event operationsThink beyond forms and dashboards.Future event tech interactions will increasingly happen through:chatvoiceautomated assistantsreal-time conversational workflowsThat means easier guest list updates, smoother check-ins, and fewer day-of-event headaches.4. AI already helps automate fundraising workflows todayJeff shares real examples from a live campaign where AI helped:identify past donorsanalyze email history for outreach candidatesbuild targeted email sequencesremove donors from follow-ups once they gaveidentify potential sponsorsdraft sponsorship outreach emailsrecover 70% of prior auction items—in one weekThese aren’t future tools—they’re available now.5. Data insights after your event are about to get much smarterInstead of static reports like “top bidders” or “ticket sales totals,” AI can now surface insights like:emerging donor behavior trendsengagement shifts from last yearpricing strategy effectivenesssponsorship performance patternshidden opportunities your team may miss manuallyEven better? It can package those insights into board-ready presentations in minutes.6. The biggest mistake nonprofits make with AIMost teams are still stuck using AI like this:“Rewrite this email.”Instead, the opportunity is:“Plan and execute this outreach strategy.”Agent-style tools like Claude Co-Work or Perplexity Computer can already handle multi-step workflows automatically.Practical Ways to Start Using AI This MonthTry one of these immediately:✅ Build a donor re-engagement email sequence✅ Generate sponsor prospect lists✅ Automate auction item request emails✅ Analyze last year’s event performance trends✅ Create board-ready reports in minutes✅ Test a conversational workflow for guest updatesStart with the why, not the how—and let AI help design the solution.A Big Idea to Leave You WithFor 15 years, nonprofits have learned how to use event software.The next 15 years will be about software that learns how to work for you.Connect with Handbid:https://www.handbid.com https://www.instagram.com/handbidauctions/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/handbid/
