Beth Kanter - The Smart Nonprofit: Staying Human-Centered in An Automated World

1. Chapter 5
2. Chapter 6
3. Chapter 7

AI is a complicated but necessary technology. It can be used to make people and nonprofits experience better, but if used without ethical implementation, it can destroy lives and harm the very people it is designed to help. This book works to describe this delicate balance. The Smart Nonprofit helps nonprofits think about how to use this technology with intention while explaining how to avoid the pitfalls that are possible. A human-centered focus is how all technology should be deployed.

Shireen Mitchell,
founder, Digital Sisters/as and Stop Online Violence Against Women

In The Smart Nonprofit, Beth Kanter and Allison Fine bring attention to a looming transformation that is underappreciated in the social sector. Kanter and Fine have put their finger on the fundamental tension between the calling of our sector and the know-how to leverage AI and other smart technologies for good. Read this book. It's about the future and fate of the social sector writ large.

Mari Kuraishi,
president, Jesse Ball DuPont Fund

We always joke about machines taking over our jobs. The truth is more interesting and complicated than that, as Beth Kanter and Allison Fine explore in this vital and timely book. With our sector relying more and more on technology and data, it is critical all of us are informed of the many ways smart tech could enable us to be more efficient at helping people, or unintentionally hurting them, especially those from marginalized communities. This is a thought-provoking and necessary book.

Vu Le,
NonprofitAF blog

As decision-making becomes increasingly automated, it is critical that we are intentional about designing and using smart tech in the way that benefits our society and the planet. The Smart Nonprofit: Staying Human Centered in an Automated World is an exceptional read for nonprofit leaders who are looking to understand challenges and opportunities of smart tech, including how to design and use technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning in a responsible, humane, and impactful way.

Leila Toplic,
head of Emerging Technologies Initiative

NetHope

The adaptation and understanding of smart tech enables social sector leaders to make quantum leaps forward in meeting their missions and fostering cultures of innovation and abundance. But just knowing that isn't enough. Kanter and Fine have given us the road map: practical, actionable advice for the tech-savvy and non-techies alike, and organizations large and small will benefit.

Asha Curran,
CEO, Giving Tuesday

Beth Kanter and Allison Fine's new book provides a refreshingly nuanced view on the use of data and AI in the nonprofit sector. The timely question the authors seek to answer is not whether nonprofits need to develop good data management practices and a pervasive data use culture but how to transform their operations and strive for impact. Kanter and Fine's smart nonprofit is one that realizes the opportunities that data offers and knows how to mitigate the risks.

Claudia Juech,
vice president, data and society, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation

Finally, a book that cuts through the hype about AI and gives common-sense guidance to nonprofit leaders on how they can get smarter in how they use tech to power their organizations.

Micah Sifry,
cofounder, Civic Hall

Beth Kanter and Allison Fine have given a powerful road map for nonprofit leaders on how to navigate the adoption of artificial intelligence and other smart technologies. With this book in hand, nonprofits will be able to turn the page on the era of frantic busyness to one in which they have time to think and plan and even dream.

Charlene Li,
New York Times best-selling author of The Disruption Mindset and Founder of Altimeter

An absolutely vital read for all nonprofit executives. AI and other smart technologies are here to stay, and understanding how they can impact your employees, donors, and grantees will be vital for your future success. Allison Fine and Beth Kanter break down all you need to know in a format that is digestible and actionable.

Susan McPherson,
CEO, McPherson Strategies and author of The Lost Art of Connecting

The inevitable introduction of more automation needn't dehumanize your nonprofit. As Kanter and Fine show us, knowing how to incorporate technology into our processes appropriately can free us up to do the things that only people can do and in ways that enhance the deeper connections between us.

Douglas Rushkoff,
author of Team Human, Present Shock, and Program or Be Programed

Since I see technology itself as amoral, I believe its impact (positive or negative) is a function of the ethics, values, and beliefs of those applying it. Using real-world examples, Kanter and Fine explore the promise and pitfalls of how nonprofits are using advanced digital technology, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language processes, and bots.

Mario Morino,
Chair and CEO, Morino Institute

Beth Kanter and Allison Fine have written the definitive guide for nonprofit leaders on how to navigate the adoption of artificial intelligence and other smart technologies. With this book in hand, nonprofits will be able to raise money, deliver effective programs, and run their back offices efficiently while staying human-centered.

Jeremiah Owyang,
tech analyst, founding partner of Kaleido Insights

Automation can be a crucial resource for managers and employees who are adapting to a changing workplacebut only if we anticipate and address its risks to equity, inclusion and effectiveness. This book will help leaders make the most of smart tech's potential: It's essential reading for anyone who works in a mission-driven organization, or for those who want to understand the way automation will transform the non-profit sector.

Alexandra Samuel,
PhD and coauthor of Remote, Inc.: How to Thrive at WorkWherever You Are

Beth and Allison completely redefined the nonprofit technology game with their must-read book The Networked Nonprofit. And with their newest book, they do it again. The Smart Nonprofit is the perfect field guide for nonprofits who struggle to tackle the perils of tech automation, standardization, and the ethical quandaries that come with it. Beth and Allison answer, with case studies and rich examples, how we can best adopt this smart technology intentionally and carefullywhile avoiding embedded bias and maintaining ethical standards. I highly recommend this book to any nonprofit or social change agent looking to answer the questions of how to leverage automation and technology to save time and better accomplish their missions but who want to remain human-centered as well.

Julia Campbell,
speaker, author, nonprofit consultant

At a cultural moment for trying to understand AI, here's a great primer for nonprofit leaders, especially to think about how smart tech can be harnessed in human ways.

Peter Simms,
author and founder and CEO of Black Sheep (BLK SHP)

Artificial intelligence and other smart technologies are a critical part of our everyday lives. AI is becoming instrumental to all industries and sectors, including the nonprofit space. In this book, Beth and Allison illuminate the potential of what smart tech could doand indeed, is already doingfor social and environmental good.