Community IT Innovators Nonprofit Technology Topics

Community IT offers free webinars monthly to promote learning within our nonprofit technology community. Our podcast is appropriate for a varied level of technology expertise. Community IT is vendor-agnostic and our webinars cover a range of topics and discussions. Something on your mind you don’t see covered here? Contact us to suggest a topic! http://www.communityit.com

Community IT Innovators Nonprofit Technology Topics is a technology podcast hosted by Community IT Innovators, with 324 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Community IT Innovators hosts Community IT Innovators Nonprofit Technology Topics, a technology show with 324 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #61

  Nonprofit AI: Where do you get your information about AI?

  Aug 18, 202631 minS7

  Carolyn Woodard covers a question worth asking before your nonprofit makes any decision about AI: where is your information about AI coming from, and what does that source need from you? As a consumer you have had roughly a billion dollars of advertising aimed at getting you to adopt AI. That does not make what you are hearing wrong, but it does mean the messengers deserve a look. This episode maps the sources you are hearing from, including AI companies, funders and foundations, vendors and IT providers like Community IT, environmentally engaged nonprofits, and your peers in the sector. Each has a legitimate reason to be in this conversation, and each has a tilt. Carolyn then works through two recent articles that complicate the optimistic story: a Nonprofit Quarterly critique of the third wave of tech giving, and reporting on how fossil fuel companies are using AI to become more efficient in finding, extracting, and selling more fuel, adding un-tracked costs to the equation of AI harms and benefits. This episode covers: Why the third wave of tech philanthropy can't be expected to repair what the extraction phase created, since the harm has already happened and the decision makers remain geographically and institutionally separated from the communities bearing the costs. Why data centers have become a fulcrum in the public conversation, galvanizing opposition across the political spectrum in places like Texas in a way that a decade of theoretical pieces about machine intelligence never did. The self-reinforcing loop between AI and fossil fuels: Chevron building a Texas gas plant to power Microsoft data centers that run the AI helping Chevron pull out and sell more fossil fuel. Why AI literacy matters more than ever for nonprofit organizations - including those that have decided not to adopt AI at all. Three questions to bring to any source of AI information: who paid for this, what do they sell, and what is this source not going to tell me? Why designating an AI owner, a person or small committee who tames the fire hose of information, is worth doing whether or not your organization is adopting AI. Resources Mentioned: AI Use Case Library, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation Can Tech Philanthropy Solve What Tech Extraction Creates? Michelle Flores Vryn, Nonprofit Quarterly The third wave of American philanthropy, Nan Ransohoff, Substack AI Could Help Fossil Fuel Companies Create More Emissions, WIRED AI-driven productivity gains enable more CO2 emissions than they avoid in a global energy-economy model, Alpine et al., npj Climate Action AI Applications for Oil and Gas Companies Worsen Climate Pollution, Inside Climate News New every Tuesday. _______________________________ Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn on reddit/r/nonprofitITmanagement on the Community IT website Thanks for listening.

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  Episode #60

  Nonprofit IT Migration from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365 with Steve Longenecker

  Aug 14, 202630 minS7

  Carolyn Woodard talks with Steve Longenecker, Director of IT Consulting at Community IT, about a client's decision to migrate from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365, and what a real nonprofit migration project looks like once years of technical debt have piled up. The client's story is a familiar one: a lean two-person IT team supporting 300 information workers, years of default settings, and undocumented shared folders that quietly became a governance risk. Steve walks through why this organization is moving to Microsoft, from their existing use of Outlook and Windows devices to the stronger admin and device management tools Microsoft 365 provides, and why he keeps coming back to a moving-house metaphor: sometimes you need to declutter before you pack. This episode covers: Why Google Workspace's low barrier to entry can turn into years of undocumented shared folders, oversized mailboxes, and unclear file ownership if no one is minding governance. The real differences in how Google and Microsoft handle IT administration. Why this client, already using Outlook and Windows devices, is moving to Microsoft 365 for stronger device management and identity tools. The moving-house metaphor: purging old email and cleaning up 2,200 shared folders before migration so the new home isn't just as cluttered as the old one. Why leadership buy-in, often from a newly hired executive, is what finally gets a years-overdue technology migration off the ground. Resources Mentioned: Google Workspace vs. Microsoft 365 – Community IT Innovators – https://communityit.com/google-workspace-vs-microsoft-office-365/ Migrating Within Google to Use Shared Drives – Community IT Innovators – https://communityit.com/migrating-within-google-to-use-shared-drives/ Securing Google Workspace for Nonprofits – Community IT Innovators – https://communityit.com/webinar-securing-google-workspace-for-nonprofits/ Managing Google Workspace and Office 365 Together – Community IT Innovators – https://communityit.com/managing-google-workspace-and-office-365-together/ Growing Your Nonprofit With Google Workspace – Community IT Innovators – https://communityit.com/webinar-growing-your-nonprofit-with-google-workspace/ _______________________________ Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn on reddit/r/nonprofitITmanagement on the Community IT website Thanks for listening.

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  Episode #59

  Nonprofit AI: Jet Fuel Trade-offs, Agentic AI, Work and Learning Styles

  Aug 11, 202632 minS7

  Carolyn Woodard covers four AI stories with real implications for nonprofits this week, starting with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's sprawling new manifesto on open source AI and the release of Muse Glimmer, a lightweight model anyone can run locally. Carolyn touches on why this matters for budget conscious nonprofits weighing vendor values, and why open source still requires more technical capacity than most organizations currently have on hand. From there, Carolyn digs into a story about Alaska Airlines using an AI tool called Flyways to suggest more efficient flight routes, saving fuel while keeping a human dispatcher in the loop on every final call. She uses it to revisit a three filter framework for thinking through AI's environmental tradeoffs: whether the benefit you are getting is worth the cost. It is a useful model for any nonprofit trying to weigh AI's real impact rather than just reacting for or against it. Next, a refresher on agentic AI, prompted by a listener question after last week's episode. Carolyn breaks down the difference between old school recommendation engines, generative AI, and agents that can take multi step actions on their own, plus what those tools are actually called inside Microsoft, Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic products. She also unpacks two recent incidents where AI agents from OpenAI and Anthropic got loose due to human error, and what that means for how carefully nonprofits should scope permissions before saying yes to an agent, and urges you to check with your policy and your IT team if you are unsure about the parameters of anything you are allowing an AI tool to do. Finally, Carolyn pushes back a little on the popular advice that everyone should write their own first draft before bringing in AI. She argues it really depends on your task, your learning style, and how you think best. Resources Mentioned: Zuckerberg manifesto pushes an open source approach on AI as Meta releases its latest model – AP via ABC News – https://abcnews.com/Technology/wireStory/zuckerberg-manifesto-pushes-open-source-approach-ai-meta-135519669 The FAA Wants to Reboot the Nation's Airspace. This Airline Shows How It Might Work – NPR – https://www.npr.org/2026/08/10/nx-s1-5872752/airspace-reboot-alaska-airlines-flyways OpenAI's Hacking Debacle Was a Human Mistake – WIRED – https://www.wired.com/story/openais-hacking-debacle-was-a-human-mistake/ OpenAI, Anthropic AI Hacking Sprees Illegal? – WIRED – https://www.wired.com/story/openai-anthropic-ai-hacking-sprees-illegal/ Should You Really Use AI to Write That First Draft? (And What to Do Instead) – TechSoup – https://blog.techsoup.org/en-us/posts/should-you-really-use-ai-to-write-that-first-draft-and-what-to-do-instead New every Tuesday. _______________________________ Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn on reddit/r/nonprofitITmanagement on the Community IT website Thanks for listening.

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  Episode #58

  AI Bias and Data Equity with Heather Krause

  Aug 7, 202628 minS7

  Carolyn Woodard explores why statistical analysis and evaluations are never neutral with Heather Krause, mathematical statistician and founder of We All Count. Heather built her career doing statistical consulting, evaluation, and causal analysis in the global south, work that eventually convinced her that the widespread belief in value neutral quantitative analysis is a myth. In this conversation, she and Carolyn dig into why every statistical task, even something as simple as calculating an average, is really a series of choices, and why those choices are never neutral. Using a deceptively simple classroom size example, Heather shows how the same data can produce two different, equally correct answers depending on whose experience you are measuring for, and why that matters far beyond the classroom. She and Carolyn also talk about a dairy cooperative project in Bangladesh, the discomfort people feel when the myth of neutrality gets challenged, and why transparency, not dumbed down science, is the real fix. The conversation wraps with a candid look at how AI fits into all of this: it is not value neutral either, and understanding its hidden choices may be one of the most useful data literacy skills nonprofits can build right now. Heather and Carolyn discuss: Why statistics and the application of statistics are not the same thing, and how every calculation, like choosing an average's denominator, embeds a value judgment and takes a perspective. A classroom size example showing how measuring from a teacher's perspective versus a student's perspective produces two different, defensible answers, and why the choice matters. A dairy cooperative project in Bangladesh that illustrates how whose worldview gets built into a statistical model shapes what the evidence ends up being used to say. Why transparency about the assumptions behind a data project, explained in plain language, builds more trustworthy evidence than technical jargon or hedged science. Why AI models are not value neutral, how they can hide the choices they make, and how nonprofits might use AI to build more transparent, equitable data practices. Resources Mentioned: We All Count - Heather Krause - https://weallcount.com/ Bangladesh Women Milking Example and Equity in Evaluations - YouTube - https://youtu.be/8gYtTYc2M0U?si=AryCMmUsNTYq7YoW _______________________________ Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn on reddit/r/nonprofitITmanagement on the Community IT website Thanks for listening.

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  Episode #57

  Nonprofit AI: Caution is Prescient

  Aug 4, 202631 minS7

  Carolyn Woodard covers why deliberate, thoughtful implementation is actually your nonprofit's competitive advantage, not a liability. The commercial AI sector is in a "move fast and break things" sprint. Tech companies are pouring billions into AI, racing to scale, pushing toward the edge of the market. Today's AI race feels similar. Nonprofits tend to think differently. You ask hard questions. You think about theory of change, root causes, impacts on your communities, unforeseen consequences, and alignment with your values. You don't adopt trends just because everyone else is. Concerned about climate impacts of your AI use? Carolyn covers her recent blog post on three filters to use as you make daily decisions about using AI: What are you using the AI to do (text is lighter than producing video), where are you (how stressed is your grid and your water supply in your location), and what are the benefits to consider as you consider the environmental impacts? Carolyn also walks through a practical framework for any AI adoption decision: Do you need it? Can you contain it? Do you understand what it might do? If you can't confidently answer yes to all three, then waiting isn't falling behind—it's being strategic. Key Takeaways: Nonprofit instincts to think deeply about change, impact, and ethics are strategically prescient, not conservative. When commercial AI implementations encounter consequences, organizations with inclusive adoption processes and clear policies will have a genuine competitive advantage. AI agents represent a new risk category; don't create an agent just because the tool offers the option. Understand what you're deploying. Experimentation is valuable for nonprofits, but human oversight and clear policies are essential, especially with agentic systems. Resources Mentioned: What Is an AI Agent? An AI agent is a program designed to operate independently toward a specific goal, rather than simply responding to individual prompts. Unlike a chatbot that waits for you to ask questions, an agent reasons about how to achieve its objective and takes actions on its own—such as reading files, sending emails, or accessing systems. You can program checkpoints where the agent asks for your permission before taking certain actions, but the agent itself decides the steps and sequences needed to reach its goal. This autonomy is what makes agents powerful for automating complex tasks, but it's also why they require careful oversight: because they're goal-directed and adaptive, they may find unexpected paths to achieve their objectives, which can create risks if not properly contained and monitored. What Is an AI Agent? – Build Consulting – https://buildconsulting.com/resources/podcast-rise-of-the-ai-agents/ Three Filters for Values-Aligned AI Decision-Making – Community IT Innovators – https://communityit.com/blog-values-aligned-ai-decision-making/ Claude Cybersecurity Incidents Disclosure – Anthropic – https://www.anthropic.com/news/investigating-incidents-cybersecurity-evals Fortune (mainstream): https://fortune.com/2026/07/31/anthropic-claude-escaped-test-hacked-three-companies-openai/ (paywall) TechCrunch (tech-focused): https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/30/anthropic-says-its-own-ai-models-breached-three-companies-during-security-tests/ Open AI Cybersecurity Incidents Disclosure - OpenAI - https://openai.com/index/hugging-face-model-evaluation-security-incident/ CNN (mainstream reporting): https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/22/tech/openai-hugging-face-ai-cybersecurity Malwarebytes (technical deep-dive): https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2026/07/openais-agent-escaped-its-sandbox-during-a-security-test Women in Climate Tech Cohort – Climate Collective – https://climate-collective.circle.so/cliematecollective Electricity Maps https://app.electricitymaps.com/map/live/fifteen_minutes Nonprofit IT Management Community – Reddit – https://www.reddit.com/r/nonprofitITmanagement/ New every Tuesday. _______________________________ Start a conversation :) Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/ email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com on LinkedIn on reddit/r/nonprofitITmanagement on the Community IT website Thanks for listening.

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