AI Is Here for Your Nonprofit Ministry—Here's How to Start

Cheryl Contee, co-author of "AI for Nonprofits: Putting Artificial Intelligence to Work for Your Cause," is helping faith organizations understand how artificial intelligence can serve their mission. Rather than fueling fear, she's focused on debunking myths and raising awareness about real opportunities available to churches and faith-based nonprofits today.

Many pastors see AI as a threat or something too complex for their church. The reality? AI tools are already affordable and practical for small-to-mid-size churches—from automating volunteer scheduling to analyzing giving patterns to personalizing outreach. Understanding what's actually possible (versus hype) means you can make informed decisions about whether and how to integrate these tools into your ministry without getting overwhelmed.

Start by identifying one administrative pain point in your church—volunteer coordination, member communication, or giving analysis—and explore whether an AI tool exists to streamline it.