ARTICLE | August 13, 2024

Authored by RSM US LLP

For more information, contact Matthew Huefner at mhuefner@dopkins.com.

In the nonprofit sector—where efficiency, effectiveness and fundraising are crucial—artificial intelligence (AI)-driven contact centers offer a unique solution.

An AI contact center is a customer service operation that uses AI technology to manage customer questions, interactions and tasks across digital channels. For nonprofits, these contact centers provide a connected experience for stakeholders based on their preferred method of contact for the organization (e.g., social media, email and so on).

By integrating advanced AI into their operations, nonprofits can revolutionize their outreach, engagement and support services, gaining a competitive edge in addressing societal challenges.

A new approach

AI-driven contact centers feature human agents and AI working together to enhance the customer experience. They offer numerous benefits for nonprofits; for example, they significantly reduce operational costs by automating routine tasks such as answering FAQs, handling basic inquiries and routing calls. This automation enables nonprofits to allocate more resources to their core missions, maximizing their impact.

In addition to cost savings, AI-powered systems relieve nonprofits from administrative burdens like processing donations and managing event registrations. By automating these tasks, staff members can focus on more complex and value-added activities, such as personalized donor engagement and strategic planning. This shift allows staff to concentrate on efforts that require a human touch, empowering the organization to make a more significant impact.

Moreover, AI-driven analytics provide actionable insights into stakeholder behaviors and preferences. These insights enable nonprofits to tailor their communication strategies effectively, enhancing their fundraising efforts and volunteer recruitment. By targeting the right audience with the right message, nonprofits can improve their outreach and engagement, ensuring their initiatives resonate more deeply.

Embracing AI in contact centers streamlines operations. This technological advancement empowers nonprofits to maintain their strategic direction while scaling their efforts, ultimately enhancing their ability to drive positive change.

Enhancing nonprofit operations

Nonprofits must thoroughly analyze their current communication channels, identifying strengths and areas for improvement to create an AI-driven contract center. Often, they find it beneficial to work with a third-party provider for this assessment. The goal is to implement AI-powered solutions that align with the nonprofit’s mission and operational goals, ensuring a smooth and effective transition.

During the planning and design stage, the provider undertakes the following tasks:

• Planning and requirements gathering—identifying and documenting the specific needs, objectives and pain points of constituents and the organization is crucial. It involves engaging stakeholders, analyzing current operations, and determining the technological and staffing requirements to ensure an efficient and constituent-centric contact center design.
• Design and solution architecture—focuses on creating a detailed blueprint integrating advanced technologies and streamlined workflows to meet identified requirements. This phase ensures the contact center’s infrastructure, software and processes are aligned to deliver a seamless and efficient customer experience.

During the development and testing stage, the provider will undertake the following tasks:

• Development and configuration—the goal is to build a solution that meets the specified design and requirements. This phase involves configuring the contact center solution, integrating systems, and ensuring all components function cohesively to support efficient operations and an enhanced constituent experience.
• User acceptance testing (UAT)—end-users rigorously test the contact center solution to ensure it meets all business requirements and performs effectively in real-world scenarios. This critical step validates the contact center’s readiness for deployment, confirming that it delivers a seamless and satisfactory experience for agents and customers.
• Training and change management—comprehensive contact center training programs familiarize the staff with new technologies, processes and procedures. Concurrently, change management strategies facilitate a smooth transition, ensuring employees embrace the updated contact center system and workflow.

During the deployment and post-implementation stage, the provider will undertake the following tasks:

• Deployment—involves a strategic and systematic rollout of the solution across the organization. The bespoke configuration tailored to the organization’s requirements diligently integrates to align with existing systems and workflows. Following the initial deployment, testing verifies the system’s functionality and addresses any issues.
• Post-implementation support and optimization—continuous monitoring and feedback mechanisms address operational issues and enhance system performance. This ongoing process ensures that the contact center remains aligned with business objectives and evolves to meet changing customer needs, driving efficiency and customer satisfaction.

The takeaway

Integrating AI-driven contact centers presents an unparalleled opportunity for nonprofit organizations to amplify their impact and efficiency. By leveraging advanced technologies and methodologies, nonprofits can enhance stakeholder experiences, streamline operations and maximize their outreach efforts. AI-driven contact centers can revolutionize how nonprofits engage with donors, volunteers and the communities they serve, enabling them to achieve their goals.

Source: RSM US LLP.
Reprinted with permission from RSM US LLP.
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For more information, contact

Matthew R. Huefner

Matt is responsible for providing implementation and support services to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and accounting system user clients, including the implementation and on-going support of the Sage 300 (formerly ACCPAC) and the Sage Intacct accounting software packages.