Welcome back to Lesson 9! Over the past few weeks, we’ve talked about what AI is, why it matters for nonprofits, and how to use it in your daily work. We even took a closer look at tools like Gemini and ChatGPT. Last week, we introduced the idea of an AI agent—a digital assistant with a specific set of skills.
This week, we’re going to take that concept a step further and talk about AI workflows—how to set them up and how they can free up your time in a big way.
Why Workflows Matter
So far, most of your AI use has probably been conversational: you ask for a draft, and AI gives you one. Helpful, but limited.
Now, imagine if AI could run in the background and handle repetitive tasks for you—without you lifting a finger. That’s what an AI workflow does. Think of it as having a smart intern who not only knows what to do, but does it consistently and on time.
An AI workflow is simply a chain of automated steps where AI does the heavy lifting, saving you hours of manual work.
Examples of AI Agents in Action
Let’s make this real with a few nonprofit-focused examples:
1. The Funding News Scraper
If you’re a grant writer, finding new opportunities is half the battle. Instead of spending hours searching, you can set up an AI agent that scans the web for key terms like “grant” or “funding opportunity.” The workflow then summarizes what it finds and sends you a tidy weekly email with deadlines and details.
2. Topic-Specific News Monitor
Take an organization like Susan G. Komen. Their team needs to stay on top of every update related to breast cancer research. An AI agent can track those updates across the web and deliver only the relevant highlights. No endless Googling required.
3. The Meeting Prep Assistant
Prepping for meetings often means scrambling for research, news, or context. Instead, you could have an AI agent that takes your agenda, researches the topics, and creates a concise summary with key points and recent updates. You walk in prepared, without spending hours getting there.
Making It Happen with Zapier
So how do you actually build one of these workflows? One of the easiest tools to use is Zapier. Think of Zapier as the bridge between your apps and AI.
Here’s how it might look in practice:
Trigger: The AI agent runs a search daily at 8am for a specific keyword and pulls news articles based on that keyword.
Action 1: Zapier sends it to ChatGPT (or another AI tool).
Action 2: AI summarizes the article and pulls key details like grant amount and deadline.
Action 3: Zapier delivers those details straight to your inbox.
That’s a workflow—something that happens automatically, consistently, and without you having to touch it.
Your Challenge This Week
Now it’s your turn. Think about one task you do regularly—daily or weekly—that eats up time. Maybe it’s:
Sending a welcome email to new volunteers
Summarizing donor data for your board
Turning blog posts into social media snippets
Step 1: Identify the problem.
Step 2: Sketch out a simple workflow—what triggers it, and what happens next.
Step 3: Estimate the time saved. Even 15 minutes a day adds up to over an hour a week. Two hours a week? That’s a game-changer.
