Latest / The Nonprofit Podcast / Ep 165| Why AI Visibility Matters for Nonprofits - with Raj Hegde

Transcript

Ep 165| Why AI Visibility Matters for Nonprofits - with Raj Hegde · The Nonprofit Podcast

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_00: The Nonprofit Podcast, powered by DonorBox.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome back to the Nonprofit Podcast where insight meets impact.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Jenna Lynch, Education and Community Engagement Manager here at DonorBox.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_01: Each week we share practical information, clear insights, and inspiration to help you raise more and take your nonprofit to the next level tomorrow.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_01: Today we are asking a question that's, well, kind of unsettling.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_01: Are you even showing up when donors look for you in AI?
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_01: Because here's a stat that stopped me cold.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_01: 73% of donors now use tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Grok, not Google, to research nonprofits.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_01: That is from Nonprofit Tech's 2024 report.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_01: And if your organization isn't showing up on these tools, you are invisible.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_01: Joining me today is someone who's been raising important questions and offering a strategic playbook for how nonprofits can stay visible and relevant in this new AI first era.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_01: Raj Hegday, SVP of Growth and Marketing at DonorBox, is a guest I've been so excited to share with you.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_01: So Raj, welcome.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you, Juno.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_02: I'm excited to be here.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_02: I always say AI isn't coming, it's already here.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_02: And if nonprofits aren't using AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini9, they quickly see a visibility gap turning into a funding gap.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_01: That makes a lot of sense.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_01: And you recently posted a thought-provoking piece on LinkedIn that opened with that Starlink stat of 73% shift to AI.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_01: So let's start with that because it's not just a stat in my mind, right?
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_01: What's really happening with donor behavior?
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_02: What you're seeing is a shift from searching to asking.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_02: Instead of typing keywords into Google and going to 10 different results, people are asking full natural questions onto tools like ChatGPT.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_02: For example, what are the most impactful youth nonprofits in New York?
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_02: Which animal rescues have transparent financials and they're expecting a direct, trustworthy answer.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_02: And these tools are becoming gatekeepers and not just assistants.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_02: They pull from structured data, directories, media mentions, and even community signals to decide who shows up and who doesn't.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_01: So even if your nonprofit has a great website and great impact, you still might be invisible in AI.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_01: Is that what I'm understanding?
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_02: Because AI doesn't crawl the web the same way Google does.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_02: If you're not listed in the trusted sources, if your data isn't structured properly, or if your organization simply isn't mentioned in the places AI is trained to trust, you don't exist in that ecosystem.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_02: And that's a big shift in this culability landscape.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_01: This is a lot to digest.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_01: I want to get into the how.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_01: Let's say I run a mid-sized nonprofit.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_01: I want to know where I stand, right?
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_01: So what's step one here?
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_02: Start with what I call AI footprint audit.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_02: Open up ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Grok.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_02: Search for your organization by name or ask for a broader question.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_02: It could be best mental health nonprofits in Denver or Best Cat Rescue Nonprofit in Dallas.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_02: Then screenshot the results.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_02: What do you see?
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_02: Is your nonprofit mentioned?
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_02: Are the facts accurate?
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_02: Do you show up with context and credibility?
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_02: Do you show up at all?
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_02: Most organizations are shocked.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_02: Either they don't appear or they're represented by outdated or generic information.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's such a simple but powerful step, and not one I've ever thought to do, right?
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's a little intimidating though.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_02: It is.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_02: It's also empowering because once you know, you can start fixing it.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_02: And that's where playbook comes in.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_01: So let's walk our listeners through your 10-step AI visibility playbook.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_01: And I'd love for you to not just say what to do, but also why it matters.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_01: Because I think some folks need to understand why it matters.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, sure.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_02: Let's go over the great roadmap that we have for today.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_02: We covered the first step, which was the initial audit.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_02: The second step is creating a visibility in the AI environment.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_02: One of the easiest wins is to get your nonprofit featured on top 10 lists or similar articles.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_02: AI prefers list-based content because it's structured, easy to interpret, and often becomes part of AI generated answers.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_02: Here's exactly what to do.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_02: Go to Google and search for the list related to your cost and city.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_02: For example, top animal rescues in Dallas or best mental health nonprofits in San Francisco.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_02: Zero in on your area and geographical area.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_02: An excellent alternative source goes back to your audit.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_02: Go back to step one, which is ChatGPT and Gemini, would have given you the source links.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_02: Try clicking on them and reaching out with those editors and writers.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_02: Share your organization's story, recent achievements, and impact data.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_02: Ask to be included in future updates or similar articles.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_01: That's such a practical starting point.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_01: But what if someone searches and then realizes that there are no lists for their specific niche or their specific city?
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_01: What would you do then?
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_02: If you don't find one, I would suggest you to create one.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_02: Write a list style article on your nonprofit's blog.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_02: Include your organization, but also highlight other respected nonprofits in the space.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_02: Do your due diligence to protect your brand.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_02: Use a research site like Chaiter Navigator to verify that the organization that you're listing are in good standing.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_02: We'll drop links in the show notes later on.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_02: This positions you as a community leader and feeds AI the kind of structured, relevant content it relies on.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_02: You're helping AI understand your sector and at the same time increasing your visibility.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_01: I love that.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_01: I think it sounds like it's not just about getting noticed, but it's about contributing to how your cause is represented online.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that creating a blog with a list is such a simple and elegant and unintimidating solution.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_02: AI can only recommend what it knows.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_02: If you're not part of the digital conversation, you won't appear in search results or AI recommendation.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_02: This is a simple way to take control of that narrative.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_01: That totally resonates with me.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_01: I love a good list and it seems pretty straightforward.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that brings us to step number three, which is creating visibility by tapping into local networks.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_01: Is this an extension of this list strategy?
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_02: EA also pays attention to local co-mentions.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_02: So if your nonprofit is listed in a neighborhood newsletter or co-hosting a fundraiser with a popular restaurant, common beef center or library that sends a strong relevant signal.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_01: So what are we looking for specifically here?
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_02: Take event listings, co-promotions, community newsletters.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_02: For example, your local restaurant could have a tip jar for your cause, but don't forget to ask them to share it on their socials.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_02: Hyperlocal still matters, even in AI.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_02: And here's an extra tactic many nonprofits overload.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_02: Leveraging your existing partnership.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_02: If you're part of a larger network or you collaborate with other nonprofits or businesses, make sure those partnerships are visible online.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_02: The more your nonprofit is connected to recognized networks, the more AI understands your legitimate, active, and relevant.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_02: Here's a smart idea of seeing work.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_02: A lot of nonprofits team up at local restaurants for fundraisers or special events.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_02: But, and this is the key, they forget to make this partnership visible online.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_02: And I don't mean just your socials and website.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_02: You can ask the restaurant to post about it on their socials or add a mention on their website.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_02: It's a small step that not only boosts your presence in AI, but also puts your nonprofit in front of a whole new audience.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_02: More visibility, more community recognition, and more trust, both from people and algorithms.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_01: Now, step four is to refresh your directories.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_01: And this brings us back into more familiar territory for most of us.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_01: But I'm sure there's greater value in some directory listings than others, right?
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_01: So what information are we refreshing and what are we ensuring we have up to date?
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_02: Our user suspects indeed.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_02: Charity navigator and GuideStar power a huge chunk of AI nonprofit data.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_02: If your profiles are outdated on these sites or others like them, AI may assume your organization is inactive or worse, harder to come back from, not trustworthy.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_02: This is housekeeping and really should be part of your routine.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_02: Do a quarterly audit checking your mission, leadership, EIN, impact stats, and ensure they're correct and current, and then keep them up to date.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, so step five is feed the knowledge graph.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_01: Before we get into the why, what is the knowledge graph?
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_02: It's how Google, by extension AI, understands entities, people, places, organization, structured data.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_02: To feed it, you need to add core facts to your website and Wikipedia.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_02: This would be found a year, mission, programs, key achievements, impact numbers.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_02: Then use schema markup.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_02: Think of it like putting a label on each part of your content so AI can actually interpret it.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_01: Can we take a minute here to get into what schema.org does?
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not sure I'm totally familiar with it or if I'm actually following this.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_02: Schema markup is a little bit of code that you add to your website so that bots like Google or Chat GPT or any AI tools can understand what your content actually means.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_02: It's like giving context clues to robot.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_02: Without it, they have to guess what your page is about.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_02: With it, you're spelling it out clearly.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_02: You're telling AI, hey, this part is our mission.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_02: This is our impact number.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_02: This is our founder's name.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_02: It doesn't change how your website looks to people, but it makes much easier for AI to understand, read, and trust your content.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_02: And in this new world of AI-driven discovery, trust equals visibility.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_01: And if I don't do this, will AI ignore my website completely?
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_02: No.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_02: AI will essentially offer a best guess, which may be inaccurate, impacting your results.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_02: But if you do use it, you show up more often with accurate and high trust results.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_02: You don't have to know how to code.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_02: You can use Google Markup Helper to do it visually, step by step.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_02: It's easier than it sounds.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, that's a relief.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_01: And by the way, we do have a downloadable AI visibility checklist in the show notes with links and details on where to find and how to make the most out of both of these tools.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_01: I think this will be really helpful for our listeners.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_01: But now I want to move on to step six.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_01: We are past the halfway point here where we start to deal with content.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_01: And I see that you've stressed deep content.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_01: Can you talk a little bit more about what that means?
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_02: You need to go deep with your content.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_02: EI skips fluff.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_02: It rewards depth and clarity to make it sit up and pay attention to your org website, create three strong pages.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_02: Could be your mission, it could be your FAQs, impact stories.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_02: You can include real metrics, real stories.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_02: Not just saying we help people, you need to lay out how many, where, and with what resort, what cause are you changing, what impact are you making in various lives.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_01: The next three steps all support your content, making it easy and accurate for AI to read.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_01: So let's go through them together.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_01: As we've already touched on some of these, so starting with now step seven, fixing your facts and your donation flow.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_01: What does that entail?
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_02: AI flax inconsistency.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_02: If your abortus page says 2017, but your guide star says 2015, you lose credibility.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_02: And if your donation page is clunky, broken, or not secure, you lose donors fast.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_02: Tools like donor box can simplify that instantly.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_01: That makes sense.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_01: That consistency creates clarity and trust.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_01: Now, to step eight, which is showing your impact.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_01: I love talking about impact.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_01: It's a very familiar topic on our show.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_01: How does AI respond to impact-driven social proof and visual storytelling?
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_02: AI prefers content with visuals.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_02: People connect with visuals the same way.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_02: To attract and engage AI in your content, post five real photos or videos this week.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_02: Use your website, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and even Yelp if that's applicable to you.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_02: This, together with step nine, helps AI read your website, looping back the schema marker.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_02: Labeling your mission, programs, staff, and impact deliver structured data that assists the AI in understanding your organization.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_01: So how and when do we know that all of this is working?
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_02: Alright.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_02: Final step, track your actions.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_02: This part doesn't have to be complicated.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_02: Just create a super simple track.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_02: Jot down what changed, when did you change, and what you're seeing after 30 days?
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_02: And then get curious.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_02: Did you start getting more traffic from AI tools?
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_02: Is it showing on your Google Analytics?
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_02: Is Shaq GBT pulling in new information about your nonprofit?
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_02: Are you seeing signs that these tools are sending equal your way?
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_02: Because here's what I've learned small moves compound.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_02: The nonprofits are acting on this early are already seeing 20 to 30% growth in donors.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_02: And this could be you, but you've got to track it to see it.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_01: 20 to 30% is nothing to just blink at.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_01: That's pretty major growth, right?
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_01: And I think this makes a lot of sense.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_01: It this has been so clear and frankly kind of motivating.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_01: Again, this is a very new topic for me, but I imagine some listeners may still feel a little overwhelmed or even a little intimidated.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_01: So, what is your advice for these folks?
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_02: I would say start with three steps.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_02: Don't overthink, just mow.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_02: And if you remember one thing, AI is already influencing who gets seen, trusted, and funded.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_02: This isn't theoretical, it's operational now.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_02: The good news is you don't need a development team or a six-figured budget to show up.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_02: You just need to be intentional and take action.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_01: That is great advice.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_01: Again, we are linking the AI visibility checklist in the show notes.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_01: It is a simple document to track actions like tested on Chat GPT, updated GuideStar, posted new impact video, right?
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_01: All these little checklist items.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_01: So be sure to download yours.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_01: Rush, thank you for turning what could feel like a tech black box into a clear and doable roadmap.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_01: This has been a great learning experience for me and hopefully for our listeners too.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks, Jenna.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_02: The future is already rewriting the playbook.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_02: And JonahBox is here to make sure nonprofits aren't left behind.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_01: And thank you for being a part of the nonprofit podcast community.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_01: Your work matters, and we are so honored to support it.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_01: If you enjoyed this episode, share it, leave a review, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_01: Until next time, take that first step and stay inspired.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_00: That warm feeling when you help someone, it's not just happiness, it's fulfillment.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_00: And we believe it should be available to everyone, from frontline heroes to first-time fundraisers.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_00: Our tools empower you to help others.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_00: This is our mission.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_00: This is Donor Box, helping you help others.