Episode 182: When to Automate vs When to Go Personal: Balancing Donor Touchpoints With AI

Not every donor moment should be automated—and not every moment should be personal.In this episode of The Million Dollar Nonprofit, Tom Kelly breaks down how to know the difference so you can scale without losing connection. Using the Routine. Relational. Rare. framework, you’ll learn:Which touchpoints to automate with AI and CRMs.When to slow down and send something personal.How to honor rare, transformational gifts with creativity.Hear how an arts nonprofit used this approach to save staff hours, boost retention by 21%, and keep donors feeling deeply seen—all while leveraging AI as an assistant, not a replacement.Don’t automate everything. Don’t personalize everything. Do both—wisely.