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Edd Baldry

Director of Innovation

The power of automating innovation for charities - Webinar

Related post categories Innovation AI Digital products Digital marketing Culture Charity & non-profit
2 mins read

The world keeps getting faster and charities and nonprofits need to find ways to have the largest possible impact. We believe that automating aspects of the innovation process is a promising avenue to explore. By taking advantage of existing AI capabilities we can generate ideas more quickly, test more concepts and ultimately deliver better solutions to people using digital services.

Why automate innovation?

The traditional approach to innovation has always been manual. We workshop, ideate and build in faster cycles than a traditional waterfall project, but it still faces speed, scale, and resource efficiency limitations. Manual processes can be time-consuming and labour-intensive. We end up in bad places like first-solution-thinking or unable to respond to emerging opportunities because they showed up too late in the project. By introducing automation into the innovation pipeline, we can:

  • Generate a higher volume of high-quality ideas in less time
  • Rapidly test and iterate on concepts before committing resources
  • Identify patterns and insights that might be missed by human analysis alone
  • Free up staff time for high-value, strategic activities
  • Stretch limited budgets further by streamlining processes

At Torchbox we started exploring this about 18 months ago. We ran a webinar about some early experiments we ran around one-day sprints. You can watch it back on our YouTube channel. Since then we’ve been working hard to push it forward and explore different directions.

How can automation be implemented?

Implementing automated innovation doesn't mean replacing human creativity and compassion – rather, it's about augmenting these essential qualities with powerful tools. Here are some ways nonprofits can begin to incorporate automation:

  1. AI-powered ideation: Use natural language processing tools to analyse trends, research, and stakeholder feedback to generate new program or fundraising ideas.
  2. Rapid prototyping: Employ design tools that can quickly mock up visual concepts or campaign materials based on input parameters.
  3. Synthetic testing: Create AI-driven simulations to test how different audience segments might respond to new initiatives before launching them.
  4. Data-driven decision-making: Implement machine learning algorithms to analyse past performance data and predict the potential impact of new strategies.
  5. Automated reporting: Use AI to generate real-time reports on program outcomes, freeing up staff time for analysis and strategic planning.

In our webinar, we’ll cover

In our upcoming webinar, "How AI is accelerating innovation" we'll dive deep into these concepts and provide practical guidance for nonprofits looking to embrace automated innovation. We'll explore:

  • How autonomous innovation works and how it can impact the third sector
  • Real-world examples of AI-driven innovation models in action
  • Strategies for building an AI-first operating model that enhances rather than replaces human creativity
  • Practical steps for implementing automated innovation processes, even with limited technical resources
  • Ethical considerations and best practices for responsible AI use in the nonprofit context

By the end of the webinar, you’ll have a good idea of how automated innovation can help your organisation do more with less, respond more quickly to changing needs, and ultimately increase your impact.

Join us 20th Nov, 2pm GMT - register your place on Zoom.

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