Navigating Copilot for Nonprofits

What is Copilot?

As with any new Microsoft technology, Copilot is something that we are currently learning and trying. If you know Microsoft, you will know that there is always something new to learn, where it’s an update, change, or the introduction of new products. So, there’s always something new to explore. 

You’ve probably heard of Copilot – it's currently generating a lot of buzz right now, especially in discussions about the trends in nonprofit technology. People are saying it’s the next big productivity tool, anticipated to save a lot of time and enhance success in digital marketing, fundraising, and day-to-day operations for nonprofits. There’s also excitement about Copilot's potential to reduce resource usage and costs. 

However, amidst the positive chatter, ethical concerns about the use of generative AI and Copilot in the workspace have emerged. People are questioning its proper application, and if it should be used, and how. Questions have also appeared about Copilots potential limitations, as AI cannot fully replicate human creativity, empathy, and decision making.  

Where AI shines, is in assisting human thought and creativity. That alone means it’s worth a chance to learn and try it. AI isn’t meant to take over human behaviours and tasks, but rather assist, hence the name – Copilot (and not autopilot).  

People are starting to use generative AI like Copilot and ChatGPT over traditional search engines such as Google. The quickness and specificness of responses on the chat AI models have become a very popular feature.  

But Copilot does more than just chat and provide answers and write and edit paragraphs. It has a whole suite of uses and functions that integrate with the whole of the Microsoft universe.  

But is it really worth it? Is investing in Copilot going to be beneficial and offer a return on investment for your nonprofit? 

If you have a lot of data that you’re currently referencing manually, Copilot will speed up those tasks considerably, but honestly, here at XP, we are still in the learning phase. We always test and use the products and systems that we recommend to nonprofit organisations, to ensure that we’re providing the best solution for you. Our goal is to make sure we thoroughly understand and know how to use the tools we endorse.  

Here’s what we know about Copilot so far:  

2. Be persistent.  

If at first you don’t succeed, try again! People can give up on AI after a single try. This doesn’t yield a good enough response. The trick is to understand that AI isn’t a one-way street – but rather a dynamic and interactive process of you and Copilot trying to co-create something. Your first prompt is just the beginning, and sometimes AI needs more prompting or extra input. The collaboration is going back and forth, giving more information, asking questions, and having a conversation about what you need. It is also important to give it feedback when it produces good or bad outputs – like,  

“This sentence is too wordy, can you simplify it? Thank you, that’s better. Can you please add a sentence that sums up these points?” 

Say you are preparing a speech for a fundraising event. First, you might type, “Generate five bullet points for a speech to prepare me for a 20-minute keynote presentation where I need to get a room full of potential donors to buy into our cause. Focus on Teams chat and files since February, and please make the tone energising and engaging.” 

Once you have an initial draft from Copilot you can give it feedback and follow up with additional prompts: “Add a hook to my introduction.” Or “Thank you, can you add more about our values and vision.” Keep going until you’re happy with the response, don’t give up. You can also ask Copilot for multiple options: “Give me five ideas for a closing paragraph; rewrite the introduction in three different styles; give me three analogies or examples of anecdotes I could use that might relate to this audience.”  

“All work is iterative,” says Colette Stallbaumer, General Manager of Microsoft 365 and Future of Work. “Whether it’s on your own or with other people, it involves multiple cycles of refinement and improvement. It’s the same when you’re working alongside AI.” 

Once you have this structure and main points together, make sure you spend time with the content, reworking it as necessary so that it sounds like you. At the moment, AI content has a particular “feel” to it which can be picked up – especially by people who are more familiar with AI-generated content.