Contents

AI, Empathy, and the Human Side of Nonprofit Innovation with Tim Lockie

In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with Tim Lockie, founder of The Human Stack and longtime nonprofit tech strategist, to dig into a bold truth: technology alone won’t save your nonprofit.

Tim unpacks why so many digital transformation efforts fall flat, and what it takes to build a culture that embraces data, AI, and change without burning out your team.

Also in this episode, Tim shares:

  • Without aligned human behavior, the best systems won’t lead to better outcomes.
  • Burnout often happens not from big changes, but from the accumulation of small ones.
  • Nonprofits need a people-first framework to truly adopt new tools.
  • There’s a big difference between individuals using AI tools and organizations making it safe and strategic.
  • The success of your tools hinges on the trust and collaboration between people.

Connect with Tim here or learn more about The Human Stack here.

Listen Now

Learn More

The Responsive Lab is brought to you by Virtuous.

Virtuous is a software company committed to helping nonprofits grow generosity. Virtuous believes that generosity has the power to create profound change in the world and in the heart of the giver. With that in mind, it’s their mission to move the needle on global generosity by helping nonprofits better connect with and inspire their givers. Learn more about Virtuous and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist

Special thanks to editor and sound engineer Barry R. Hill and producer Riley Young.

author avatar
Riley Young

What you should do now

Below are three ways we can help you begin your journey to building more personalized fundraising with responsive technology.

See the Virtuous platform in action.  Schedule a call with our team for personalized answers and expert advice on transforming your nonprofit with donor management software.

Download our free Responsive Maturity Model and learn the 5 steps to more personalized donor experiences.

If you know another nonprofit pro who’d enjoy reading this page, share it with them via Email, Linkedin, Twitter, or Facebook.

The Responsive Maturity Model
5 Steps to More Personalized Donor Experiences
Get Responsive Fundraising Tips
Get updates delivered directly to your inbox.

Summarize with AI

Giving USA 2026: How to Turn the Data Into Your Next Move

Giving USA 2026: How to Turn the Data Into Your Next Move

There’s a story in every study, data set, and list of numbers. And as a former fundraiser and the current Fundraiser in Residence at Virtuous, one of my favorite pastimes…
5 Top Themes From the 2026 Rescue Mission Benchmark Report

5 Top Themes From the 2026 Rescue Mission Benchmark Report

TL;DR Revenue has grown to ~117% of 2021 levels. Donor files haven’t. The sector is generating more from fewer donors, which creates fragility underneath stable revenue. Second-gift conversion and second-year…
How to Use The 2026 Virtuous Benchmark Report for Human Services Nonprofits

How to Use The 2026 Virtuous Benchmark Report for Human Services Nonprofits

TL;DR Human Services had a quietly strong year. Several metrics moved in the right direction at once, with median gift, average gift, gift frequency, and donor expansion all improving year…

Grow generosity with Virtuous

Virtuous is the responsive fundraising software platform proven to help nonprofit organizations increase generosity by serving all donors personally, no matter their gift size.

“Virtuous truly understands nonprofits and the importance of our mission. And their open access to data and built-in custom reports gave us access to the data we need.”
Todd Shinabarger​
Chief Information Officer