For 25 years, our firm has sat next to leaders on some of their hardest days.
A generation ago, a crisis moved more slowly, with managing rumors, a tough story in the paper, a bad TV segment, maybe a board fight that spilled into the press. Stressful, yes. But the news cycle moved at a human pace. You could gather facts, talk to counsel, brief staff, and decide how to respond.
That’s not the world you’re working in now.
A clipped video or loaded quote can go up at midnight and go viral by morning.
One account takes a line out of context, aims it at an angry audience, and triggers a chain reaction like outrage posts, “hold them accountable” threads, and reporters calling for comment. All of this ends with donors and board members asking, “What’s going on over there?”
Now add AI to the mix.
A few years ago, attackers had to create their own posts, clips, and “evidence.” Now, they can ask AI to do it for them by scanning your site for phrases to twist, churning out fake quote cards, “explainers,” or convincing graphics in minutes.
Security teams are already flagging:
- Deepfake donor voices approving wire transfers
- Fake grantee websites with synthetic documents
- AI‑generated fundraising scams using fabricated images of children or disaster victims
All of it exploits the trust your supporters have in you.
If it feels like the ground is shifting under your feet, you’re not imagining it, and you’re not alone. Most nonprofit leaders didn’t sign up to be experts in AI, cybersecurity, or disinformation. You came here to build housing, defend rights, deliver care, create jobs, and win policy. Now you’re asked to navigate a threat environment that barely existed five years ago.
The good news: You don’t have to figure it out alone. You don’t need to be perfect to be much better prepared.
That’s the spirit behind our upcoming webinar, “When Bots Bite: How We Prepare for a Crisis in the Age of AI.”
Sign up today to learn more and join us.