Keela, KIT, and Nonprofit Life with Nejeed Kassam, Ep #64

Episode 64

With Benjamin Johnson and Nejeed Kassam

Are you ready for the Fundraising Revolution? Nejeed Kassam of Keela is! On this episode, Ben sits down with Nejeed for an engaging discussion focused on pushing the charitable sector forward. From tech innovation to addressing the fear that so many fundraisers hide just under the surface, get ready for a thought-provoking conversation everyone living the nonprofit life needs to hear.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

  • Nejeed’s origin and going from practicing law to starting a tech company [0:54]

  • NTEN, all about Keela, and where Nejeed believes fundraising is heading [12:22]

  • Addressing the fear in fundraising and bringing change to the charity world [20:24]

  • Risk, experimentation, and why charities need an ecosystem [24:23]

  • Working at Keela and AI in the nonprofit space [27:24]

Break some eggs 

As the old adage goes: You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs. The same is true for fundraising! There will be hiccups on the journey to help others be more generous. Fundraisers are not immune to mistakes, but so many in the charitable sector are afraid to make them. That’s why empowering fundraisers is key to the work that Nejeed does at Keela. He wants fundraisers to believe in tech, have faith in themselves, and be comfortable with potential failures. It’s that fear of failure that holds people and organizations back from achieving their true potential. The benefits of being comfortable making mistakes far outweigh the potential downsides. 

Risky business

One benefit to addressing the fear that often accompanies fundraising is the ability to branch out, experiment, and take risks. Nejeed points out that taking a few more risks is okay, even if we don't know the outcome, because there's an upside to risk too. It’s one thing to cover the spread, but risk and innovation can help organizations beat it. Charities can actually get ahead of the curve and do some really fun, amazing, and impactful things. But they involve a little bit of risk. What frustrates Nejeed as an innovator is the nonprofit sector often fails to realize that risk is in the control of the people doing the work. Technological resources were never meant to be followed blindly. Don’t do something just because a piece of tech says so. If you‘re committed to doing everything the right way, you will have a higher chance of success.

Predicting generosity

With the advent of things like Chat GPT and computer-generated art, the AI conversation has never been louder. For the charity world, AI has the potential to be a powerful tool for fundraisers. Understanding the propensity of someone's behavior before they do it will help you get the result you want. Knowing how much money to ask for, when, and for what campaigns would be a game changer. Not to say that computer-based predictions are always accurate or that results will be instantaneous. But if you know what is likely to happen and you do all the right actions to move it in that direction, you're absolutely increasing the likelihood that it's going to happen. Combined with a continued dedication to the human relationship aspect of fundraising, could AI be the magic weapon the charity world has been waiting for?

Resources & People Mentioned

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