When your association or nonprofit is focused on making a real impact, harnessing the latest AI productivity solutions can help you go further in your work and make a bigger difference for your community. Experts predict that if organizations effectively use artificial intelligence, they have the potential to significantly increase their efficiency and output, leading to a $4.4 trillion increase in overall productivity.
Microsoft offers an industry-leading, robust ecosystem of applications for supporting your daily activities. Within that environment, the AI tool Microsoft Copilot can further enhance the user experience, offering real-world benefits for empowering your team to shift from repetitive to meaningful, strategic work.
Below, you’ll learn about the tangible benefits of using M365 for nonprofits and incorporating AI into your workplace. We’ll also cover how to securely implement Copilot to enjoy big returns in productivity and why you should consider managed IT support for a smooth integration.
What Is Microsoft Copilot and How Does It Work?
If your organization has a Microsoft 365 plan, then you can access Copilot. This artificial intelligence chatbot uses large language model (LLM) algorithms and Microsoft’s proprietary Prometheus model to generate content instantaneously based on user prompts.
The tool has the capacity and training to mimic more complex human cognitive processes, such as solving problems, recognizing patterns, predicting outcomes, and even discerning emotions.
The “Copilot” name perfectly summarizes its purpose: the tool will act as your trusty companion, helping you accomplish tasks more efficiently and preserving your energy for more creative projects. You can use the basic version to complete various tasks, such as writing, answering questions, coding — even generating images.
Comparing Copilot Chat vs. Microsoft 365 Copilot
Copilot operates on a freemium model, where users can access some features for free but can pay for more advanced capabilities.
For business users with an existing Entra account and Microsoft 365 subscription, Copilot Chat is available at no additional cost. You can use the secure, AI-powered GPT-4 chat leveraging GPT-4, use agents with pay-as-you-go pricing and benefit from enterprise data protection and agent management.
Customers who subscribe to Microsoft 365 for business can upgrade to Microsoft 365 Copilot for $30/month. This subscription delivers a personalized and integrated experience, including AI-driven chat that leverages your organization’s data, seamless integration with apps like Teams, PowerPoint, and Excel, along with enterprise-grade security, privacy, and compliance.
Why AI Tools Like Copilot Are Changing the Game
There are many advantages to using Microsoft Copilot for nonprofits, especially when paired with the Microsoft 365 productivity tools they already use daily:
Faster, Smarter Document Creation
Copilot offers several document automation tools that will make content management more efficient for your organization:
- Document Management in Word: Easily organize, create, and edit documents when you use Copilot to draft content, pull in details from relevant files and refine grammar and tone.
- Presentation Creation in PowerPoint: Copilot can help you put together presentations, whether you’re starting from scratch, working from a Word document, or using your organization’s templates to keep things on-brand. It can also suggest images and turn complex information into a clear, well-structured deck.
- Summarizing Content: In applications like PowerPoint and OneNote, the AI assistant can help you quickly understand a document’s key details.
Better Collaboration and Communication
For nonprofits and associations, good teamwork is everything, whether it’s when coordinating projects, managing volunteers, or communicating with stakeholders.
Various Microsoft applications provide AI collaboration tools that help teams connect more effectively.
Meetings: You can use Copilot to create a meeting agenda or prepare specific discussion questions. Microsoft Teams AI features can also quickly summarize lengthy chats, automate meeting notetaking and generate post-meeting action items.
Email Management: Copilot can provide the highlights from long email threads in Outlook or help compose a reply to someone’s message that properly contextualizes its content.
Informed Decision-Making with Data Insights
Copilot is also helpful for strategic planning! You can use the tool to generate reports with valuable observations that evaluate your performance, identify any weaknesses, and set well-aligned goals. For example, in Excel, you could ask for quick insights based on the data in your existing tables or suggestions for formulas for what you want to calculate. It can also quickly highlight, sort, and filter your tables.
In Word, Outlook, or Teams, you can also use the AI tool’s conversation feature to review documents or meetings and ask questions to get feedback, such as “What actions would you suggest for my organization going forward?” or “How can I improve this plan? What is missing?”
Clearer Project Management Across Teams
If you want your employees to understand exactly how and when they should contribute to your long-term goals, your organization needs clear, specific processes and workflows. Copilot can streamline that task!
For example, you can ask Copilot to create a to-do list, tasks, or even an entire project plan from your notes with cloud-based productivity tools like OneNote. After a Teams meeting, it can generate the main takeaways and action items so everyone has explicit guidance on expectations, responsibilities, and upcoming project milestones.
While subscribing to Copilot may cost money upfront, it can help your organization save over time. With increased efficiency and more effective project management, you can focus on more value-added activities, better allocate resources, minimize delays, and stick to your projected budget.
How to Prepare for Copilot in Your Organization
Not sure how you can make Copilot a useful and trusted part of your workplace? Getting ready to bring Copilot into your organization doesn’t have to be too complex. Harnessing the benefits of AI productivity for associations and nonprofits involves two main tasks: getting your team ready to embrace this tool and your systems to support it effectively. Here are the best practices you should follow for a smooth experience:
Evaluate Workflows
Assess how your team currently works to identify how this new tool can enhance or streamline their processes. You’ll also need to check whether your infrastructure is prepared to handle this deeper level of MS365 integration.
Define Policies and Permissions
You can create a secure, efficient, and responsible AI-friendly environment by partnering with your IT team or service provider to establish a comprehensive management strategy for Microsoft 365 with strong policies for user access and permissions that follow best practices for AI and cloud security.
Train and Support Staff
To successfully introduce AI in nonprofit operations, your employees should receive comprehensive training on using new tools and guidelines that maintain consistency, efficiency, and security.
Monitor and Optimize
Regularly gather feedback from users and monitor the tool’s performance. Be ready to adjust your approach for optimal benefit.
Why Managed IT Support Makes the Difference
Every nonprofit or association wants to support their communities effectively. Leveraging an artificial intelligence tool like Microsoft Copilot can be a great solution for achieving that goal! This AI-powered assistant will enhance how you manage your documents, plan your projects, communicate with your colleagues, and other critical daily workplace tasks – all necessary to help you drive your mission forward.
When you partner with designDATA, you’ll receive tailored IT support for nonprofits. We specialize in guiding organizations through integrating new productivity tools. Our experts will conduct an in-depth business analysis, manage all aspects of system deployment, and train your staff. Together, we’ll empower your team to unlock the full potential of AI technology.
Ready to boost your productivity? Let’s discuss how your organization can successfully roll out Microsoft Copilot with designDATA.
