More than a prompt and some polish

My wife orders cleaning supplies from a company that ships them to our home. Every box that arrives has a short, inspirational handwritten note in Sharpie near the shipping label.

It's not much, but it stands out.

And, whether it's true or not, it makes me think that behind this box of earth-friendly cleaning products there is a person. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

When someone signs up for your nonprofit's newsletter or makes a first gift, they’re likely asking three questions that won’t come up on a donor survey:

• Will anyone notice that I was here?
• Will I be treated like a number in a spreadsheet?
• Will this feel human, or transactional?

In my book, The Welcoming Nonprofit, those are the questions of the Front Porch, the space where curiosity turns into connection.

AI can write a warm, professional, personalized welcome email in about four seconds. That convenience means “professional,” “warm,” and “personalized” are becoming cheap.

When this kind of polish is free, people start looking for something else to trust.

Visible, tangible effort signals that a real person is on the other end.

I’m not saying stop using automated tools altogether. There are places for them, and on some level, people expect that automated receipt and even want it for their taxes.

But when everyone can send a beautiful response with a prompt and some polish, how will your org stand out?

Maybe it's time to buy some Sharpies.