The Challenge

Cerebral Palsy Alliance (CPA) is a pioneering nonprofit supporting people with disabilities through services, advocacy, and fundraising. But when it came to AI, their teams were fragmented. Fundraisers dabbled with tools, policy staff worried about risks, and comms lacked direction. Leadership knew AI mattered but didn’t know where to start. Without alignment, energy risked being wasted and opportunities missed.

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Our Approach

‍We started small but strategic: foundational training for the Fundraising Team, live demos to spark curiosity, and custom GPTs built directly into their flagship STEPtember fundraising campaign. Each step gave staff a taste of immediate, tangible value. We also worked with leadership to surface priorities and map a clear roadmap forward. Our approach balanced playfulness and rigor, shifting AI from abstract concept to practical capability. This included:

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• Ran AI Fundamentals training for Fundraising including campaigns, digital fundraising and marketing
• Facilitated early AI Fundamentals sessions, inviting key leaders to understand purpose and readiness
• Designed and deployed custom GPTs for STEPtember campaign workflows
• Balanced playful demos with rigorous methods to build confidence

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The Outcome

Fundraisers have confidence to use AI in their everyday work and are now building Custom GPTs as scale. They're creating a department wide approach to not just use, but systemize AI. Staff havegained confidence in responsible AI use, and leadership saw a vision forming of how AI could amplify their mission. The organization are movingfrom scattered experimentation to an integrated, confident approach. AI was no longer overwhelming; it became a tool that felt relevant, useful, and even exciting.

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What's next?

CPA is now preparing for an organization-wide AI transformation, embedding skills and strategy across departments. With PLAI’s frameworks in hand, they’re set to become a sector leader in responsible, mission-driven AI adoption.