Practical AI for Non-Profits: Real Lessons from the Field

Workshop Overview:

AI isn’t just for tech companies—it’s becoming a practical tool that non-profits of all sizes can use to do more with less. From marketing and storytelling to community outreach and donor engagement, AI can help you work smarter, not harder. But where do you start?

Join a panel of peers and small business leaders who have rolled up their sleeves and tried AI tools firsthand—sometimes successfully, sometimes learning the hard way. They’ll share real lessons, simple strategies, and honest insights about how AI can help you amplify your mission without adding complexity or big expenses.

What You’ll Learn:

• What AI Can (and Can’t) Do for Non-Profits:
  Get a clear, no-jargon introduction to how AI is being used in marketing, fundraising, and communications today.
• Lessons from Real-World Experience:
  Hear from panelists who’ve tested AI tools in their day-to-day operations—what worked, what didn’t, and what they wish they’d known before starting.
• Practical Use Cases:
  Explore how AI can help with tasks like drafting social posts, brainstorming content ideas, managing outreach lists, and analyzing engagement data.
• Starting Small and Staying Human:
  Learn how to get started with AI without losing the personal touch that makes your organization special.
• Ethical Considerations:
  Understand the importance of using AI responsibly—protecting privacy, avoiding bias, and keeping mission-driven values front and center.

Whether you’re curious about AI but don’t know where to begin, or you’ve dabbled a bit and want to compare notes with others, this workshop will help you find simple, budget-friendly ways to start leveraging AI to support your non-profit’s goals.

This session will be facilitated by Armando Chacon, Founder of Real Hearts Give and Co-Chair of the Chamber’s Non-Profit Committee.

About our Panelists

Aaron Byzak is Chief Strategist for Galvanized Strategies, a public affairs and fractional leadership firm supporting healthcare and nonprofit clients. He currently serves as Interim CEO of Grossmont Healthcare District and Chief Strategy Officer for Mission Critical Protocols.

With 30+ years of experience in healthcare, EMS, and public policy, Aaron has led award-winning campaigns, shaped crisis responses, and advised organizations at every level. A four-time Emmy Award-winning writer and producer among numerous other accolades, also a sought-after mentor and coach to emerging leaders.

He holds an MBA from UC Irvine, a BA from Chapman University, and executive leadership certificates from UCLA and Cornell.

Roxana Pavel is a hospitality professional with over 15 years of management experience raging from freestanding restaurants to hotels and everything in between from Massachusetts to Southern California, via Washington DC. She is the owner of allmine, a restaurant in Oceanside, CA, established in 2022. She earned a Master’s of Science in Hospitality and Tourism services from Rochester Institute of Technology and passed Level 2 Sommelier, but most of her knowledge comes from her extensive career, the people she met along the way and the guests who validated her efforts.
Originally from Romania, Roxana started her hospitality career in Provincetown, at the tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. She learned hospitality in a town that prioritizes art and community, freedom of expression and embraces one and all. That lifestyle transcends in all aspects of life, including how they run and manage businesses and fundamentally shaped her as an adult and her leadership style.
She eventually made her way to Southern California looking for sunshine and kindness, but mostly for community. She felt the warm embrace of the Oceanside community when she opened allmine, a neighborhood restaurant serving artisanal pizza and natural wines and continues to build her tribe with warm hospitality and great food.

Julian Garcia is an attorney and activist based in Oceanside, California. His legal practice is focused on strategic advising in high-risk business situations such as formation, hiring, and fundraising. Julian’s legal work funds his cannabis activism, in which he continues to advocate for reasonable regulation, economic opportunity, and medical access. Despite his minimal IT background, Julian has spent over a year using ChatGPT across his personal and professional life—exploring its utility as well as its limitations; he now shares what he’s learned at workshops and panels for similarly situated professionals to help expedite their learning curve.