Hugo Castro, author of the Accidental Techie newsletter on Linkedin, and Gozi Egbuonu, accidental and now intentional tech leader, lead you through a discussion on the transformation from firefighter to strategic advisor.

In pt 1 they discuss the role of the "accidental techie" in nonprofit organizations and explore three bridges to transform your career: Skills, Relationships, and Projects. In pt 2 they finish up the fourth bridge: Communications, and take questions from the webinar audience.

If you never applied to a tech job, but somehow you are the person everyone turns to for tech help and assistance at your nonprofit, you may be the accidental techie of your office. Learn how to transform your valuable experience as a problem-solver into a professional career as a nonprofit tech leader from two people who have lived it.

Hugo and Gozi share what separates reactive problem-solvers from strategic technology leaders, and give you practical frameworks for repositioning yourself professionally. You’ll discover how to communicate your value differently, build the right relationships, and choose projects that showcase your strategic thinking.

Learning outcomes

• Build a transformation roadmap using four pillars: skills, relationships, projects, communication
• Identify your position on the accidental-to-intentional spectrum and key mindset shifts needed
• Reframe how you communicate your work to position yourselves as strategic advisors, not tech fixers-for-free.

_______________________________
Start a conversation :)

• Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/
• email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com
• on LinkedIn

Thanks for listening.

A major new initiative from Microsoft aims to provide the training and resources needed to adopt AI tools at nonprofits. In this episode, Carolyn Woodard breaks down the recently announced Microsoft Elevate for Changemakers program. This initiative is a structured effort to build AI capacity through professional certifications, hands-on training, and global fellowships designed specifically for the nonprofit sector.

Carolyn discusses how the sector has shifted from skepticism to active adoption and explores how AI can expand human agency rather than replace it. She describes the four key areas where Microsoft believes AI can make a measurable difference and the case studies they share for each area: enriching staff time, delivering impactful programs, engaging donors, and transforming operations.

Whether you are looking to automate manual data entry or scale your mission through local language tools, this episode provides a roadmap for staying at the forefront of responsible AI use.

The conversation covers:

• The new LinkedIn AI for Nonprofits professional certificate and on-demand capacity-building training.
• Details on the Changemaker Fellowship for organizations with actionable AI projects ready for investment.
• How AI helps nonprofit staff move away from busywork and toward creative, mission-driven thinking.
• Links to real-world case studies of organizations using AI to save 6 to 8 hours a day on administrative tasks.
• Strategies for using AI to scale programs and build stronger, data-informed donor relationships.
• The importance of professional training and leadership in adopting responsible AI frameworks.

Resources Mentioned:

• Microsoft Elevate for Changemakers Announcement
• Microsoft Elevate for Changemakers resources
• Community IT Innovators Website
• Nonprofit IT Management Reddit Community

_______________________________
Start a conversation :)

• Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/
• email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com
• on LinkedIn

Thanks for listening.

Hugo Castro, author of the Accidental Techie newsletter on Linkedin, and Gozi Egbuonu, accidental and now intentional tech leader, lead you through a discussion on the transformation from firefighter to strategic advisor.

In pt 1 they discuss the role of the "accidental techie" in nonprofit organizations and explore three bridges to transform your career: Skills, Relationships, and Projects. In pt 2 they finish up the fourth bridge: Communications, and take questions from the webinar audience.

If you never applied to a tech job, but somehow you are the person everyone turns to for tech help and assistance at your nonprofit, you may be the accidental techie of your office. Learn how to transform your valuable experience as a problem-solver into a professional career as a nonprofit tech leader from two people who have lived it.

Hugo and Gozi share what separates reactive problem-solvers from strategic technology leaders, and give you practical frameworks for repositioning yourself professionally. You’ll discover how to communicate your value differently, build the right relationships, and choose projects that showcase your strategic thinking.

Learning outcomes

• Build a transformation roadmap using four pillars: skills, relationships, projects, communication
• Identify your position on the accidental-to-intentional spectrum and key mindset shifts needed
• Reframe how you communicate your work to position yourselves as strategic advisors, not tech fixers-for-free.

_______________________________
Start a conversation :)

• Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/
• email Carolyn at cwoodard@communityit.com
• on LinkedIn

Thanks for listening.