Organizations
A³
Why A³
AI is quickly transforming business worldwide, producing dramatic gains in productivity and profit.
A recent report from the MIT Sloan School of Management estimates that trained users of AI will improve their productivity by 40%.
This means that for every three employees using AI well, an organization can gain exponential productivity – the equivalent of a fourth, full-time employee.
This has enormous implications for the field of nonprofit arts management, one perennially consumed by capacity concerns.
However, recent research shows that while 89% of nonprofits recognize AI’s potential, only 28% have taken steps to integrate it.
This is not for lack of interest. While overwhelm and ethical concerns are a factor for many, it’s a lack of knowledge, training, and resources that are the most commonly-cited barriers to adoption for nonprofit leaders.
Given the perennial constraints faced by the sector, the innovation required is not likely to be prioritized over day-to-day needs without a catalyst, and a clear path to return on investment.
Today, amidst increasing geopolitical and economic uncertainty, the sector faces substantial business challenges characterized by decreasing audience demand and relentless, upward cost pressure from labor, real estate, and services.
An exponential breakthrough is needed – and AI, properly harnessed, presents that opportunity.
Participating Organizations
The fully subsidized program will engage a diverse spectrum of arts nonprofits — with annual budgets from six to nine figures, both urban and rural, and in multiple arts disciplines — to produce a roadmap for safe, ethical, transformative use of AI.
In alphabetical order, the Phase One Cohort is:
- Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation
- American Ballet Theatre
- American Repertory Theater
- Denver Center for the Performing Arts
- Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
- Guthrie Theater
- Interlochen Center for the Arts
- Jacob Burns Film Center
- MACLA/Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana de San Jose
- Mark Morris Dance Group
- Memphis Music Initiative
- Miami Book Fair
- National Museum of Mexican Art
- New Museum of Contemporary Art
- Opera Baltimore
- Women Make Movies
The Program
In response, the DeVos Institute of Arts and Nonprofit Management has launched A³ (Arts x Admin x AI), a 7-month “sprint” research and innovation initiative. Phase one of a three-phase effort, this phase is designed as a partnership with ten participating organizations.
The program will deliver training and support to the ten participating organizations through seven sessions over as many months. In these sessions, participants will learn to use available AI tools to immediately impact their operations, achieving quick wins in areas such as automating repetitive tasks, improving communication, building deeper relationships with patrons, conducting donor prospect research, and generating marketing content.
These sessions, framed in relation to the Institute’s management philosophy, The Cycle, will cover:
- Safe, Ethical, Exponential: Creating AI Strategy and Policy for your Organization
- The AI Swiss Army Knife: ChatGPT and other LLM Applications
- AI x Marketing and Communications
- AI x Fundraising and Development
- AI x Boards and Family
- AI x Financial Analysis and Planning
- Case Roundtable: AI in Practice
Intensives will be facilitated by DeVos Institute President Brett Egan and Senior Consultant Ben Dietschi and feature field-leading experts in each topic.
At the conclusion of the program, participating organizations will contribute case uses to a Roadmap for Safe, Ethical, and Exponential uses of AI in the nonprofit arts and culture sector. By documenting practical usages of AI, these case studies will serve as a resource to help the sector respond proactively to AI’s growing influence, equipping organizations with strategies to integrate AI tools effectively and sustainably into their work.
Participation Expectations
Participating organizations will be asked to make a best faith effort to ensure participation of at least one individual from the organization at all seven sessions, each of which will be approximately 2 hours in length. This individual may be the executive, CIO (or equivalent), or other senior-level decision-maker.
Participating organizations will additionally be asked to make a best faith effort to ensure participation of relevant department heads and board members (if applicable) at the associated sessions (e.g. Director of Development and Chair of the Development Committee at the session focused on fundraising).
Participants will be expected to dedicate internal human resources to test viability of tools introduced in each session within the context of their organization.
Finally, participants will be asked to contribute to case studies to be documented by the DeVos Institute and issued to the sector as part of an AI roadmap in early 2026.
The estimated total time required for participation is between 25 and 30 hours over the 7-month period.
Information Session
An Information Session was held on Friday, March 21, 2025, featuring Institute President Brett Egan and Senior Consultant Ben Dietschi. In this session, they provided an overview of the program and answered questions from potential participants about its format, application process, participation guidelines, selection criteria, and eligibility requirements.
Please note that participation in the information session was not required to apply for the program.
A³ Frequently Asked Questions
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Program Schedule & Format
- Q: When does the program begin?
- A: The first intensive will be held on Friday, May 30 from 1-3pm ET, with future sessions being held approximately monthly through December. The full schedule will be announced once finalized.
- Q: How are the sessions formatted? Are sessions collaborative or lecture-style?
- A: Sessions combine lectures with hands-on workshops and collaborative dialogue.
- Q: Are all sessions held virtually?
- A: Yes, all cohort sessions will be held virtually.
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Application & Participation
- Q: Are we able to start the application and come back later?
- A: You would need to keep your browser open and return to it to ensure answers are saved. An application worksheet is available to assist you with planning your responses here. Should you have any issues, please reach out to us at [email protected] for assistance.
- Q: Is there a recommended length on responses to application questions?
- A: While there’s no length expectation, we encourage thoughtful responses, especially regarding AI’s potential role in the organization’s administrative needs, as this will be considered in the selection process. There is no character limit within the application.
- Q: Do we apply as an organization or an individual?
- A: Applicants should apply as an organization. Individuals not affiliated with a nonprofit organization are not eligible for participation.
- Q: Does the primary participant need to be the organization’s Executive or CIO?
- A: The primary participant should be a senior decision-maker—this could be the executive, CIO, COO, or an equivalent leader.
- Q: Does the same person need to attend every session and work with the platforms between sessions?
- A: The sessions will build on one another so having continuity in attendance would be helpful. That said, an unlimited number of staff and board representatives are invited to attend each session, and we recognize that some may only attend sessions relevant to their department or expertise.
- Q: Can this program be of value for a small organization?
- A: Absolutely. The program is designed to be scalable and valuable for organizations of all sizes, including small nonprofits.
- Q: Will organizations be identified in the published case studies?
- A: Yes, organization names will be included in the case studies shared at the end of the program. We will work with organizations to identify content that is nonproprietary or otherwise confidential or sensitive to develop and share these real-world case studies.
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Selection Criteria & Eligibility
- Q: What is your selection criteria? What makes an application competitive?
- A: We’re looking for thoughtful responses about how applicants envision using AI, a clear commitment to exploring its potential, and demonstrated internal capacity to engage with the program. We aim to build a diverse cohort across size, geography, discipline, and communities served.
- Q: Are Foundations eligible to apply?
- A: No. This opportunity is open to nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, and foundations are not eligible to apply.
- Q: Do organizations need to have previous experience with AI or policies in place to apply?
- A: No, previous experience is not required. However, applicants should communicate a commitment to exploring the use of this technology in their environment.
- Q: Are there specific budgetary or staff size requirements to apply?
- A: There are no specific budget or staff size requirements. However, we will consider your organization’s capacity to fully engage, including identifying staff and board participants.
- Q: Is Board Participation required for an organization’s application to be considered?
- A: Engagement by board members is strongly encouraged. Evidence of board engagement will be a factor in the cohort selection process.
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Technology, Tools, and Infrastructure
- Q: What level of IT or cybersecurity expertise is needed?
- A: No level of IT or cybersecurity expertise is needed to apply; however implementation will be managed by each participating organization based on their specific needs.
- Q: Are there infrastructure requirements (e.g., servers, telecom, POS systems)?
- A: Just a stable high-speed internet connection. All platforms are cloud-based.
- Q: Will you be focusing on Microsoft Copilot for orgs not using ChatGPT?
- A: Yes. Participants will explore tools like Microsoft Copilot, as well as other advanced AI models.
- Q: Will the tools remain free after the program ends?
- A: Yes, the tools will be available at no cost following the conclusion of the program for a limited time, but they will not remain subsidized indefinitely.
Questions?
Questions may also be directed to Marie Gossman Thomas at [email protected].
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