EP 28: AI, Empathy, and the Human Side of Nonprofit Innovation with Tim Lockie
Update: 2025-05-20
Description
In this episode of The Responsive Lab, Carly Berna and Scott Holthaus sit down with Tim Lockie, founder of The Human Stack and longtime nonprofit tech strategist, to dig into a bold truth: technology alone won’t save your nonprofit.
Tim unpacks why so many digital transformation efforts fall flat, and what it takes to build a culture that embraces data, AI, and change without burning out your team.
Key Takeaways:
- Without aligned human behavior, the best systems won’t lead to better outcomes.
- Burnout often happens not from big changes, but from the accumulation of small ones.
- Nonprofits need a people-first framework to truly adopt new tools.
- There’s a big difference between individuals using AI tools and organizations making it safe and strategic.
- The success of your tools hinges on the trust and collaboration between people.
To connect with Tim or learn more about his work at The Human Stack, visit https://thehumanstack.com/ or find him on LinkedIn.
Learn more about Tim’s AI For Everyone course at https://thehumanstack.com/academy/aiforanyone
Meanwhile, discover more about The Responsive Lab at virtuous.org/podcast.
Season One of The Responsive Lab is brought to you by Virtuous.
Virtuous is a software company committed to helping nonprofits grow generosity. Virtuous believes that generosity has the power to create profound change in the world and in the heart of the giver. With that in mind, it’s their mission to move the needle on global generosity by helping nonprofits better connect with and inspire their givers. Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist.
Special thanks to editor and sound engineer Barry R. Hill and producer Riley Young.
Tim unpacks why so many digital transformation efforts fall flat, and what it takes to build a culture that embraces data, AI, and change without burning out your team.
Key Takeaways:
- Without aligned human behavior, the best systems won’t lead to better outcomes.
- Burnout often happens not from big changes, but from the accumulation of small ones.
- Nonprofits need a people-first framework to truly adopt new tools.
- There’s a big difference between individuals using AI tools and organizations making it safe and strategic.
- The success of your tools hinges on the trust and collaboration between people.
To connect with Tim or learn more about his work at The Human Stack, visit https://thehumanstack.com/ or find him on LinkedIn.
Learn more about Tim’s AI For Everyone course at https://thehumanstack.com/academy/aiforanyone
Meanwhile, discover more about The Responsive Lab at virtuous.org/podcast.
Season One of The Responsive Lab is brought to you by Virtuous.
Virtuous is a software company committed to helping nonprofits grow generosity. Virtuous believes that generosity has the power to create profound change in the world and in the heart of the giver. With that in mind, it’s their mission to move the needle on global generosity by helping nonprofits better connect with and inspire their givers. Learn more about Virtuous at virtuous.org/learnmore and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist.
Special thanks to editor and sound engineer Barry R. Hill and producer Riley Young.
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