The Bridge to Integrated Marketing & Fundraising Conference wrapped up last week, and it gave us plenty to talk about. 

We launched CharityEngine Copilot and watched people’s faces light up when we showed them they could talk to their fundraising platform, get answers, and put it to work.

We had so much fun watching attendees scramble for flying cash! 

During Seth Remaley and Jonsie Stone’s session on multichannel fundraising, we heard the unforgettable story of Grandma Ruth. The Amtrak enthusiasts among us felt like we were walking among royalty!

Most importantly, we joined hundreds of conversations about where nonprofit fundraising is headed. 

When our team compared notes after the conference, one takeaway came up again and again: the energy. 

People came ready to engage. They asked thoughtful questions, challenged ideas, shared what was holding their teams back, and genuinely wanted to learn from the speakers, vendors, and each other. 

That openness made Bridge feel like more than a conference. It felt like a room full of people working together to build what comes next. 

Fundraisers Want AI to Handle the Work, Not the Relationships

We expected AI to be everywhere at Bridge. What surprised us was how ready fundraising professionals were to start using it. 

At our booth, fundraisers wanted to see how AI could work inside their platform to create emails, build donation forms, set up events, answer questions, and make the software easier to use. They weren’t interested in AI as an abstract idea. They wanted to know what it could do for them now. 

Nonprofits are looking closely at how AI can help their teams work more efficiently, understand donors more deeply, and raise more money with limited resources. 

But the conversations weren’t only about what AI can do. They were also about what it should do. 

Fundraising has always been rooted in human relationships. The best technology doesn’t replace that. It handles the work that pulls people away from it, giving fundraisers more time to listen, connect, and build trust with supporters. 

Attendees were excited about the potential of AI, but they were equally serious about keeping their communications personal and their donors at the center. 

Smaller Teams Shouldn’t Have Smaller Opportunities 

Another theme came up often: nonprofits are doing ambitious work with very small teams. A two-person development team should not be limited simply because it doesn’t have the resources of a ten-person team.

That belief shaped CharityEngine Copilot. We built it so fundraisers can ask a question, describe a goal, or assign a task, then let Copilot use their connected fundraising data to help get the work done. 

Launching it at Bridge gave us the chance to move beyond talking about AI in theory. We could show fundraisers what it looks like when AI is built into the platform itself and has the context to do more than generate content or summarize information. 

The response confirmed something we believe deeply: when powerful technology becomes easier to use, it can help level the playing field for nonprofits of every size. 

Fundraisers Are Ready for What’s Next 

Our team came home tired, but proud of what we introduced and inspired by the curiosity and commitment we saw throughout Bridge.

The conversations made one thing clear: fundraisers are ready to put AI to work. They want technology that gives small teams greater capacity, helps them understand their supporters, and leaves more time for the human relationships that move missions forward.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by, challenged our thinking, grabbed some flying cash, or joined us for a session. We’re excited to help fundraisers put that potential to work today.