Efforts to adopt advanced tools like machine learning often stall because fundamental digital skills are missing. Many prospect development and advancement analytics professionals excel at relationship-building, writing, and strategy, but lack exposure to core data concepts. In this article, Nikolai Shchelkov, MSIS, MBA, introduces the concept of "Digital Skills Gap Fillers"—practical tools, prototypes, and frameworks that bridge the gap between basic capabilities and advanced IT systems to build team maturity.
Can a small, budget-conscious prospect development shop build its own secure AI tool? In the latest issue of Connections, Nikolai Shchelkov, MSIS, MBA, shares how he designed and tested a secure, offline agentic AI prototype at Eastern New Mexico University. Running entirely on a single laptop with zero budget, this tool allows researchers to ask natural-language questions of their donor giving history and get immediate, calculated results without risking sensitive constituent data.
Get ready to enhance your prospect management at Plug In to Pipelines, a virtual two-day conference held June 2-3. This event dives into sophisticated metrics, AI-driven health assessments, and strategies for building the next generation of major gift pipelines. Whether you are a solo practitioner or part of a large team, you will gain actionable insights on tracking portfolio movement and maximizing limited resources from experts across the sector.