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.
Discover how to transform curiosity into confidence when integrating AI into your prospect research workflow. In this article, Emma Aguirre shares a practical approach to using AI in three key stages: preparing for research by understanding unfamiliar concepts, processing complex public information like SEC filings during research and refining final deliverables for clarity. Learn how to balance efficiency with accuracy while maintaining strict data privacy, ensuring AI serves as a helpful tool rather than a replacement for professional judgment.
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.