Last week, I had the privilege of attending the Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC), and it couldn’t have come at a more important time. As the rights, safety, and dignity of many of the communities we serve are once again under threat, spaces like NTC matter more than ever. Here are the 5 things I’m taking back to implement into our work at Whole Whale:
1. Reclaiming narratives matters.
The opening keynote from Dr. Allissa V. Richardson was a powerful reminder that history is often told through a distorted lens. Through her work with The Second Draft project, she’s using technology to reclaim narratives, inviting families to share their own stories, in their own words. It’s a brilliant, human-centered model of reparative journalism that connects people through technology. And yes, it turns out Malcolm X had a soft spot for oatmeal cookies, a detail that reminds us of the complexity and fullness of the people too often flattened in our history books.
2. “Best practices” aren’t always best right now.
NTC reminded me that “best practices” aren’t always best for right now. From rethinking email engagement series with tiered cadences to keeping campaigns experimental, the message was clear: creativity isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. We need to make space to try new things, test what resonates, and let go of the way we’ve always done it.
3. Flexibility is survival.
We live in interesting times. What worked six months ago might not work tomorrow. The communities we serve are facing daily threats, and we have to be ready to shift gears, whether that’s rewriting copy in response to a breaking court decision or reworking messaging in the middle of a campaign. Flexibility isn’t a nice-to-have anymore; it’s survival.
4. AI requires thoughtful implementation.
AI continues to dominate the conversation, and rightly so. It raises real questions—about ethics, privacy, bias, and environmental impact. But that doesn’t mean we can opt out. Nonprofits are finding thoughtful, strategic ways to use AI to expand their capacity, connect with new audiences, and tell more compelling stories. (And yes, I’ll give a shameless plug here for Causewriter.ai, an AI tool we built exactly for this purpose.)
5. Our community is resilient.
The nonprofit tech community is fierce, collaborative, and grounded in justice. I saw hallway conversations turn into strategy sessions, panel chats spark new partnerships, and honest dialogue about how we show up for each other and for the communities most at risk. In a time that often feels heavy, this conference was a much-needed reminder: we’re not alone—and we’re not giving up.
Walking away from NTC, I’m reminded that even in the face of uncertainty and injustice, our community shows up with creativity, urgency and heart. Our tools are evolving and the challenges we face are steep, but the people in this space are relentless in their pursuit of a better future. I’m so grateful for the conversation, the ideas, and, most importantly, the reminder that progress doesn’t happen in isolation, but rather when we build, learn and fight together. If you’re looking for more places like NTC to get inspired and stay connected, check out our list of top nonprofit conferences to attend this year.