Kimberly Bardy Langsam

A Path Through AI Overwhelm By , & Many social impact leaders feel pressure to engage with AI but are overwhelmed and lack a clear starting point. Four fundamental questions can help frame early conversations, grounding AI strategy in purpose, organizational capacity, and values.

We read your application and are excited about your mission and potential to change lives. Great work! But—the dreaded “but”—your project is not right for us at this time. Not the right fit. Too early. Too unfocused. You’ve probably heard it all, or, all too often, you’ve heard nothing back at all. But what do your funders really mean, and what aren’t they telling you? What makes them hesitate to fund your scaling plan?

As part of its effort to work toward 100% full financial sustainability, the nonprofit VisionSpring—which provides affordable, high-quality eyeglasses to base of the pyramid customers—piloted a new hub-and-spoke program model in Central America in 2014. As the model got underway, VisionSpring realized that it was shifting upmarket, serving more affluent customers rather than those who the enterprise was created to serve.