Gravyty Announces the First Artificial Intelligence in Advancement Advisory Council (AAAC) and Introduces Inaugural Members

BOSTON, Oct. 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Gravyty, the first provider of AI-enabled fundraising software for Advancement, today announced the establishment of the AI in Advancement Advisory Council (AAAC), a board of the world's most forward-thinking thought leaders, technologists, and Advancement experts aligned under the common goal to shape the future of Advancement through revolutionary artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

"Artificial Intelligence has proven to be the catalyst that changes the way people work, across all industries," says Adam Martel, CEO at Gravyty. "With the launch of this first-of-its-kind council, I'm excited and grateful to have the opportunity to partner with these amazing and inspiring leaders to define how artificial intelligence will impact the future of advancement for nonprofit organizations. This council will be at the center of major progress in applying AI in advancement and, ultimately, this core will change the world by accelerating the impact that nonprofit organizations have on the world at large."

The AI in Advancement Advisory Council will initially focus on three key initiatives:

• Define and evaluate specific use-cases to accelerate the impact of AI in Advancement
• Aggregate learnings from the use of artificial intelligence in advancement and communicate best practices to the community, at large
• Guide the Advancement community in ethical applications of AI technology

"We're living in the most exciting, but also the most critical time in the history of philanthropy. A one-percent increase in annual giving in the U.S., for example, would generate billions of dollars more for organizations working to improve our world. I believe that AI and Machine Learning have the power to achieve this incremental change and go even further to define the future of generosity," said Nathan Chappell, Senior Vice President, Philanthropy, City of Hope. "I'm honored to join the AAAC because our collective work will make these revolutionary technologies accessible to nonprofits around the world while inspiring more acts of generosity at scale."

The AAAC will guide the progress of AI in Advancement, discuss where the technology can and should have an impact, and solve key challenges that stand in the way of widespread progress. The AAAC will also have access to Gravyty's product roadmap for the purpose of influencing Gravyty's development of real-world applications of AI in Advancement.

The AAAC is comprised of 15 inaugural members, including:

Armin Afsahi, Vice Chancellor, Advancement, University of Denver

Dan Allen, Vice President, Advancement, DePaul University

Marijana Radic Boone, Executive Director, Advancement Services, College of Charleston

Evelyn Buchanan, Associate Vice President, University Advancement, California State University, Chico

Nathan Chappell, Senior Vice President, Advancement Operations and Giving Campaigns, City of Hope

Jim Dicker, Vice President, Development and Alumni Relations, University of Delaware

Karin George, Principal & Co-owner, Washburn & McGoldrick

Rod Grabowski, Vice President, University Advancement, University at Buffalo

Laurel Lyle, Vice President, Development Operations and Fundraising Programs, Cure Alzheimer's Fund

Adam Martel, co-founder & CEO, Gravyty

Rich Palmer, co-founder & CTO, Gravyty

Kim Rich, Executive Director, Advancement Services and Annual Giving, Medical University of South Carolina

Reed Sheard, Vice President, College Advancement and Chief Information Officer, Westmont College

Colleen Whelan, Director, Advancement Services, Providence College

David Woodruff, Associate Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Resource Development, MIT

"Higher Education is going to change more in the next 10 years than it has in the past 100 years. Some people think this change means higher education is in trouble but I believe our best days lie ahead as we learn to leverage disruptive technologies in ways that benefit our institutions and students," said Reed Sheard, Vice President for College Advancement and Chief Information Officer, Westmont College. "The AAAC is a group of leaders who understand that AI and Machine Learning present opportunities to combine the art of building strong relationships with the science and data of systems so we can redefine the future of fundraising. I couldn't be more excited to join the council and work alongside the top thought leaders in Advancement."

To keep updated on the AAAC's progress, please follow the council's page: www.gravyty.com/aaac.

About Gravyty
Gravyty is the nonprofit industry's leading provider of AI-enabled fundraising software. With Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Gravyty automates the most time-consuming processes for frontline fundraisers. Gravyty's products empower fundraisers to build lasting donor relationships and raise more revenue for their missions in ways never before possible. Led by former fundraiser Adam Martel and AI technologist Rich Palmer, Gravyty was founded at Babson College and is driven by their motto, "You shouldn't have to learn your software; your software should learn you."

Media Contact:
Kevin Leahy
Gravyty
1-833-GRAVYTY (472-8989) 
[email protected]

SOURCE Gravyty