4. Have You Mistaken Gen AI for an Email Assistant?
“Association executives must move beyond efficiency plays.”
— Tori Miller Liu and Tommy Goodwin, association leaders
Using Gen AI to draft messages and summarize meetings may save time, but it does not change the organization’s value proposition.
The larger opportunity is to rebuild services around personalization and immediate support. A webinar could include an AI-assisted implementation coach. A certification could generate an individual learning path. Years of trusted publications could power a member knowledge assistant. Consulting could begin with a customized action plan rather than a blank document.
The gap between adoption and meaningful change is already visible. A 2026 nonprofit benchmark study found that 92 percent of nonprofits were using AI in some capacity, but only seven percent reported major improvements in organizational capability.
Another association-sector analysis found that 85 percent of association executives felt somewhat or not very prepared to navigate AI’s effects.
Writing newsletters faster is useful. Redesigning what members receive is strategic.
One Thing to Do
Choose one flagship service and rebuild it as though your organization were launching it today. Produce a working prototype within 90 days, test it with a small member group, and compare its use, cost, and outcomes with the existing service.
Do not spend a year studying whether Gen AI might matter.
