Inside the Series: Advancement Amplified - AI for IA

Last November, I was invited to join Mallory Willsea for a quick podcast segment during the AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education in Las Vegas. Our conversation was meant to be short and sweet—just a few thoughts on AI adoption in advancement. But what started as an impromptu recording turned into something much bigger.

That one episode sparked an idea.

What if we created a mini-series dedicated to the intersection of AI and Institutional Advancement? Not theoretical debates or hand-wavy trends—but real, tangible insights for higher education professionals trying to navigate a rapidly evolving space.

From there, Advancement Amplified: AI for IA was born.

I pitched the concept, mapped out a five-episode arc, recruited sharp guests, recorded interviews, and partnered with Enrollify to bring it to life.

It’s now out in the world—and I’m proud to say it delivers exactly what I’d hoped: a practical, accessible guide for exploring the opportunities to use AI to level up advancement work.

Each episode runs 35–45 minutes and dives into a specific theme. Below are quick snapshots so you can jump in where it matters most.

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Episode 1: The State of AI in Advancement Today

Featuring: Matthew Lambert (William & Mary) and Dan Frezza (College of Charleston)

Top Takeaway: Virtual Engagement Officers like “Wren” and “Alex” are helping institutions build one-to-one donor relationships at scale—freeing up human fundraisers to focus on what matters most.

Why Listen: You’ll hear how two institutions are leading the charge in leveraging AI without losing the human element. A great primer for anyone rethinking donor engagement.

​Listen Now: Episode 1​

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Episode 2: Practical Applications for Advancement

Featuring: Kim Infanti (Syracuse University)

Top Takeaway: Tools like Claude, Copilot, and ChatGPT are making content personalization and segmentation dramatically easier—and platforms like Protopia are creating entirely new ways to connect alumni and students.

Why Listen: Kim shares practical, tested use cases from Syracuse’s advancement team, with a focus on enhancing efficiency and meaningful engagement.

​Listen Now: Episode 2​

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Episode 3: AI's Impact on Advancement Teams

Featuring: Andrew Gossen (Cornell University)

Top Takeaway: With the right approach, AI can reduce friction for donors and increase focus time for teams through content automation and predictive modeling.

Why Listen: Andrew breaks down what works (and what doesn’t) when deploying AI to streamline fundraising and engagement—and why culture and training matter.

​Listen Now: Episode 3​

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Episode 4: High-Impact Uses of AI

Featuring: Adam Martel (Givzey + Version 2 AI)

Top Takeaway: As “digital labor” becomes a real staffing solution, institutions must balance innovation with transparency, ethical use, and trust.

Why Listen: Adam offers a compelling take on autonomous AI in advancement—what it can do now, and how to implement it without misleading donors or overreaching on data.

​Listen Now: Episode 4​

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Episode 5: The Future of AI in Advancement

Featuring: Mark Koenig (Oregon State University Foundation)

Top Takeaway: You don’t need a massive tech stack or budget to begin. Start with one high-impact use case and build from there.

Why Listen: Mark outlines a realistic roadmap to getting started with AI—plus insights into how it’s transforming prospecting, stewardship, and donor experience.

​Listen Now: Episode 5​

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Short on Time? Here's How to Dive In

Let’s be honest—this is an overwhelming time for both education and fundraising right now. From hiring freezes and staffing cuts to multimillion-dollar research grants being slashed, the pressure to innovate and do more with less has never been greater. If listening to a full episode feels out of reach right now, here are a few practical ways to chip away at the series and still get the insights you need:

• Break it up: Listen to 10-15 minutes at a time—on a walk, during lunch, or while clearing your inbox.
• Speed it up: Play back at 1.3x or 1.5x speed to absorb more, faster.
• Start with what resonates: No need to go in order—pick the episode that feels most relevant to your work right now.
• Pair it with a task: Listen while driving, exercising, cleaning the house, walking the dog, or making dinner. Let the conversations and insights run in the background while you move through your day.

Remember from our career resilience chat from last week: the best time to invest is now.

See you next Thursday.

Dan

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