With AI shaping how we work, many nonprofit leaders are asking: what does this mean for the future?

At the OTUS Nonprofit Exchange, Cherry Chan shared a grounded perspective—starting with a simple but powerful question from her 12-year-old daughter: “If AI is doing all of this… what am I going to do?”

Her answer? We don’t have all the answers—but AI isn’t here to replace us. It’s here to change how we work.

From automating repetitive tasks to supporting proposals and communications, AI is expanding what teams can do—not replacing them. At OTUS, team members are already experimenting with AI tools to increase capacity.

But the real value of human work remains in three areas AI can’t replace: judgment, storytelling, and relationships.

In a time of uncertainty, Cherry’s message is clear: we’re not behind, and we’re not being replaced. The organizations that thrive won’t be the most technological—they’ll be the most human.

In this episode of the Unfiltered Nonprofit Podcast, Cherry Chan sits down with Lana Hann, Executive Director of Gilda's Club Simcoe Muskoka, for a deeply personal conversation about leadership, resilience, and what it really means to support the people behind a mission-driven organization.

Lana shares the experiences that shaped her career in the nonprofit sector — from losing someone close to suicide early in life, to caring for her mother through breast cancer, to eventually facing her own cancer diagnosis years later. Throughout the conversation, she reflects on how those experiences changed the way she views leadership, workplace culture, and community support. Rather than separating personal experiences from professional work, Lana explains how those moments became the foundation for the kind of leader she wanted to become.

Cherry and Lana also explore the operational side of nonprofit leadership and the realities many Executive Directors face every day. From balancing limited resources and growing programs, to building strong teams and creating psychological safety in the workplace, the conversation offers an honest look at the challenges of nonprofit operations. Lana shares practical leadership lessons around hiring, accountability, staff check-ins, and building a culture where everyone is willing to “roll up their sleeves” to support the mission. She also discusses how Gilda’s Club has expanded its services by collaborating with hospitals, facilitators, and community partners instead of duplicating existing supports — allowing the organization to better serve people impacted by cancer while remaining financially sustainable.

At the heart of the episode is a conversation about people. About creating spaces where individuals feel seen, understood, and supported during some of the hardest moments of their lives. Lana shares the story behind Gilda’s Club Simcoe Muskoka, the importance of kindness in leadership, and why supporting staff as people first ultimately strengthens organizations as a whole. It’s an honest and thoughtful conversation that many nonprofit leaders — especially those carrying both personal and professional responsibilities — will relate to.

$30 million raised—and Krystal Valencia still says fundraising isn’t the answer.

Krystal is the founder and CEO of Rental Rescue, a nonprofit that steps in when affordable rental buildings are at risk of being lost. Instead of starting with grants or campaigns, Rental Rescue started with financial modeling during COVID—nights and weekends spent learning capital stacks, understanding cash flow, and figuring out how housing actually works as an asset.

Over several years, that approach led to more than $30 million raised. But Krystal is clear: traditional nonprofit funding models aren’t built for problems at this scale.

Foundations may hold massive endowments, but most distribute only around 5% of their assets each year. That means nonprofits are competing for a shrinking pool of capital while being asked to solve billion‑dollar housing challenges. In housing, the math breaks down fast.

Rental Rescue flipped the question. Instead of asking “how much can we fundraise?”, they ask “what’s the minimum capital needed to make this sustainable?” From there, they build cash‑flowing structures, partner with credit unions, and put operational and digital systems in place so nonprofits aren’t handed buildings they don’t have the capacity to run.

Fundraising still matters—but Krystal argues it can’t be the whole plan. Sustainability has to be designed, not hoped for.

If nonprofits are expected to solve systemic problems, why are so many still built on short‑term nonprofit funding?