In this dynamic session, AI as Your Thought Partner: Rethinking How We Work, Jen Fifer of The Episcopal Academy will share a practical, real-world look at how AI is reshaping advancement work today—from idea generation and strategic planning to donor engagement, team leadership, and operational efficiency. Drawing on dozens of live examples from her own workflows , Jen will demonstrate how AI can become a reliable thinking partner that sharpens decision-making, condenses complexity, and accelerates the work of a modern advancement shop without sacrificing authenticity or institutional context.

She will be joined by Emma Sonduck, Senior Data Strategist at CASE, who will introduce the latest findings from CASE’s interactive Generative AI in Advancement report and walk participants through CASE’s comprehensive framework for responsible, scalable AI adoption across shops of all sizes. Emma will share sector-wide trends, emerging use cases, and what institutions are learning as they move from curiosity to true integration.

**What you’ll walk away with**

* A clear understanding of how AI can strengthen strategic planning, donor engagement, team management, and message refinement.
* Practical prompts and use cases you can immediately apply in your own shop—from simplifying complex decisions to elevating communications.
* A roadmap for bringing your team along, including stages of adoption, common concerns, and examples of measurable impact.
* Insights from CASE’s newest research: how peer institutions are experimenting, what’s working, and what a thoughtful, future-ready AI strategy looks like.
* A sharper sense of what’s possible when AI becomes not a replacement, but a disciplined and creative thought partner.