Podcast Summary: RKD Group Thinkers

Episode: How can nonprofits navigate the digital front? A conversation with technology expert Charles Lehosit
Date: June 13, 2025
Host: Justin McCord (B), with Ronnie “Three Buttons” Richard (C)
Guest: Charles Lehosit (A), SVP & Head of Digital, RKD Group

Episode Overview

This episode welcomes back Charles Lehosit, recognized tech innovator and digital leader newly returned to RKD Group after a stint with Fundraise Up. The conversation explores the evolution of digital in the nonprofit space, the importance of curiosity and continuous learning, lessons from for-profit and tech experiences, and the impact of emerging technologies like AI on donor relationships and nonprofit operations. Charles shares insight into leadership, the value of strong processes, and encourages nonprofits to lean into digital learning while staying grounded in their missions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Early Days of Digital in Nonprofits

• In 2013-2017, digital in nonprofits was like the "wild West." Email and basic web updates were primary, and digital media was just coming into focus.

• Nonprofit tech often lagged far behind for-profit, and Charles emphasizes the need for basic digital best practices.

  “Digital in the nonprofit industry really felt like the wild West. … We were inventing solutions. We were breaking new ground for so many organizations.”
  — Charles, [04:34]

2. From For-Profit to Nonprofit: Perspective Shift

• Charles’ experience at major brands (Aflac, Coca-Cola, General Mills) gave him a dreamer’s mindset, but nonprofits needed scalable, cost-sensitive solutions.

• He argues that the best digital professionals are visionaries determined to deliver.

  “Our space needs more dreamers, but they need dreamers that are hell bent, that are focused on delivering the dream, delivering the vision.”
  — Charles, [09:19]

3. The Power of Learning and Curiosity

• Charles details a love of learning as the most vital trait for digital professionals.

• His information diet is wide-ranging—he follows data privacy, analytics, CRO experts, not just nonprofit figures.

• He credits mentors Amanda Watson (leadership), Tim Kirsten, and Perry Moore (importance of gratitude), and emphasizes peer learning and mentoring’s reciprocal benefits.

  “To be successful in digital, you have to have some love of learning. … It doesn’t mean you have to know all of it… But a love of learning, I think, is how you stand out…”
  — Charles, [11:55]

4. Making Technical Topics Accessible

• Anecdote: Charles makes dry topics relatable, e.g. comparing the unknown number of socks in one’s drawer to nonprofits’ lack of awareness about how many JavaScript files are on their sites—emphasizing data security and PCI compliance.

  “Most nonprofits don’t know how many JavaScript files or JavaScript, you know, tags, media tags are loading on their website at any given moment.”
  — Charles, [18:37]

5. Lessons from “Walkabout” at Fundraise Up

• Charles’s time at Fundraise Up gave broader industry exposure, insight into process, documentation, and organizational enablement.

• Observed many nonprofit team members wanting to transition to tech companies, noting sector burnout and turnover.

  “…Their obsession with developing process for scale… [left] a very strong impression on me… documentation, the training of it, the enablement.”
  — Charles, [21:36]

• Returns to RKD energized, seeing even more rapid change ahead:

  “…The amount of change that the industry… is going to experience in the next three to five years is going to eclipse what… we’ve experienced in the 10 years prior.”
  — Charles, [25:42]

6. Work-Life Balance & Outside Interests

• Despite his digital focus, Charles unwinds on his Kansas farm, embracing outdoor life and family. He listens to tech podcasts while mowing—never truly shutting off his curiosity.

• Jokes about not being fun at parties, unless sharing farm or AI facts.

  “One of my favorite things is plugging into my podcast and my zero turn mower… That and just reading, I love to read. …I can’t switch it off. So maybe that means I’m not fun at parties.”
  — Charles, [26:14]

7. The Future: AI & Donor Relationships

• Charles predicts AI will fundamentally change how people research and donate to causes, likening future donations to simple AI-assisted or bot interactions.

• Notes that AI recommendations already show subtle biases based on prompt details.

• The real challenge for nonprofits will be maintaining human connection and attention amid rising digital "noise".

  “How we shop in the future is going to be very different. …That clues us into how we’re going to support nonprofits, how we’re going to donate to them.”
  — Charles, [29:23]

8. Recommendations for Nonprofits Preparing for AI

• Charles urges nonprofit teams to embrace and experiment with AI.

• He believes many stopped using tools like ChatGPT because results were initially lackluster; the key is investing time in quality prompts and even developing custom models (“mini models”).

• Leaders should encourage team members, especially those hesitant or who struggled with AI, and focus on empowering staff rather than calling them out.

  “If you have team members that have discarded AI because of their experience from 2023 to 2024, then you’re really missing out on an opportunity… The time and energy that we put into our prompts, into our inputs will improve drastically the output and the quality.”
  — Charles, [32:39]

  “As a leader, we need to huddle up with our team members… help empower them to make sure that the team members that… probably need the most resources are taking advantage of them.”
  — Charles, [37:36]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On being an outsider:
  “If you are feeling like you have imposter syndrome at any time, right there with you.”
  — Charles, [07:17]

• On socks and cybersecurity:
  “If you know the exact number of socks that you have in a sock drawer, that’s a different level. … Most nonprofits don’t know how many JavaScript files… are loading on their website at any given moment.”
  — Charles, [18:37]

• On balancing digital and farm life:
  “There’s something almost picturesque about a digital leader living on a farm.”
  — Justin, [28:15]

• On returning to RKD and gratitude:
  “We are incredibly thankful for your journey and your return and the… leadership that you’re providing into this new era of digital.”
  — Justin, [38:06]

Important Segment Timestamps

• Charles on digital’s “wild West” era – [04:34]
• How for-profit experience shaped nonprofit strategy – [09:19]
• Importance of continuous learning and team curiosity – [11:55]
• Mentorship, gratitude, and learning from peers – [11:55]
• Making cybersecurity relatable (the “socks” story) – [18:37]
• Insights from Fundraise Up and industry reflection – [21:36]
• Predictions for AI and donor behavior – [29:23]
• Advice for nonprofits to get AI-ready – [32:39]
• On supporting teams through AI adoption – [37:36]

Conclusion

Charles Lehosit stands out as both a dreamer and realist: passionate about innovation but grounded in pragmatic leadership and process. His journey from working with global brands to pioneering nonprofit solutions informs a nuanced perspective on digital. He champions continual learning, making complex tech accessible, and equipping nonprofit professionals to leverage transformative tools like AI.

For nonprofits navigating their digital futures, he advises cultivating organizational curiosity, investing in AI literacy, and not losing sight of authentic connections with supporters, even as technology reshapes the philanthropic landscape.