Defining Your "Why": The First Step in Your AI Roadmap

Brett Price
Nov 14
6 min read

You're hearing about AI everywhere, but it's hard to know where to start. This post gives you the first practical step to take, no tech-talk required.

TL;DR: Stop Buying AI, Start Solving Problems

Most AI projects fail. They fail because leaders buy an AI tool without knowing what problem they're trying to solve. For a BC nonprofit or small business, your time and money are too precious for that.

The right way to start is by ignoring the technology and focusing on your mission.

This post will show you how to:

Define your strategic "Why" before you ever look at a tool.
Use a simple framework to find the best, high-impact "quick wins."
Align your team (even the skeptics) around the right goals.
Build a 1-page business case to get started.

Don't Start with the Tech, Start with the 'Why'

I talk to leaders at small businesses and nonprofits across British Columbia every week. The conversation is always the same: a mix of excitement and anxiety about AI. You've heard the hype. You feel like you're falling behind. You're tempted to buy a subscription to the "latest tool" just so you can say you're "doing AI."

This is the most common mistake, and it's the fastest path to failure.

A successful AI implementation never, ever starts with the technology. It starts with your core mission.

Before you ask "What AI tool should we buy?" you must first answer a much more important question:

"What is our most critical strategic goal right now, and how could technology help us achieve that goal?"

This is your "Why."

For a small business, your "Why" isn't "to use AI." It's "to reduce the time we spend on admin so we can serve 20% more clients."
For a nonprofit, your "Why" isn't "to have an AI." It's "to increase our program's reach and impact by automating our manual reporting."

This simple shift from focusing on tools to focusing on outcomes is the most important first step you can take. It ensures your AI efforts are focused, purposeful, and directly contribute to the success of your organization.

A Real-World BC Example: The Kelowna Tutoring Non-Profit

Let's make this practical. Imagine a small non-profit in Kelowna that provides after-school tutoring for at-risk youth. Their team is passionate but completely overwhelmed by paperwork, scheduling, and reporting.

The Wrong "Why": Their Executive Director feels the pressure to innovate and decides, "We need to use AI to look modern." They spend $5,000 on a fancy new AI platform. The team, already busy, doesn't know what to do with it. They see it as a threat to their jobs. It's confusing, it doesn't solve a specific problem, and after six months, no one is using it. The project fails.
The Right "Why": The E.D. gathers the team and asks, "What is our biggest strategic goal, and what's stopping us?" The team agrees: "Our goal is to help more kids. What's stopping us is that our tutors spend 10 hours a week on administrative tasks instead of teaching."

Now they have a clear purpose. Their "Why" for exploring AI is:

"To find tools that can automate our administrative tasks, freeing up our tutors' time to work directly with more students."

They don't rush to buy a new tech stack. Instead, they start by using AI to automate one simple process: summarizing session notes. It's a small, quick win. The team loves it. They see AI as a helpful "co-pilot," not a threat. From there, they build momentum.

A Simple Framework for Finding Your 'Why'

So how do you find your own "Why"? You don't need a high-priced consultant. You just need to audit your own processes.

The best place to apply AI is where your team is already experiencing the most friction. I call it the "3R Framework": find tasks that are Repetitive, Rules-Based, and Routine.

Repetitive: Tasks you do over and over. (e.g., sending the same follow-up email, writing weekly reports, creating social media posts).
Rules-Based: Tasks that follow a predictable logic. (e.g., "If a form is submitted, then copy the data to this spreadsheet, then send this email").
Routine: Tasks that are a standard, non-creative part of your workflow. (e.g., transcribing meeting notes, scheduling appointments).

These "3R" tasks are the perfect candidates for AI automation. They are high-impact, low-risk opportunities.

How do you find them? Ask your team:

"What is the most tedious, time-consuming part of your job?"
"What's the 'dumb work' you wish you could delegate?"
"If you had an extra 5 hours a week, what strategic work would you finally have time to do?"

The answers to these questions will give you a data-driven, prioritized list of where to start your AI journey.

How to Align Your Team (Even the Skeptics)

You've found your "Why." You've found a high-impact task. Now you have to get your team on board. This is often the hardest part.

The moment you say "AI," your team hears "job replacement." You must address this fear head-on, with empathy and a clear plan.

Frame AI as a "Co-pilot," Not an "Autopilot." This is the most important concept. An autopilot replaces the human. A co-pilot makes the human better. You are not buying a tool to replace your program coordinator; you are giving them a co-pilot to handle the boring parts of their job so they can focus on the human parts.
Focus on "WIIFM" (What's In It For Me?). Don't talk about "organizational efficiency." Talk about "eliminating the report you all hate writing." Show your team how AI will make their personal, day-to-day job easier, less tedious, and more impactful.
Start with a Small, Easy Win. Don't try to automate your entire fundraising process on day one. Start with one simple, low-risk task. Show the team how AI can summarize their meeting notes in 30 seconds. A small, tangible win is the most powerful way to turn a skeptic into a champion.

Building the 1-Page Business Case

Now you have your "Why," your first project, and your team alignment strategy. You need to put it on paper to get formal buy-in from your board or leadership.

For a BC small business or nonprofit, a complex, 50-page strategy document is a waste of time. You need a simple, powerful, One-Page AI Strategic Plan.

This one-page plan is your business case. It should have five simple sections:

Our "Why" (The Mission): A clear, one-sentence statement. (e.g., "Our 'Why' is to automate admin tasks to free up our tutors to serve more students.")
Our Top 3 Priorities (The Problem): The first 3 high-impact, low-risk "3R" processes you will focus on. (e.g., 1. Meeting Summaries, 2. Social Media Drafting, 3. Donor Thank-You Emails).
Our Key Tools (The Solution): The 1-2 core AI platforms you will start with. (e.g., "We will start by mastering the AI tools we already have in Google Workspace and a Pro ChatGPT account.")
Our Success Metrics (The Proof): Your 1-2 SMART goals. (e.g., "Reduce time spent writing reports by 50%," "Save 5 hours of admin time per team member per week within 60 days.")
Our Guiding Principles (The Rules): Your simple, non-negotiable rules on data privacy and responsible use. (e.g., "1. No confidential beneficiary/client data in public AI. 2. A human is always the final check.").

That's it. A single page that tells everyone what you're doing, why you're doing it, how you'll measure success, and how you'll do it safely. This document creates alignment and focus.

Your Action Checklist

You don't need a budget of millions or a team of data scientists to get started, just take the first, practical step.

Ask "Why?" Not "What tool?" Gather your team and identify your single biggest strategic goal for the next quarter.
Audit One Process. Find your first "3R" (Repetitive, Rules-Based, Routine) task that supports that goal.
Talk to Your Team. Introduce the "co-pilot" model and get their input on how it could solve their biggest headaches.
Draft Your 1-Page Plan. Use the framework above. It might take 30 minutes, and it will be the most valuable 30 minutes you spend on AI all year.