"How do we evaluate whether it's actually working?" Define success before you start. Useful metrics include time saved on specific tasks, volume of content or communications produced, staff satisfaction with their workload, and error rates in AI-assisted work compared to prior processes. If you adopted AI to speed up grant writing, measure how long proposals now take. If you adopted it to improve donor communications, track engagement rates. Vague goals produce vague results.

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Revisit your evaluation every 90 days, especially in the first year. AI tools update frequently, staff develop new habits, and your organization's needs evolve. If you cannot identify a measurable improvement after a reasonable trial period, the tool may not be the right fit, or it may need to be applied to a different problem. Honest evaluation — including the willingness to say something is not working — is what separates thoughtful adoption from technology for technology's sake.