Where knowledge, technology,
and nonprofits intersect.

Practical, honest writing about AI and technology for nonprofit leaders. 156 issues and counting.

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Latest Issue

#156 — Friday Finds: "Vibe Coding" Sounds Ridiculous Until You Try It

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Deb Stuligross

Hi, I'm Deb.

I've spent years in nonprofit technology consulting and IT leadership — the room where technology meets mission, and where good intentions don't always survive contact with the tools.

StrefaTECH is my way of making sense of it all: one idea at a time, for people who care about doing it right. No vendor hype, no academic jargon. Just practical thinking from someone who's been in the room.

More about Deb →

  • For nonprofit leaders, not engineers Written for people running programs, managing teams, and making decisions — not debugging code.
  • Practical over theoretical Every issue is anchored in what actually works in the real world — not what sounds good on a whiteboard.
  • Warm, first-person, occasionally wry Like a note from a colleague who read the hard stuff so you don't have to.

Preliminary results: you're further along than most.

In issue #150, I launched a reader survey asking where you see yourself on the AI adoption curve. Here's what you're telling me so far.

Early responses cluster on the Slope of Enlightenment and Plateau of Productivity — almost no one is stuck or disillusioned. The innovation graveyard, it turns out, is empty. And across every stage, nobody expects to be using less AI in six months.

The clearest ask from open-text responses: more practical how-tos. Safety — both as a topic of interest and as a real barrier to moving faster — came up often and unprompted.

I'm delighted by the early response. I'd love to hear from more of you — it takes about 2 minutes and genuinely shapes what I write about.

Take the survey →
Time / Maturity → Innovation Trigger Peak of Inflated Expectations Trough of Disillusionment Slope of Enlightenment Plateau of Productivity

The intersection is where things get interesting.

The three circles aren't just a logo — they're the whole idea.

StrefaTECH Venn diagram — the intersection of knowledge, technology, and nonprofits

Knowledge

What's actually happening in AI, data, and tech — researched, sourced, and fact-checked before it lands in your inbox.

Technology

The tools, platforms, and practices that matter to the sector right now — not last year's news.

Nonprofits

The context, constraints, and mission realities that shape how technology actually works — or doesn't — in your organization.

Recent issues

A sampling of what's been on my mind lately.

Issue #156 cover Latest

#156 — Friday Finds: "Vibe Coding" Sounds Ridiculous Until You Try It

I built a webpage for my choir. No coding required.

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Issue #155 cover Also Recent

#155 — Who Needs the Greeting Card Aisle?

How I used AI to turn my photos into personalized cards and gifts — and how you can too.

Read on Substack →
NTC Detroit — March 2026

Let's continue the conversation.

If you're here from my NTC talk — welcome. The question I posed isn't rhetorical. The conversation in the comments on issue #143 is already going, and it's a good one.

"There are so many questions surrounding AI, climate and the personal choices we make about how we use it. In that way it's similar to other energy-consuming choices — modes of travel, the types of appliances we get... and yes, the temperature we set our thermostats at."
— Kim
"Right-sizing your model is probably the single easiest way to cut both cost and carbon."
— Pawel
"A long-time AI avoider — been including it in small ways lately. Reading this was very helpful. It will be a yes-AI for me with these tips in mind."
— Samuel

Two practical things you can put in your AI acceptable use policy right now.

Use the simplest AI model that gets the job done.

Generate images and video with intention, not habit.

What are you going to do differently? What questions did the talk leave you with? I read every comment.

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