There is a lot happening in AI. In Calm Infrastructure Lab, I’d like us to bring the conversation back to the work our organizations need to do. What is one workflow inside your nonprofit that you would fix before buying another AI tool? It might be preparing a grant report, assembling a board packet, following up with partners, or finding information that seems to live in one person’s head. If you’re comfortable sharing, name the workflow and the part that puts the most pressure on your team. Keep names and sensitive information out of the example. We can use the conversation to distinguish what needs a clearer process, what ordinary automation could handle, and where AI might be useful. One workflow is enough to begin. I’ve attached One Workflow First, a two-page fillable guide you can use with your team. Map one recurring process, choose a small improvement, name the owner and reviewer, and compare the workload before and after. You can type into the PDF or print it. Latoya

Practical AI. Stronger systems. Room for the mission. The Calm Infrastructure Lab | LUR Growth Issue 002 | September 18, 2026 This week: build a board packet someone else can assemble A board packet can look like a document, but it is really a chain of decisions. Someone has to know which reports belong in it, where the approved numbers live, what changed since the last meeting, who can see sensitive information, and who decides that the packet is ready. When those decisions live in one person's head, the packet becomes heavier every month. AI may help gather approved material or create a first draft, but it can't fix unclear ownership or decide what belongs in front of the board. This week, the goal is simple: make one section of your next board packet clear enough for another person to assemble safely. Three updates worth understanding 1. ChatGPT can work with more connected business data: On September 10, OpenAI added a Data plugin to ChatGPT Business. It can help eligible teams analyze connected business data and create reports or dashboards. OpenAI notes that workspace administrators control installation and that connected-account permissions still apply. Read the ChatGPT Business release notes: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/11391654-chatgpt-team-release-notes My practical take: access is not the same as approval. Before connecting a source, name which board questions it supports, which fields are needed, and who is allowed to see the result. A faster report is not useful if it draws from the wrong source or exposes information the reader should not receive. 2. Microsoft is treating AI governance as an ongoing operating practice: Microsoft's September 1 Responsible AI update describes governance that follows the full lifecycle of an AI system. It highlights tool permissions, action monitoring, practical controls, and the people responsible for implementing policy. Read Microsoft's Responsible AI update: https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2026/09/01/responsible-ai-in-2026-how-we-are-adapting-for-whats-ahead/

If AI is on your list but you are not sure where to start, I have put together a practical starter for you in CALM Starters. The free Nonprofit AI Triage Pack includes: • Three copy-and-paste prompts to find a capacity drain, turn notes into an action list and check a draft against its evidence. • A fictional example you can try without sharing organizational records. • A printable prompt pack and a First-Win Worksheet. Set aside 15 to 20 minutes. Pick one prompt, check the result and record your next action. Get the free starter here: https://www.skool.com/the-calm-infrastructure-lab-3421/classroom/2f442ab6?md=0b4a690cdf204e208d5dee6a1c7f872e After trying the starter, tell us: what task did you choose, and what did you need to correct? Keep your examples general and leave private records out of your comment.

I’m enjoying my last week away, and it's got me thinking about what happens when leaders return. The hardest part is often not the workload. It is the decisions that quietly wait for one person’s approval. My latest article explains how to identify those decisions, assign clearer ownership, and create simple rules that help an organization keep moving when you are away. https://latoyaurobinson.substack.com/p/why-the-week-after-your-vacation?r=5txwfd&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Practical AI. Stronger systems. Room for the mission. The Calm Infrastructure Lab | LUR Growth Issue 001 | September 4, 2026 This week: make one report easier to finish There is a lot of AI news right now. You do not need to keep up with every release to make useful progress. For this first Calm Capacity Brief, I want to connect the updates to something familiar: the report that pulls you into three spreadsheets, two email threads, and a search for the latest numbers. The starting point is a clear process, trustworthy information, and a person who reviews the result. Three updates worth understanding 1. Claude: new models, the same need for clear boundaries On September 1, Anthropic announced Claude Fable 5.1 and Mythos 5.1. Fable 5.1 is generally available; Mythos 5.1 is restricted to trusted access programs. Anthropic also described new enterprise safeguards with a phased rollout planned for later this fall. Those safeguards should not be assumed to be active in your account today. Read Anthropic's announcement. My practical take: if you use Claude or Claude Code, test a familiar task with fictional data before changing a working process. Check the result against the source, including what the model leaves out. A stronger model still needs a defined job and a reviewer. 2. ChatGPT and Codex: more capability, staged access OpenAI's update for August 31 through September 4 describes the initial GPT-6 Astra rollout for enterprises in its Trusted Access Program, with broader access expected afterward. It is not a promise that every member can select it today. Read the official weekly update. My practical take: do not rebuild your process around an announcement. If a new model becomes available, compare it with your current tool on one repeatable task. Count review time and corrections, not just how quickly it produces a first draft. 3. Perplexity: a more explicit pause before actions