What happens when a tech innovator with 40+ years in the industry applies AI to help mission-driven organizations work smarter, faster, and at scale?

In this episode of Pitch, Build, Scale, we sit down with Chris Hanson, Co-Founder of The Databank, to explore how a pioneering nonprofit SaaS company evolved from dial-up databases in the ’90s to AI-powered CRM bots today.

Chris shares how AI is unlocking efficiency for nonprofits: freeing up precious time and resources, improving data insights, and enabling faster, more impactful decisions. From early struggles in the dot-com era to bootstrapping a social mission-driven SaaS, this is a story of resilience, innovation, and staying ahead of technology curves.

Whether you’re a SaaS founder, software agency leader, or simply curious about AI’s role in creating real-world change, you’ll find valuable takeaways here.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

02:00 Chris Hanson’s journey into tech and nonprofits

04:41 From marketing consultancy to The Databank

08:41 Building a social mission into a for-profit SaaS

10:42 Pivoting from fundraising software to hybrid SaaS solutions

11:48 How the Sierra Club shaped The Databank’s early innovation

14:20 Why AI is a perfect fit for nonprofit efficiency

16:45 Overcoming adoption hurdles with AI

19:21 The mindset that drives ongoing innovation

20:21 Comparing AI to past tech revolutions

22:37 How The Databank uses AI internally

23:22 Legacy and impact stories

25:54 The future of nonprofit tech in an AI-driven world

28:04 The pace of AI change and ongoing learning

29:01 Where to connect with The Databank

Resources:

🌐 The Databank – https://www.thedatabank.com

🌐 Big North Marketing – https://www.bignorthmarketing.com