Today I had the privilege of speaking at the 2026 Long Beach Gives Summit, presenting to a room full of nonprofit executive directors and staff from organizations across Long Beach.
My session was called “Get Found. Get Funded.” — a one-hour look at how nonprofits can make sure donors, volunteers, and AI tools can actually find them.
Why this matters before September 24
Long Beach Gives is a 24-hour community giving day. This year it lands on September 24, 2026, and hundreds of local nonprofits will be competing for attention on a single day.
Here’s what has changed: donors no longer just hear about you and give. They look you up first. And increasingly, they’re not looking you up on Google alone — they’re asking ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, and Gemini to recommend a nonprofit.
That’s the shift I wanted this room to understand. AI doesn’t return ten blue links. It returns one recommendation. The question every nonprofit should be asking is whether that recommendation is them.
The live example
Rather than talk theory, I ran a real query in front of the room. I asked ChatGPT to recommend a Long Beach nonprofit providing affordable childcare for low-income families and never named a single organization.
It put Young Horizons first. On the map, at the top of the answer, with their rating, their history, and a link to their Long Beach Gives page.
AI wasn’t guessing. It was repeating what Young Horizons had already published: a complete Google Business Profile, real reviews, a clear mission, and consistent information across the web.
That’s the whole lesson in one screenshot.
The three things AI needs
I framed the session around three pillars:
- Get found — Claim and fully complete your Google Business Profile. It’s your new front door.
- Be AI-ready — Say who you help, what you do, and where, in plain English on your website.
- Build trust — Reviews, accurate listings, named partners, and regular updates tell AI you’re active and credible.
Or, as I kept repeating: Findable = Fundable.
Get the slides and the handout
The full slide deck from today’s session is available here: Download the slides
I also created a free one-page handout — 25 Ways to Get Your Nonprofit Found on Google, Maps & AI — that expands every point from the talk into a checklist you can work through this week. Download it here.
Going deeper this July/August
For nonprofits that want to go further, I’m teaching a three-part virtual workshop series with The Nonprofit Partnership, beginning July 29, 2026. Each session covers one pillar in depth:
- Session 1: Getting Your Nonprofit Found on Google, Maps & AI
- Session 2: Making Your Website AI-Ready
- Session 3: Building Trust & Authority So AI and Search Recommend Your Organization
Registration and details are here.
About Kris Gragson
Kris Gragson is the founder of LocalLenz.ai, a Long Beach agency specializing in local SEO, Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) for small businesses and nonprofits across Southern California. A lifelong Long Beach resident with more than 15 years in local digital marketing, Kris serves on the Long Beach Gives Steering Committee, the LBCC Foundation board, and as President of the Small Business Council at the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.
Questions about your nonprofit’s AI visibility? Reach out at krisgragson@gmail.com or 562-446-6303.
