Skilled Volunteer Joe Fuqua has been assisting Apparo and our nonprofit partners since 2015, contributing his expertise a wide range of needs
Joe began his journey with Apparo as a volunteer with the nonprofit Alexander Youth Network through a Community Impact Project, where he conducted a full technology assessment. This initial engagement set the stage for many more impactful projects to come.
Joe has volunteered with 7 nonprofits, participated in 2 nonprofit education presentations, and delivered education in 2 cohorts, which accounts for 804 hours of volunteering, and delivered $211,575 worth of value since 2015.
As Joe states, “I’ve been connected to Apparo for a number of years as a volunteer and former board member, and it’s been one of the most meaningful parts of my professional and personal journey here in Charlotte. My work with Apparo has primarily focused on helping nonprofits and community organizations better understand and apply AI. Through education sessions and hands-on discussions, I’ve aimed to make complex technology approachable—showing how tools like AI can drive efficiency, expand reach, and ultimately amplify impact even for organizations with limited resources.”
In 2023, Joe became an integral part of Apparo’s AI cohorts. Partnering with the Knight Foundation, Joe led an AI educational session for 8 nonprofits, discussing how AI can be used to enhance business process operations and assist with engaging story-telling. “I also enjoy bringing in elements of my own art-related projects, highlighting that AI is not just about automation or analytics but also creativity and storytelling. Those conversations often spark fresh thinking for nonprofit leaders about how technology can deepen engagement with their communities in authentic and innovative ways,” explains Joe.
Joe also participated in several informational sessions and webinars discussing AI usage in nonprofits. For The Georgia Nonprofit Center, Joe partnered with Apparo and other volunteers to discuss the power of AI and the best AI tools for a group of 76 nonprofit employees. He discussed the usage of AI for nonprofits in the AI for Social Good Playbook presentation with SHARE Charlotte and Apparo. With both of these presentations, Joe made himself available to answer any questions participants had on AI.
More recently, Joe conducted AI training for the United Way of Greater Charlotte and Habitat for Humanity of Charlotte. In these trainings, Joe trained nonprofit employees on the usage of Microsoft CoPilot, including applications for productivity and collaboration as well as effective prompt engineering to get the best results. He also discussed the ethical use of AI, limitations of AI and how to create an effective AI organizational strategy that aligns with the nonprofits values.
“Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of seeing Apparo’s mission from multiple perspectives. What stands out to me most is the reciprocal nature of the work—I’ve learned just as much from these organizations as they’ve taken away from me.” – Joe Fuqua
Joe makes a difference for the Charlotte community and beyond.
Yenting Liu of Apparo shared of Joe, “Joe Fuqua has been my go-to AI volunteer since AI started to really take off in the nonprofit space. He has led countless webinars, workshops, and team trainings—year after year—helping our nonprofit partners stay ahead of the curve. Always open and willing to share his knowledge, Joe has a remarkable ability to break down complex topics into clear, practical insights. His flexibility, generosity, and steady guidance have empowered so many nonprofit professionals, me included, to feel confident embracing AI tools.”
Interested in becoming involved as a volunteer at Apparo? Find out more here.
