Introduction
Mooncake sales have always been a cherished tradition for the Nan Hua Primary School Alumni Association (NHPSAA). Every Mid-Autumn Festival, alumni, parents, and the school community come together through this fundraiser, with all proceeds supporting activities that benefit our alma mater.
But behind the scenes, the process is not always smooth. For years, our dedicated volunteers handled everything manually—taking orders, confirming payments, and distributing boxes. As a non-profit organisation, we also avoid incurring transaction fees from credit card or PayNow merchant charges, which meant we never set up a proper e-commerce system.
This year, I asked myself: could there be a better way? With my MarTech background, I decided to experiment with GenAI for community building—and I was amazed by the results.
Why GenAI for Community Building Matters
Generative AI (GenAI) is often seen as a tool for businesses, but it has untapped potential for non-profits, schools, and community associations.
- It can automate repetitive tasks like data entry and follow-up messages.
- It reduces the risk of human errors.
- Most importantly, it frees volunteers to spend more time connecting with people instead of chasing spreadsheets.
Community groups like NHPSAA don’t have large budgets, so adopting expensive e-commerce platforms isn’t practical. But with the right approach, GenAI for community building allows us to get the benefits of automation without the high costs.
The Challenge – Manual Mooncake Sales
Mooncake sales have been a long-standing tradition for NHPSAA, a way to keep alumni connected while raising funds. For years, the system relied on:
- Google Forms for orders, followed by manual checks.
- Emails and WhatsApp messages to confirm payments.
- Volunteers coordinating distribution, often across dozens of groups.
It was effective, but tedious. Every year, we spent countless hours confirming transfers, drafting receipts, and answering similar questions. Mistakes—like double orders or missing receipts—were almost inevitable.
In the past, we tried to improve the system with Google Forms, but emails and messaging were still labour-intensive.
This year, as a member of the executive committee of the association, I decided to take a bold step: ask ChatGPT if it could help us build a smarter system.
Building the GenAI-Powered Solution
Here’s how we transformed the process. These are high-level descriptions without diving into technical details. If anyone is keen to explore the exact workings, please feel free to reach out!
Step 1 – Smarter Order Forms
With ChatGPT, I generated scripts to enhance Google Sheets and structure data from order forms in a clean, automated way. No more messy formatting or missed entries.
Step 2 – Automated Email Confirmations & Payment Instructions
Once an order is placed, the system tabulates the order, calculates the total, and automatically generates a confirmation email. This email includes the PayNow details, so the buyer knows exactly how much to transfer. This small step saved volunteers a huge amount of time and minimised calculation mistakes.
Step 3 – Easier Payment Reconciliation & Receipts
We didn’t link PayNow directly to the system (we still want to avoid transaction fees). A volunteer still checks the bank account, but the process is much easier now. They simply find the record, click one button to confirm payment, and the system does the rest:
- Sends the buyer an email receipt.
- Generates a WhatsApp link with a pre-written message that the volunteer can send instantly.
- Records the date and time of reconciliation, along with a confirmation email. This creates a proper track record for accountability.
Step 4 – Gentle Payment Reminders via WhatsApp
For anyone who hasn’t paid yet, ChatGPT helped us create a function that generates a WhatsApp reminder link with a personalised message. The volunteer only needs to double-check and click the link, and the reminder is ready to send. No more retyping or copy-pasting!
Step 5 – Dashboard & Reporting
Finally, a central dashboard gave the committee real-time visibility of orders, payments, and outstanding balances. For the first time, we had a clear bird’s-eye view of the entire sales process.
Results – What Changed for NHPSAA
The impact was clear:
- Time saved: Hours of manual follow-up reduced to minutes.
- Fewer errors: Orders and payments matched seamlessly.
- Happier volunteers: Less admin work meant more time to engage with alumni during distribution.
- Greater connection: Instead of being buried in spreadsheets, we focused on conversations, smiles, and the joy of community spirit.
Rethinking Connection with GenAI
A common concern is that GenAI makes us less connected—that machines will replace the human touch. But my experience showed the opposite.
By automating the repetitive, mechanical tasks, GenAI actually gave us back more human time. Volunteers could focus on face-to-face interactions and alumni bonding instead of typing out receipts.
In other words, GenAI for community building didn’t take away warmth—it amplified it.
Lessons Learned
- Start small: experiment with one part of the process.
- Let AI handle the repetitive tasks, but keep the personal touch where it matters.
- Community building is about people first, technology second—AI is just the enabler.
Future Opportunities
After seeing the success of this project, I can’t help but imagine what else GenAI could do for community groups like ours:
- Membership sign-ups and renewals
- Event registration and reminders
- Volunteer scheduling
- Newsletters and content creation
The possibilities are endless—especially for non-profits looking to stretch resources.