Practical Use Cases from the Field
Artificial Intelligence is no longer some futuristic tool—it’s here, and the best fundraisers are already putting it to work.
In this post, we’ll summarize lessons on the ways you can use tools like ChatGPT to write faster, think clearer, and communicate more personally. Read the ideas below, then watch our webinar to see how this plays out in real time.
If you’re a fundraiser with limited time, a long to-do list, and a big revenue target… this is for you.
- Write Faster. Communicate Better.
AI can help with just about every writing task you face—especially when you’re stuck with a blank screen.
You can use AI to:
- Draft donor proposals or case statements
- Personalize thank-you notes or event follow-ups
- Brainstorm email subject lines or social media copy
- Refresh your organization’s vision and mission language
Even some of the early Large Language Models sound like humans. The more recent models, some trained specifically on creative writing or copywriting, are even better.
- Plan and Prioritize Smarter
Need to build a new fundraising plan? Map your next campaign? Update your gift table?
AI can serve as a strategic planning partner—helping you:
- Build full fundraising plans with goals, strategies, and budgets
- Organize your calendar for donor outreach
- Break down large projects (like a gala) into step-by-step tasks
- Generate gift pyramids or stewardship pathways
Tools like Goblin Tools and NotebookLM can break down complex work and summarize content so you can move faster and focus on higher-value decisions.
- Understand Your Donors Better
With the right prompts, an AI can help you:
- Analyze your donor list (anonymized!) for upgrade or renewal opportunities
- Segment audiences based on behavior or giving levels
- Draft moves management strategies customized by donor type
- Write personalized donor reports using program data
This doesn’t require a fancy CRM integration—just a bit of structured data and thoughtful prompting.
- Build Custom Voices for Regular Communication
Let’s say your VP of Development sends a weekly update to major donors. Your Executive Director writes a quarterly letter. You publish an annual newsletter. Instead of writing from scratch every time, use ChatGPT to learn each unique voice and style. All you need to do is:
- Gather 4–5 examples of each type of communication
- Upload them into a ChatGPT project
- Instruct the AI to emulate tone, format, and purpose
- Then, prompt it weekly with the topic—saving hours
- Create Presentations in Minutes
Need to turn your fundraising plan or annual impact report into a slide deck? Tools like Gamma or even PowerPoint’s native AI can generate a clean, professional presentation in minutes.
Just upload the document and ask it to design slides with visuals and key points. No need to start from scratch.
- Be Curious. Ask Big Questions.
AI isn’t just about efficiency. It’s also a powerful tool for insight and ideation.
Use it to:
- Brainstorm new campaign themes
- Draft questions for a donor interview
- Compare giving trends or interpret policy changes
- Test messaging with different audience segments
You’re not just saving time—you’re sharpening your thinking.
Bonus: Watch the Webinar
We hosted a webinar with Stephen Rowe in May 2025, a digital entrepreneur and AI early adopter. Stephen shared specific prompts, real use cases, and ways to start using AI immediately—even if you’re brand new to it.
Watch the full replay here: https://youtu.be/yHTJoKZkfcg?feature=shared
