How to Use ChatGPT for Nonprofit Fundraising
- kit644
- Aug 13
- 5 min read
By now, most professionals have heard something about ChatGPT. We’ve heard it all, from “It’s my fundraising sidekick!” to “I use it for everything except making coffee” to “It’s going to take over the world and that’s why I’m always so polite to it.” Opinions on ChatGPT are all over the map.
At Donor Boom, we believe that no AI can replace human insight, passion, and expertise. But we’re also a small team that produces a lot of work. And most our amazing nonprofit clients are small teams who produce a lot of work!
So yes, we use ChatGPT- and we teach our clients how to use it- to save time, spark creativity, and support smarter fundraising. This article shares how (and why).
How to Use ChatGPT for Fundraising
Not everyone is sure whether they should use ChatGPT. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but IF you do want to use it to support your fundraising, it helps to know HOW.
3 Ways to use Chat GPT for Fundraising
Fundraisers wear a lot of hats. ChatGPT can take some of the load off (like that LinkedIn post you’ve been putting off writing for three days).
ChatGPT Saves You Resources
There aren’t many formal studies yet, but one Reddit user said ChatGPT saves them 5+ hours per week (link). Donor Boom saves about that, too. And on a small team, five hours is a big deal.
Build Reusable Fundraising Templates with ChatGPT
Once you’ve written something great, you want to reuse it. ChatGPT is ideal for creating templates you can revisit and customize, like annual fund letters or volunteer thank-you emails.
ChatGPT Helps With Fundraising Brainstorming
Some fear that ChatGPT will make you sound robotic. In some cases, it can help you make things MORE personal. You can brainstorm more creative solutions in less time, allowing you to dive deeper into meaningful content. For example:
What are 10 budget-friendly ways I can make our otherwise traditional Annual Fundraising Gala unique and fun?
Can you rewrite this letter for a specific donor who has been donating to us for five years? They’ve attended galas and volunteered at our walk-a-thon.
Can you edit this social media post to include some emojis and energy?
ChatGPT Prompt Engineering for Nonprofit Fundraising
So how do you get ChatGPT to write something truly worthwhile? Two words: prompt engineering. A prompt is just what you type into ChatGPT. The more specific you are, the better the output.
Example:
❌ Write a fundraising email.
✅ Write a 3-paragraph email inviting lapsed donors to give by June 30 to unlock a board-sponsored match. We've attached our nonprofit’s case for support below so you understand the work we do.
The second prompt gives the AI a clear audience, purpose, structure, and incentive. That’s how you get results you can actually use.
Then you can say, “That’s a great first draft. Can you make the tone warmer, and include some space for personalization?”
You can then ask, “ Do you think I’m missing anything in this draft that would make it more compelling and persuasive?”
Once you have prompts that work, save them in a shared doc so your team can reuse and adapt them. Here are a few to try:
Write a thank-you script for a board member calling $500+ donors.
Draft a newsletter intro based on our case for support.
Brainstorm gala names that fit the theme “community”.
ChatGPT Mistakes To Avoid For Nonprofits
Mistakes happen (we're only human, after all). But let's see if we can make your AI journey a little smoother.
Always Fact Check ChatGPT
ChatGPT is wrong...a lot (though it is getting better every day.) A 2024 Purdue study found it presents incorrect answers 52% of the time (link). We learned this the hard way early on in our ChatGPT era, when a client flagged a factual error in a proposal we hadn’t properly reviewed. We lost the project. Talk about a mistake we’ll never make again.
Never Take ChatGPT’s First Draft
Even when ChatGPT is right, it still lacks a little humanity. Sometimes it uses language that’s off-brand for you, or downright flat. Make sure to add your personality and tone into your content, or people will struggle to connect.
Also, be mindful of ChatGPT’s habits. It often uses the em-dash, neutral tones, parentheticals, and repetition.
And finally, check for bias. Chat GPT aggregates content to develop its output, and we all know that we human content-creators have been known to slip into language that doesn’t portray the human race equitably all the time .
Don’t Rely on ChatGPT for Highly-Specific Fundraising Information
ChatGPT is not great at nuance, complex storytelling, or detailed grant narratives. Avoid using it for institutional proposals or technical writing where precision and expertise matter most. Remember, YOU are the fundraising expert, not AI.
Don’t Put Confidential Donor Data in ChatGPT
By default, ChatGPT ‘remembers’ everything you tell it. Anything you enter, like a donor’s name, giving history, or email, could be stored and used to improve the system. Even though OpenAI does not share personal data externally, it's not a secure platform for sensitive information. If need be, use account numbers instead of names!
Don’t Lie About Using ChatGPT
People have strong feelings about ChatGPT, and while you don’t need a disclaimer, honesty matters. One of Donor Boom’s clients asked us not to use AI at all, so we didn’t! They appreciated our transparency and flexibility, which built trust and strengthened the relationship. There’s room to respect everyone’s opinions and wishes.
How We Use ChatGPT to Help Nonprofits
Donor Boom proudly uses ChatGPT, but it’s important to note how we do and do NOT use this tool.
ChatGPT for Fundraising Strategy
We’re strategy-first, always. Our team, led by seasoned fundraising CFRE Sari McConnell, relies on data and experience to shape campaigns.
For cornerstone materials like a support case, we might use ChatGPT for light edits, but never for core messaging. These documents demand strategic thinking and donor insight that AI just doesn’t have.
That said, ChatGPT can help us draft variations of longer-form content like multi-platform annual fund letters or campaign narratives once we’ve developed the content strategy, the donor segmentation, and shared our case for support.
Read “Fundraising Strategies For Nonprofits: Everything You Need To Know” to learn more about Donor Boom’s approach to strategy.
ChatGPT for Fundraising Coaching
We’ve used ChatGPT to create customizable templates and guides that extend the impact of our coaching. Clients can adapt these tools long after our engagement ends, which helps them stay aligned and consistent without starting from scratch. Yes, we are training our clients to thrive without us. That’s the point!
ChatGPT for Grant Services
When it comes to grants, we only use ChatGPT for light editing, like fitting an answer into a word count. Grantwriting requires nuanced research, detailed alignment with funder priorities, and careful compliance. Use AI as an editor, not a content creator.
ChatGPT for Marketing
We do use ChatGPT to support our outreach. It helps us brainstorm, draft, and refine newsletters, social posts, and webinar promotions. We’re even starting to play with it for graphics! It’s not always perfect, but it gives our content professionals a jumping-off point.
Should My Nonprofit Use ChatGPT?
At the end of the day, whether you should or shouldn’t use ChatGPT is entirely up to you and your nonprofit’s needs. But if you want to use this tool to improve fundraising, now you can.
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