Fundraising with AI: Surprisingly Fun, Incredibly Effective

Think AI is cold, complicated, or not for fundraisers? Think again.

I’ve experimented myself. Asking ChatGPT to draft an email. Or an outline. Or a draft for a proposal. At first, I was unimpressed. The content was a bit generic, and often redundant. Citations were sometimes incorrect. The logic was questionable. And, of course, the writing was never in my style.

But, then I learned the art of the prompt. And that’s when things began to get fun!

AI, to me, is like having your own intelligent, fantastically responsive collaborator.

Yes, it can be a bit of a sycophant (“Great catch!” “Good point!” “Wonderful suggestion!”), but there are worse things.  Sometimes, it actually makes me chuckle. But, the best part?

Instead of spending an hour in a meeting with a colleague, and then asking them to go off and “make it so,” now I can get my finished product almost instantaneously.

It still takes time. But – it’s a good time!

Why Learning the Art of AI is Important to Fundraisers

Let’s begin with the state of this new art.

30% of nonprofits say that AI has boosted fundraising revenue in the past 12 months. Would you like to be included in this group?

Nonprofits are using a wide range of AI chatbots, with the most popular being ChatGPT (57%), followed by Copilot (23%) and Gemini (14%).

71% of nonprofits are using or planning to use AI for fundraising and event planning in 2025? You?

Yet 92% of nonprofits report that they feel unprepared for AI and 60% express uncertainty and mistrust. You?

And 40% of nonprofits say that no one in their organization is educated in AI. What do you know?

And where to begin to make the most of things and get the biggest bang for your buck?!?!

If you’re the type to plan, and get serious about this revolutionary new technology, you might consider enrolling in an AI-focused course like these offered in nonprofit marketing and fundraising by Nonprofit Tech for Good. Plus, check out these useful AI tools for nonprofits. And you can’t go wrong exploring some of the AI tools on ethics, risks, security and policies and procedures offered by Charity Excellence Framework

But for right now, why don’t we start with how AI might help your fundraising productivity? Specifically, let’s explore the art of AI prompts. Because, to master this skill there’s no need to wait.

Be Prompt about Mastering AI Prompts

Just type “ChatGPT” into your browser and start experimenting! There’s a free version, so you’ve no excuse to delay. Please allow me to share my learning curve with you by suggesting a few practices I’m sure will stand you in good stead.

1. Prompt with Precision

No collaborator (human or artificial) can help you effectively unless you’re super clear about what you need. Let’s say it’s a year-end fundraising email. Don’t simply say “Write me a year-end fundraising email.” That’s too vague.

• Who do you want to send it to?
• What’s the specific purpose of the campaign?
• How long should the email be?
• How much of the text do you want above the scroll?
• Do you want a P.S. to reiterate the main points of the ask?
• Is there a donation page link you want to include?
• Do you want to add some urgency?

My first prompt: “Write a 250 – 400-word year-end fundraising email targeting donors who gave less than $500 last calendar year and seeking funding to expand food pantry services this year to meet increased demand. Clarify if we fail to reach our goal, people in our community, including children and seniors, will not get enough to eat.”

This is what I got back – in about 2-3 seconds:

Subject Line: Help Us Feed More Families in 2026

Header: We’re Close—But We Need You to Cross the Finish Line

Body:
As 2025 comes to a close, we’re incredibly grateful for your past support. Because of donors like you, we’ve been able to keep our food pantry shelves stocked and serve thousands of families in need.

But the reality is this: the demand for food assistance in our community has grown dramatically. More families are visiting our pantry than ever before—many for the first time. Seniors on fixed incomes. Children whose families are struggling to keep up with rising costs. Parents working multiple jobs who still can’t make ends meet.

To meet this increased demand, we must expand our services in 2026. That means more food, more volunteers, and more hours of operation. But we can’t do it without you.

If we don’t reach our year-end fundraising goal, we will be forced to turn people away—people who won’t have enough to eat.

You gave generously last year—thank you. Today, we’re asking you to give again. A gift of $50, $100, or $250 will directly help feed families in your neighborhood.

Every dollar counts. Every meal matters.

Please, make your year-end gift before midnight on December 31 to help ensure no one in our community goes hungry in the new year.

[Give Now]

With gratitude,
[Your Name]
[Title]
[Organization Name]

P.S. Your support today will provide urgent relief to children, seniors, and families in our community. Let’s start 2026 with compassion—and enough food for all.

Truly amazing, don’t you think?

Now, I wouldn’t go with this exactly. I’d ask it to take out all the organization-centric language (e.g., us, we, our). And I’d probably upload a previous email to show it my preferred writing style. I might even prompt it to revise the text to make it more emotional. Or urgent. Or punchy. But it’s a great first draft that can save you hours of time. Especially if you’re the type to meticulously craft every single sentence or, worse, experience writer’s block that prevents you from even getting started.

My second prompt: Can you edit to take out most of the organization-centric words like “us,” “we” and “our?” Also, can you make the style more emotionally resonant? Play more to the donor’s sense of caring and feelings? And maybe change the header to prompt curiosity — so the email gets opened?

This is the revision I received:

Subject Line: You Can Help Keep the Shelves Full

Header: What Happens If the Food Runs Out?

Body:
There’s something heartbreaking happening in the community right now—more neighbors are quietly going hungry.

Families who never imagined needing help are standing in line at the food pantry. Seniors are skipping meals so their grandchildren can eat. Kids are going to bed without dinner.

And unless enough people step in before December 31, many of them won’t get the food they need.

Rising costs have pushed more people to seek help—but food supplies can’t keep up. Without enough funding, pantry shelves will run low. Hours may be reduced. Some families may be turned away.

That means real people—right here in the neighborhood—will go without.

A gift before the year ends can help keep food on the shelves and hope in people’s hearts.

$50, $100, or any amount can help ensure a child doesn’t go hungry, and an aging neighbor doesn’t have to choose between medicine and groceries.

The need is urgent, but so is the opportunity to help. Compassion like yours makes all the difference.

[Give Now]

Thank you for always caring—especially when it matters most.

Warmly,
[Your Name]
[Title]

P.S. The clock is ticking. A year-end gift by December 31 could be the reason someone eats tomorrow. Please don’t wait.

OMG. So much better! It’s now completely donor-centered and puts into play some psychological principles of persuasion. It flatters people in advance for their compassion and caring. It thanks them for their empathy – “especially when it matters most.” It highlights opportunity (i.e., they can actually do something meaningful that will have a specific impact). And the overall tone is both more emotional and urgent.

You could now take this further.

• You could ask it to draft alternate subject lines to conduct an A/B test.
• You could ask it to shorten this for mobile optimization.
• You could ask it to draft a second and third email in a year-end series.
• You could ask it to draft copy for social media posts (be specific about your platform(s) of choice).

 2. Make Modifiers Your Friend

In the email example above, I used the adjectives “emotional” and “urgent” to modify the type of content I sought. I could have chosen others. Let’s explore this a bit.

My third prompt: Just to compare, can we try another subject line as a test? And, instead of leaning into emotion, could we lean into wording that is still compelling and also particularly morally resonant?

This is the revision I received:

Subject Line: No One Should Be Turned Away Hungry

Header: What Happens If the Food Runs Out?

Body:
Hunger is not a crisis that anyone should face alone—especially when it’s within our power to prevent it.

Right now, local food pantries are stretched thin. More families are seeking help. More seniors are quietly struggling. More children are arriving at school without having eaten.

If resources don’t increase, the outcome is clear: people will be turned away.

Not because they don’t need food—but because there won’t be enough to give.

That’s not the kind of community most people want to live in. And that’s why your support before December 31 matters so much.

A year-end gift—$50, $100, or whatever feels right—can help make sure no one is denied the basic human right to food.

This isn’t about charity. It’s about justice.
Access to food should not depend on luck or timing. It should not run out.

The values that guide you—fairness, responsibility, compassion—can help guide this community through a time of growing need.

[Give Now]

Every act of generosity is a stand for what’s right. Thank you for making that stand possible.

With respect,
[Your Name]
[Title]

P.S. Time is running out to make a year-end gift that protects the dignity and well-being of your neighbors. Please act before December 31.

Also, very good.  This time it draws on other psychological principles of persuasion. Like the “values that guide you” (e.g., the Golden Rule; being your brother’s keeper; honoring the elderly.) You can pick what best suits your organization’s style and your donor base profile. Or you can use different revisions in a series of emails.

And, of course, you can use this same process for direct mail appeals, event invitations, thank you letters, newsletter copy and grant proposals and reports.

3. Break Things Down

Let’s say you need a draft for a grant proposal. But, first you need some research to build your case for support. Start with that.

My prompt: I’m writing a 2-page proposal to a corporate foundation asking for $25,000 to build a new food pantry. To show the need in our community, I need some data for San Francisco food insecurity. Numbers of people total who go hungry; numbers of children; numbers of seniors. Also, neighborhood by neighborhood demographics. And anything else to show the urgent need.

The AI response [Note: this is lengthy, but I want to give you a REAL idea of how useful it can be to ask for the info you need in a step-by-step manner.]:

Food Insecurity in San Francisco: Key Data

Citywide Overview

• 20% of households in San Francisco are food insecure, with 83% of community program participants reporting difficulty accessing food San Francisco Chronicle.
• SNAP benefit cuts could affect about 175,000 residents, including children and seniors, causing further strain on hunger relief systems Axios.
• Glide Foundation reports a 7% increase in demand for its meal program, with one block-long line of people waiting daily San Francisco Chronicle.

Children & Students

• 53% of students in San Francisco Unified School District qualify for free or reduced-price meals, equating to over 35,000 meals served daily SFHIP+1.
• Among Food Bank participants, 37% of households have children, and 82% of parents often worry about running out of food San Francisco-Marin Food Bank+1.

Seniors & Vulnerable Adults

• An estimated 20,000 older adults with disabilities are food insecure, alongside 80% of SRO residents—approximately 19,400 people—who face high nutritional risk; only 34% of eligible individuals receive home-delivered meals SFHIP.
• 27,000 seniors receive SSI in SF, but are ineligible for CalFresh. Nearly two-thirds fall under the Elder Economic Security Index threshold, leaving little for groceries after housing and healthcare costs Community Living Campaign.

Food Bank Impact

• The San Francisco–Marin Food Bank serves 56,000 households weekly—including 12,000 seniors and people with disabilities—and distributes approximately 156,000 meals per day, or 68 million pounds of food annually San Francisco-Marin Food Bank.
• Yet, significant concern remains: 79% of participants, and 82% of those with children, worry about food running out; 40% live in crowded households, and 72% report not having recovered since the pandemic San Francisco-Marin Food Bank.

Neighborhood-Level Inequities

• The Tenderloin neighborhood has one of the highest concentrations of children (3,500), yet no full-access grocery store; CalFresh serves over 106,000 people citywide, with children and seniors making up nearly 60% of recipients San Francisco Chronicle.
• Bayview–Hunters Point is among SF’s most isolated neighborhoods, historically a food desert, with limited access to fresh produce and disproportionately high food insecurity—especially for Latino and Black seniors and families Wikipedia.
• Visitacion Valley also qualifies as a food desert with few fresh-food retail options available Wikipedia.
• The closure of the Fillmore Safeway threatens access to food for 34,000 residents, including 4,000 living in extreme poverty, potentially creating another neighborhood-level food desert Axios.

Why These Numbers Matter for Your Proposal

• Broad Need: One in five households is food insecure—far too many lives are on the line.
• Moral and Equity Imperative: Children, seniors, and the disabled bear disproportionate burdens.
• Geographic Disparities: Certain neighborhoods are especially underserved—both in access and infrastructure.
• Rising Demand & Policy Threats: Federal cuts and increasing lines signal worsening food insecurity ahead.

These data points provide a vivid, evidence-based foundation for your request of $25,000 to build a food pantry. They illustrate not only how many people are affected but also who they are and where they live—creating a compelling, morally resonant case for urgent investment.

Let me know if you’d like additional visuals, neighborhood-specific charts, or data tailored to particular supervisor districts. (It also linked me to three newspaper articles if I wanted additional reading).

This is an iterative process. I can now ask for refinements here. Or I can move on to ask it to lay out specifically how building a new food pantry will address the growing needs. And, after that, I can ask it to draft a budget and a specific call to action.

4. Use What You Choose

If you have examples you like, upload them to share with your collaborator. These could come from your own past communications or from other nonprofits you admire and would like to emulate.

You can also share your brand template to hone in on color, tone, voice and other key indicators of your unique selling and feeling propositions.

When you begin doing this a lot, you can also create templates to use for repeated communications (e.g., newsletters, annual reports, thank you letters, etc.). If there are words you prefer to avoid, you can clarify this in your template (e.g., don’t use “vulnerable,” “at-risk,” or “disabled.” OR use “gift,” “investment,” and “support” rather than “donation.”)

AI isn’t Replacing Fundraisers—it’s Empowering Them

Used thoughtfully, AI tools like ChatGPT can dramatically reduce the time it takes to write, research, brainstorm, and build communications that actually raise money. But just like any tool, results depend on how you use it.

The art of prompting is the new fundraising superpower.

It’s not about asking AI to do your job. It’s about learning how to ask the right questions so you can do your job better—with more focus, creativity, and impact.

If you’re not yet experimenting with AI, now is the time. Start small. Be specific. Stay curious. And remember: mastery doesn’t come from magic—it comes from practice.

So, go ahead. Open ChatGPT. Try a prompt. You might just surprise yourself.

Get The 7 Clairification Keys To Unlock Your Nonprofit’s Fundraising Potential

Through a series of clairifying worksheets and individual and group exercises, this 42-page guide will give you fresh insights.

You’ll learn how to:

1. Clairify your Values and lead from passion, not need.
2. Clairify your Stories and share them; make your donors heroes.
3. Clairify your Brand and listen for offers; seize opportunities.
4. Clairify your Social Channels and meet folks where they are.
5. Clairify your Support Constituencies and be accountable.
6. Clarify your Engagement Objectives and measure.
7. Clairify your Resources/Systems for creating positive customer experiences.

Spend some time to bring your work to life with these 7 Clairification Keys. If you’re not happy for any reason, you have my no-questions-asked, 30-day, 100% refund guarantee!

Photo by Alex Knight on Pexels