How to use ai in your fundraising writing

Your opinion on using AI to write donor communications: Good? Bad?

I take a middle path re: robots and writing:

AI as your fundraising writer can be the absolute worst.

AI as a writing tool can be your bestie.

Let’s tackle the worst first. Here’s how NOT to write with AI:

❌ Don’t make it your first stop for brainstorming… or, really, for anything.

❌ Don’t directly use anything it gives you before polishing and customizing it, using your beautiful human brain.

❌ Don’t use anything it gives you without thoroughly fact-checking.

Why not?

😐 Because AI will never be able to replace a human writer. It can’t do anything original – it simply regurgitates old data again and again, with vague and beige copy that feels like…well, a robot wrote it.

😐 Because AI can’t effectively partner with you on content strategy, or advise you wisely. It hasn’t amassed your years of knowledge, skills, emotional intelligence, or nuanced insight about your mission, audience, beneficiaries, or the current context you’re writing in. As a fundraiser, your lived experience matters. And AI doesn’t have it.

😐 Because AI can’t be cognitively nimble or creatively experimental. It’s cruddy at writing anything unique or memorable. AI can only work from patterns in its training data – so it plays it safe. Takes no risks, goes out on no limbs, feels generic and templated.

😐 Because effective fundraising is emotional, not just informational. AI has no capacity for emotion.

😐 And because it’s often dead wrong. Factually inaccurate. Your AI tool may deliver false, outdated, or unverified info. And because it can only draw on limited inputs from a biased world…AI’s writing may be marked by offensive stereotypes or limiting beliefs. At best its world view is limited. That’s not the writer you need!

Instead, use AI like THIS for your fundraising writing:

✅ (Because AI will constrain your creativity…) do your first brainstorm with your own brain. (Better yet, a brain party with your human colleagues!)

✅ Ask AI if it has anything else to contribute to your original, human brainstorm.

✅ Be super specific in the prompts you give AI. The more context and detail – including about the audience you’re writing for – the better its output. Try giving it constraints (anything you don’t want included in results) and a perspective to write from (e.g., a senior-level professional copywriter with fundraising expertise who holds a certificate in philanthropic psychology).  

✅ Take everything AI gives you with a grain of salt. Always fact-check and correct as needed.

✅ MAINLY use AI as a “fresh set of eyes.” Load your complete draft copy + info about your target audience and ask how well you’ve spoken to their identities, values, and barriers to taking action. OR, upload your writing project’s creative brief first, then your draft copy – and ask AI how well you’ve fulfilled the brief.

✅ Think of AI as a sometimes-helpful tool to do your best fundraising writing. Nothing more. It bears repeating: Never, ever use AI’s writing verbatim in your donor comms!

And a few goodwill warnings:  

💡 When you upload anything to AI, you’re essentially sharing it with the entire Internet. Be sure you understand your privacy and control options on any AI tool. Consider password protecting your content – and/or opt out of having your data used for the tool’s learning.

💡 Be mindful of sharing any personal or sensitive information about your beneficiaries or your donors. Just don’t!

💡 Be thoughtful about whether AI aligns with your mission and values. For example, are you an environmentally-focused nonprofit? AI is a huge energy and water hog, putting out substantial carbon emissions. There are also issues with its hardware production and disposal, including depleting rare earth minerals. How might your donors feel about that?

When I asked ChatGPT why it’s not a great fundraiser, here’s how it replied:

“AI is not a substitute for a human fundraiser because fundraising is ultimately about human connection, trust, and emotional resonance — areas where AI, no matter how advanced, still falls short.”

There you have it, straight from the robot’s mouth. AI is good for what it’s good for — As one tool in your writing toolkit.

So here’s celebrating YOU and your humanity, in all you do! I’m rooting for you.

P.S. Don’t want to DIY your copywriting? I can help. Just 8 spots remain for Appeal-In-a-Day with me this summer and early fall. After that, the door closes on my day rate until 2026 – when the price will also go up. Connect with me to reserve your preferred Appeal-in-a-Day date, before it’s gone!