As a former fundraiser, I’ve been in the office at 10:00 p.m. on a week night with a grant deadline. It’s not fun and when I was raising funds, it would have been great to have AI. Unfortunately, many organizations still don’t fully appreciate AI for nonprofits, which is why my teammate, Kristy created this must-watch webinar, which touched on the following:
- The question is no longer if you’ll use AI, but how and responsibly.
- The donor comfort score data from Kindsight.
- If it doesn’t sound like your nonprofit’s voice, don’t use the content.
- The donation page copy prompt framework.
- And the idea that AI doesn’t require perfection. It requires intention.
Watch the Webinar
The Honest Truth About Where AI for Nonprofits Stands
Nonprofits, and particularly fundraisers, don’t need to sugarcoat things. It’s an awkward, in-between place now that AI is part of the equation. According to reporting by Virtuous, 92% of nonprofits have adopted AI, but only 7% say it has meaningfully expanded what their teams can do. What that means is that many, if not most, organizations are doing a quicker version of the same things they used to do.
TechSoup reported that 76% of nonprofit organizations don’t have an AI strategy. Essentially, it’s the same story. While most organizations have embraced AI for nonprofits, they’re not using it strategically. As a former manager, I can tell you that this would be a challenge I would relish, and it’s why Kristy’s webinar is so important. Moreover, in the wild west of AI, it’s essential to use it responsibly.
What AI Is Actually Good At (and What It Isn’t) for Nonprofits
For starters, it’s essential to understand what AI is and know what it can’t do. Yes, there are things that it can’t do well at this point. So, let’s explore first what AI can deliver to nonprofits.
- Faster optimized content creation.
- Better analytics and donor communications.
- Much more comprehensive donor insights and predictive analytics.
- Savings from repetitive tasks.
Those are but a few of the things AI can do for nonprofits. But what can’t it do, or what does it have trouble doing?
- It’s still somewhat clunky in its creative content, and it lacks human feeling, though it’s excellent at mimicking.
- AI doesn’t replace human connection. So, you need fundraisers more than ever to get out there and engage donors in person.
- It doesn’t have any lived experience. Again, it’s mimicking based on its programming and prompts.
- AI isn’t moral, and it doesn’t make ethical decisions.
- For nonprofit organizations, they can’t speak to donors with genuine conviction and passion about why they should support the organization.
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Where AI Is Already Helping Nonprofits: Real Examples
Most nonprofits are already using AI, and some are achieving measurable results. Here are just some of the highlights:
United Way of New York City
The nonprofit organization deployed an AI chatbot during the pandemic to engage supporters and it raised more than $50,000 by doing do.
Parkinson’s UK
The organization used AI and predictive analytics to redefine its direct mail strategy. That resulted in a 14% higher response rate and an increase of 23% in revenue.
The International Rescue Committee
This nonprofit used an AI chatbot to process refugee claims more efficiently, accurately, and quickly for people in great need.
Charity: water
The nonprofit used machine learning to understand their lapsed donor patterns—before they happened. In turn, they stabilized and retained donors to improve their attrition rate.
Greenpeace
This organization, too, used machine learning to score its donors based on their giving history. Then then worked on re-engagement before their donors slipped away.
The Nonprofit Beginner’s Playbook: Simple Ways to Start Using AI for Fundraising
Because AI for nonprofits and businesses is changing so quickly, it’s vital not to do everything at once and to keep human decision-makers in the loop. A good strategy depends on critical decisions for AI integration and optimization. Therefore, when you develop an AI plan (or hire a consultant to help you), an ideal place to start is with AI that offers low risk and high impact. That will mean minimal risk and greater immediate time savings.
As you develop an AI plan, consider your entire fundraising funnel. How can AI boost your fundraising? Well, at engagement, it can craft specific, targeted emails with timing and messaging that resonate much better than general segmentation. Of course, it can generate social pasts and content. And at the time of donation, it can advise on improving the donation page copy, helping you to boost retention or attract new donors.
Here are the five nonprofit AI starting points that can help you get faster results:
Draft nonprofit donor emails.
Use AI to understand your messaging and clarify what would motivate your supporters to take action, while humans capture the human element.
Write thank-you communications.
If you’re not clear on what a compelling acknowledgement is, use AI at your nonprofit to scope it out for you.
Create nonprofit social media campaigns.
Your nonprofit marketing team can use AI to brainstorm social campaigns that will resonate with your donors based on your history.
Repurpose existing content for your nonprofit.
If you have content that performs well, AI can help you with ideation and provide other use cases. Reimagine content for emails, social posts, ewsletters, or blurbs.
Build nonprofit fundraising campaign messaging.
Sometimes teams can get stuck in silos and need inspiration. Use AI for brainstorming new ideas, A/B testing, or to sharpen your CTAs.
The golden rule: AI is great as a starting point, but it’s not your final product. You need human eyes on everything because, after all, humans have emotions. AI doesn’t. And every fundraiser knows, first you catch hearts, then minds.
Free AI Tools for Nonprofits Worth Knowing About
Many nonprofits operate with very small budgets. But regardless, even for large organizations, the aim is to spend as much as possible on programs. If you’re seeking free AI tools for nonprofits or lower-cost options to boost your fundraising success, here’s a list.
Claude (Anthropic)
Claude is excellent at brainstorming, drafting content outlines, and summarizing documents and meetings.
Google for Nonprofits / Gemini
Qualifying nonprofits can get Google Workspace free. AI-powered features include Gmail, Docs, and Sheets, making this a good place to start for small teams.
Canva for Nonprofits
Qualifying nonprofits can gain access to Canva’s premium suite for free. With tools such as Magic Studio, marketers can use AI-powered design tools for campaigns and social posts.
Grammarly (Free Plan):
Grammarly is a must for written communications. The platform’s free tier can catch mistakes and improve clarity in written comms.
Microsoft for Nonprofits
Many organizations use Microsoft 365, which could include the Copilot AI. Microsoft offers nonprofits its special program.
While these free AI fundraising tools are good and can help bridge gaps, they don’t substitute for an AI strategy.
What to Avoid: Using AI Without Structure Can Do More Harm Than Good
Again, it’s essential to have an AI strategy, and there are resources, such as through Microsoft or independent consulting teams, like The Orange Peel Collaborative. That said, there are several things you don’t want to do.
- Never enter your donors’ sensitive personal data into public AI tools, such as ChatGPT or Claude. Doing so creates a data privacy and compliance risk.
- Don’t just create content with AI and not review and verify it. AI can mislead or even ignore boundaries, make things up, or source incorrect data.
- Don’t over-automate. Kindsight’s 2025 Donor Report noted that donors want nonprofits to draw ethical lines for AI use.
- Always use AI with human oversight and review as an operating principle. AI is only getting more powerful, but it lacks moral boundaries and human experience.
Governance and Protecting Your Brand
The reason your donors and volunteers trust you is because you’ve shown them you’re trustworthy. Therefore, protecting your brand is essential and any use of AI for nonprofits has to be used with human oversight and judgment. That’s non-negotiable. How can you protect your brand? Create an Acceptable Use Policy defining which AI tools are approved, what data can never be shared, and who reviews content or AI reporting and output.
Finally, back up AI use with nonprofit-wide AI governance policies to prevent gaps or misuse of the brand and sensitive content. Assign one person to lead the creation of that policy, maintain record-keeping of adherence, and review it twice a year. AI requires purpose and clarity, and it’s not about financial resources. In other words, it requires the will of nonprofit leaders to do it right, starting with a plan, policies, and human oversight.
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