35 AI prompts for nonprofits & fundraising teams

AI can draft a donor email in seconds. But too often you spend the next 10 minutes rewriting its output. It leaves you wondering why AI isn’t proving to be the time-saver everyone claims.

It’s the prompt that makes the difference.

The best AI prompts for nonprofits give the tool enough context to produce something genuinely useful, whether you're writing that donor email, preparing a grant application, promoting an event, or summarizing campaign results.

This guide provides 35 ready-to-use prompts for donor communications, grants, social media, volunteer outreach, reporting, and more. They’re broken into categories so you can easily navigate to what’s relevant. You’ll find templates you can customize with your own details, plus complete examples showing exactly what a finished prompt looks like.

We'll also look at what changes when AI can securely access your actual fundraising data instead of waiting for you to provide the context in every prompt.

Key takeaways

• Good AI prompts are specific. The best prompts give AI a clear task, audience, tone, context, constraints, and desired format, rather than relying on vague instructions.
• Generic prompts are useful for everyday nonprofit work. Teams can use them to draft donor appeals, grant content, social posts, volunteer communications, and internal summaries as long as they provide the necessary details themselves.
• Data-grounded prompts go a step further. By connecting Givebutter to tools like ChatGPT or Claude, nonprofits can ask questions about real donor, campaign, and giving data without manually copying that information into every prompt.
• AI output still needs human review. Nonprofits should fact-check names, dates, numbers, and donor details before using AI-generated content, especially for external communications.

7 nonprofit AI prompts for donor communications & appeals

Donor communications work best when they reflect the relationship someone already has with your organization. The prompts below give AI enough context to produce a useful first draft while leaving space for the campaign details, donor information, and organizational voice only you can provide.

1. Year-end fundraising appeal 🎯

A year-end appeal should connect the donor to what their support can accomplish and give them a clear reason to act now. Include your fundraising goal, what donations will fund, and any deadline or matching-gift details.

✍️ Example: “Write a year-end fundraising appeal for Riverbend Community Food Network to send to people who have donated at least once in the past two years. We are raising $50K by December 31 to provide groceries and freshly prepared meals to families experiencing food insecurity this winter. Last year, our programs provided more than 120K meals across the county.

Use a warm, hopeful tone, keep the email to approximately 200 words, and end with a clear request to donate. Do not invent any statistics, stories, or program details I haven't provided.”

2. Mid-level donor ask 💵

For donors who have already shown meaningful support, the message should acknowledge that relationship rather than treating them like a new prospect. Give AI some context about their previous support and the specific amount or range you plan to ask for.

✍️ Example: “Draft a personal fundraising email for a mid-level donor who has supported Riverbend Community Food Network for four years and previously gave $500 toward our summer meal program.

We are currently raising funds to expand our weekend grocery program for families with school-age children. Ask them to consider a gift of $750 and explain that this amount could help provide weekend grocery boxes for 15 families. Keep the tone appreciative and personal without being overly familiar or pushy.”

3. Lapsed-donor re-engagement email 🔁

The goal here is to reconnect, not make the donor feel guilty for stepping away. Provide enough information about their past connection and what's happened since their last gift to make the message relevant.

✍️ Example: “Write a re-engagement email for a donor who last gave to Riverbend Community Food Network in 2023. Thank them for their previous support of our emergency food assistance program, share that we have since opened two additional weekly food distribution sites and now serve more than 600 households each month, and invite them to support our winter food drive.

Use a warm, welcoming tone and avoid language that pressures or shames them for not donating recently. End with a simple call to action.”

4. Donor thank-you note 💌

A strong thank-you note should make the donor feel that their contribution was noticed and appreciated. Include the gift or campaign context and, where possible, a concrete detail about what their support helps accomplish.

✍️ Example: “Write a thank-you note to a donor who gave $100 to the Summer Meals Campaign at Riverbend Community Food Network. Thank them sincerely and explain how their gift helps provide nutritious breakfasts and lunches to children who rely on school meals during the academic year. Use a warm, genuine tone and keep the note under 120 words. Focus on appreciation rather than making another fundraising ask.”

5. Recurring-gift upgrade ask ⬆️

When asking a recurring donor to increase their gift, start by recognizing the consistent support they already provide. Give AI the current contribution, proposed upgrade, and a concrete explanation of what the additional amount could support.

✍️ Example: “Draft an email to a recurring donor who currently gives $25 per month to Riverbend Community Food Network. Thank them for their ongoing support and invite them to consider increasing their monthly gift to $35.

Explain that the additional $10 each month could help provide fresh produce, pantry staples, and other groceries for a local family. Keep the message appreciative and low-pressure, and make it clear that their current support is already valued.”

6. Fundraising event invitation 🎟️

Give AI the practical event information, along with the reason someone should want to attend. Include what the event supports, who you're inviting, and what attendees need to do.

✍️ Example: “Write an email inviting donors, volunteers, and community partners to Harvest Together, a fundraising dinner hosted by Riverbend Community Food Network on October 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Riverside Community Center.

The event will bring supporters together for dinner, impact stories, and a silent auction, with proceeds supporting our emergency food assistance program. Tickets are $60, and our goal is to raise $25K. Use a welcoming, upbeat tone and end with a clear invitation to buy a ticket by October 10.”

Dive deeper

Learn the difference between silent auctions and raffles →

7. Campaign follow-up for donors who haven't given yet 📬

A follow-up shouldn't simply repeat the original appeal. Give AI something new to work with, such as a progress update, approaching deadline, matching opportunity, or recent impact, to give supporters a reason to take another look.

✍️ Example: “Write a follow-up email to supporters who received our previous appeal for Riverbend Community Food Network's Winter Food Drive but have not yet donated. Since our first email, we have raised $32K of our $50K goal, and a local business has offered to match all gifts made during the final week of the campaign up to $5K.

Donations will help provide groceries and prepared meals to local families during the winter months. Keep the message concise and encouraging, avoid guilt-based language, and end with a clear request to donate before December 31.”

6 nonprofit AI prompts for grants & funder communications

AI can help you get a first draft on the page, tighten existing language, or adapt the same program information for different funders. The key is to provide the facts yourself, including program outcomes, budget figures, and funder requirements, rather than asking AI to fill in what it doesn't know.

1. Letter of inquiry (LOI) opener ✉️

An LOI opening needs to quickly establish who your organization serves, what you're seeking funding for, and why the work matters. Give AI the essential program and funding details, plus any priorities the funder has identified.

✍️ Example: “Write the opening paragraph for a letter of inquiry from Riverbend Community Food Network to the Oakwood Community Foundation. We are requesting $40K to support our Weekend Grocery Program, which serves families with school-age children in Riverbend County.

We are addressing limited access to nutritious food when children who rely on school meals are home for the weekend; our program provides participating families with boxes of fresh produce, pantry staples, and easy-to-prepare meals every Friday. The funder prioritizes food security and programs supporting children and families. Keep the opening concise and specific, and do not add statistics, outcomes, or claims I haven't provided.”

2. Grant narrative section 📝

For a grant narrative, tell AI exactly which section you're working on and provide the relevant facts. Include the funder's question, word limit, and any points the response needs to cover.

✍️ Example: “Draft a response to this grant application question: 'How will this program address a demonstrated need in your community?’ The response must be no more than 300 words.

Use the following information about our program: Riverbend Community Food Network's Weekend Grocery Program serves families with school-age children who experience food insecurity. Participating families receive grocery boxes each Friday containing fresh produce, pantry staples, and easy-to-prepare meals.

The program currently serves 180 families, and funding would allow us to expand to 250. Referrals come through local schools and community organizations. Prioritize information that directly answers the question, use clear and specific language, and do not introduce facts or outcomes that aren't included in my notes.”

3. Funder update or report summary 📊

Funders typically want to know what happened, what changed, and how their funding contributed. Give AI your reporting-period results, challenges, and notable developments so it can organize them into a concise update.

✍️ Example: “Turn the following program notes into a 250-word update for the Oakwood Community Foundation covering the period from January 1 to June 30: The Weekend Grocery Program distributed 4,320 grocery boxes to 180 participating families. We added one new school referral partner in March. Rising food costs meant we had to adjust some items included in each box, but we maintained weekly distributions throughout the reporting period. Grant funding helped cover food purchases, packaging, and transportation.

Highlight progress toward our funded goal of providing reliable weekend food access to families with school-age children and explain how the funder's support contributed to the work. Keep the language clear and factual, and do not add or estimate any results that aren't in my notes.”

4. Budget narrative 🧾

A budget narrative should explain what the major expenses are and why they're necessary to deliver the proposed work. Provide the actual budget figures and purpose of each expense, so AI isn't left to guess.

✍️ Example: “Draft a budget narrative for a grant proposal using the following approved budget: $45K for food purchases, including fresh produce and pantry staples;

• $12K for transportation and delivery costs;
• $8K for packaging and food storage supplies; and
• $15K for a part-time program coordinator who manages school referrals, volunteers, and weekly distributions.

The total project budget is $80K, and we are requesting $40K from the Oakwood Community Foundation. Explain how each major expense supports Riverbend Community Food Network's Weekend Grocery Program and our goal of providing reliable weekend food access to families with school-age children. Use concise, professional language and preserve all figures exactly as provided.”

5. Grant application response shortening ✂️

Strict word and character limits can make an otherwise strong grant response difficult to submit. AI can help trim an existing draft while preserving the facts and strongest points.

✍️ Example: “Shorten the grant response below to no more than 200 words while preserving its key facts, outcomes, and argument. Remove repetition and unnecessary wording before cutting substantive information. Don’t change any names, dates, statistics, dollar amounts, or other factual details.

Here’s the current response: ‘Riverbend Community Food Network launched the Weekend Grocery Program to help families with school-age children maintain reliable access to food outside of the school week… [CONTINUE WITH REMAINDER OF DRAFT]’.”

6. Grant rejection follow-up 🤝

A rejection doesn't necessarily mean the end of the funder relationship. AI can help draft a brief follow-up that thanks the funder for considering the proposal and opens the door to useful feedback or future opportunities.

✍️ Example: “Draft a short follow-up email to the Oakwood Community Foundation after Riverbend Community Food Network's proposal for the Weekend Grocery Program was not selected for funding.

Thank them for considering our application, express our continued interest in their work around food security and support for children and families, and politely ask whether they can share any feedback that could strengthen a future application. Keep the message gracious and concise, and don't challenge or question their funding decision.”

6 nonprofit AI prompts for social media & marketing content

AI can speed up social content creation, but to get the best result, you have to give it the right audience, platform, message, and source material. The prompts below help nonprofits create content that feels specific to the channel.

1. Platform-specific social media post 📱

Different platforms call for different styles, so tell AI where the content will be published and what you want the post to accomplish. Include the campaign details, audience, tone, and any call to action you want featured.

✍️ Example: “Write a LinkedIn post promoting Riverbend Community Food Network's Weekend Grocery Program. The audience is local business leaders, community partners, and prospective corporate supporters, and the goal is to raise awareness and encourage partnership inquiries.

Include that the program currently serves 180 families with school-age children each week and that Riverbend is working to expand the program to 250 families. End with a clear call to action to learn more about corporate partnership opportunities.

Match the professional, community-focused style of LinkedIn while keeping the tone warm and informative. Do not invent statistics, quotes, or program details I haven't provided.”

2. Campaign countdown post ⏳

Countdown posts work best when they give supporters a reason to pay attention beyond simply saying how many days are left. Include your deadline, progress toward the goal, and one useful piece of campaign context.

✍️ Example: “Write an Instagram countdown post for Riverbend Community Food Network with five days remaining in our Winter Food Drive. We have raised $38.5K toward our $50K goal, and donations will help provide groceries and prepared meals to local families during the winter months.

Include that a local business is matching gifts made during the final week up to $5K. Keep the post concise, energetic, and encouraging, and end with a call to donate or share the campaign.”

3. Volunteer spotlight 🌟

A volunteer spotlight should feel personal and appreciative without exaggerating someone's contribution. Give AI a few verified details about the volunteer, their role, and what they enjoy about supporting the organization.

✍️ Example: “Write a Facebook volunteer spotlight featuring Maya Thompson from Riverbend Community Food Network. She has volunteered with us for two years and helps pack Weekend Grocery Program boxes every Thursday evening.

Include this quote from Maya: ‘I love knowing that a few hours of my week can help make someone else's weekend a little easier.’ Explain briefly that volunteers like Maya help Riverbend prepare and distribute grocery boxes to 180 families each week. Use a warm, appreciative tone and keep the focus on recognizing the volunteer rather than making a fundraising ask.”

4. Impact-story caption 💬

Impact stories can help supporters understand what a program looks like in practice. Provide the verified story details and tell AI to preserve privacy where necessary.

✍️ Example: “Write an Instagram caption based on this impact story from Riverbend Community Food Network: A parent enrolled in our Weekend Grocery Program told our team that the Friday grocery boxes help make sure there’s enough food at home for their three children until school meals resume on Monday. The family has asked to remain anonymous.

Connect the story to the Weekend Grocery Program and explain that supporter contributions help Riverbend provide fresh produce, pantry staples, and easy-to-prepare meals each week. Use a warm, respectful tone and keep the caption to approximately 150 words. Don’t add names, quotes, circumstances, or outcomes that I haven't provided, and preserve the family's anonymity.”

5. Fundraising event promotion post 📣

For event promotion, give AI both the practical details and the reason the event matters. That makes it easier to create a post that does more than repeat the date and ticket link.

✍️ Example: “Write a Facebook post promoting Harvest Together, a fundraising dinner hosted by Riverbend Community Food Network on October 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Riverside Community Center.

The event will include dinner, stories from our programs, and a raffle, and proceeds will support our emergency food assistance program. Tickets are $60 and must be purchased by October 10. Use a welcoming, upbeat tone and end with a clear call to buy tickets.”

6. Repurpose a longer piece of content for social media ♻️

Annual reports, newsletters, blog posts, and campaign updates often contain several useful social posts. Instead of asking AI to summarize everything, tell it which source material to use and which messages to preserve.

✍️ Example: “Turn the following quarterly program update from Riverbend Community Food Network into three LinkedIn posts:

‘During the first six months of the year, our Weekend Grocery Program distributed 4,320 grocery boxes to 180 participating families. In March, we added Riverside Elementary School as a new referral partner, helping us connect with more families who may need weekend food assistance. Volunteers also continued to pack grocery boxes every Thursday evening and help with Friday distributions.’

One post should focus on the 4,320 grocery boxes distributed during the first six months of the year, one should focus on our new school referral partnership, and one should focus on how volunteers support weekly distributions.

Each post should work as a standalone update for community partners and supporters. Preserve all names, numbers, dates, and other factual details exactly as provided. Use a professional but approachable tone and include a relevant call to action where appropriate. Don’t introduce information that doesn't appear in the source material.”

Dive deeper

Learn how to effectively use social media as a nonprofit →

5 nonprofit AI prompts for volunteer & event communications

Volunteer and event communications need to be clear, timely, and easy to act on. These prompts can help you draft everything from recruitment posts and shift confirmations to event reminders and thank-you messages.

1. Volunteer recruitment post 🙋

A volunteer recruitment post should tell prospective team members what they'll be doing, when they're needed, and what they need to know before signing up. Include any age, experience, time, or other participation requirements upfront.

✍️ Example: “Write an Instagram volunteer recruitment post for Riverbend Community Food Network. We need 20 volunteers to help with our Saturday food distribution on November 14 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Riverside Community Center.

Volunteers will organize grocery boxes, welcome participating families, and help load groceries into vehicles. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old, and no previous experience is required. Use a friendly, encouraging tone and end with a clear call to sign up through our volunteer registration page.”

2. Volunteer shift confirmation ✅

Shift confirmations should make it easy for volunteers to find the information they need without searching through previous emails. Give AI the shift details, arrival instructions, contact information, and anything volunteers should bring or wear.

✍️ Example: “Write a volunteer shift-confirmation email for Riverbend Community Food Network for volunteers helping with our Saturday food distribution. Their shift is on November 14 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Riverside Community Center. Ask volunteers to arrive by 7:45 a.m. and check in at the volunteer table inside the main entrance.

Volunteers should wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes and bring a reusable water bottle. Free parking is available in the community center's east lot. Anyone who needs help before their shift can contact our volunteer coordinator, Jordan Lee, at the volunteer office. Keep the email friendly, concise, and easy to scan.”

3. Event reminder ⏰

An event reminder should highlight the details attendees need right before the event, including the date, time, location, arrival information, and anything they need to bring or do beforehand.

✍️ Example: “Write an event reminder email for people registered for Harvest Together, hosted by Riverbend Community Food Network. The event is on October 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Riverside Community Center. Doors open at 6:00 p.m., and guests should check in at the welcome table in the main lobby.

Free parking is available in the east and south lots, and attendees don’t need to bring printed tickets. The silent auction will open when doors open and close at 8:30 p.m. Use a friendly, upbeat tone and keep the email concise and easy to scan.”

4. Last-minute volunteer update 🚨

Schedule changes, weather, parking issues, or updated responsibilities sometimes require a quick message to volunteers. Give AI only the confirmed change and tell it what volunteers should do next.

✍️ Example: “Write a short text message to volunteers scheduled for Saturday's food distribution at Riverbend Community Food Network. Let them know that the distribution has been moved indoors because heavy rain is expected.

Volunteers should still arrive at the Riverside Community Center at 7:45 a.m., but they should enter through the north entrance instead of reporting to the outdoor distribution area. Tell volunteers to reply to the message if the change affects their ability to attend. Keep the message calm, direct, and concise.”

5. Post-event thank-you 💛

A post-event thank-you is an opportunity to show attendees or volunteers what their participation contributed to. Provide the actual event results so AI can make the message specific.

✍️ Example: “Write a post-event thank-you email from Riverbend Community Food Network to everyone who attended Harvest Together. Thank them for spending the evening with us and supporting our work. The event raised $28.4K for our emergency food assistance program, with 175 guests attending and 30 volunteers helping throughout the evening.

Explain that the funds raised will help Riverbend provide groceries and prepared meals to local families experiencing food insecurity. Use a warm, appreciative tone and keep the focus on what the community accomplished together.”

Dive deeper

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5 nonprofit AI prompts for reporting & internal summaries

AI can also help turn a pile of notes, results, and updates into something colleagues can quickly understand and act on. For internal reporting, provide the source information yourself and tell AI what the audience needs.

1. Board-update summary 🧑‍💼

Board members usually need the highlights rather than every operational detail. Give AI the reporting-period results, major developments, challenges, and upcoming priorities, then specify what should receive the most attention.

✍️ Example: “Turn the following updates from Riverbend Community Food Network into a concise board update covering July through September:

• Our Weekend Grocery Program served 195 families each week, up from 180 at the end of June.
• Our summer fundraising campaign raised $42.6K against a $45K goal.
• We recruited 18 new volunteers, but still struggle to fill Friday afternoon distribution shifts.
• We also began a new referral partnership with Lincoln Middle School in August.
• Next quarter, our priorities are the Winter Food Drive and recruiting additional Friday volunteers.

Organize the summary around program performance, fundraising, volunteers, and upcoming priorities. Call out any decisions or issues that require board attention. Preserve all names, dates, dollar amounts, and other figures exactly as provided, and do not add information that isn't in my notes.”

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2. Fundraising campaign recap 📉

A campaign recap should make it easy to see what happened, how the results compared with the goal, and what the team can learn for next time. Include both the final results and relevant context, such as donor participation, campaign channels, or tactics that performed particularly well.

✍️ Example: “Create an internal recap of Riverbend Community Food Network's Winter Food Drive using these results:

• The campaign raised $52.3K from 418 donors against a $50K goal.
• Of those donors, 96 were giving to Riverbend for the first time.
• Email generated $31.2K in donations, social media generated $8.6K, and the remaining gifts came through direct outreach and other sources.
• A matching-gift campaign during the final week generated $9.4K of the total.

Compare the results with our $50K fundraising goal, highlight what performed well and what fell short, and identify three takeaways for the next campaign based only on the information provided. Preserve all figures exactly and clearly distinguish observed results from recommendations.”

3. Meeting notes summary 🗒️

Raw meeting notes often mix decisions, discussion points, questions, and follow-up tasks. Tell AI to separate those pieces so the team can quickly see what was decided and what happens next.

✍️ Example: “Turn these notes from our weekly fundraising meeting at Riverbend Community Food Network into a clear internal summary:

‘The team reviewed plans for the Spring Meals Campaign launching March 10. Maya will finish the donor email sequence by February 26. Jordan will confirm the campaign landing page copy with the communications team by March 1. We agreed to set the campaign goal at $35K. The team discussed running a matching-gift week, but no decision was made because we still need to confirm a sponsor. Alex will contact three prospective matching sponsors before next week's meeting.’

Organize the summary into key discussion points, decisions made, and action items. For each action item, include the assigned owner and deadline. Don’t assign owners, deadlines, or decisions that weren't explicitly provided.”

4. Program performance summary 📋

Program teams often collect plenty of activity and outcome data, but still need to turn those numbers into a readable update for colleagues. Give AI the verified results and ask it to surface the most important changes without drawing conclusions that the data can't support.

✍️ Example: “Summarize the following results for the Weekend Grocery Program at Riverbend Community Food Network covering January through June:

• The program served 180 families each week and distributed 4,320 grocery boxes during the reporting period.
• During the previous six-month period, the program served 165 families each week and distributed 3,960 boxes.
• We added Riverside Elementary School as a referral partner in March.
• Rising food costs increased our average grocery-box cost from $28 to $31, but weekly distributions continued without interruption.

Highlight the most important results, changes from the previous six-month period, and any challenges noted by the team. Keep the summary to approximately 200 words. Do not calculate, estimate, or infer outcomes unless they can be directly supported by the information provided.”

5. Turn a long internal report into an executive summary 📄

When leadership needs the essentials from a longer report, AI can help condense the material. Specify what the executive summary should prioritize so it doesn't simply shorten every section equally.

✍️ Example:

“Create a 250-word executive summary of this quarterly internal report from Riverbend Community Food Network.

‘During the third quarter, the Weekend Grocery Program increased weekly enrollment from 180 to 195 families and added Lincoln Middle School as a referral partner. The summer fundraising campaign raised $42.6K against a $45K goal. 18 new volunteers joined during the quarter, although Friday afternoon distribution shifts remain difficult to fill. Food purchasing costs were 8% higher than budgeted during the quarter. The organization will launch its Winter Food Drive in November with a $50K fundraising goal, while the volunteer team will begin targeted recruitment for Friday shifts in October.’

Prioritize program results, fundraising performance, operational challenges, and next-quarter priorities. Preserve all important figures and factual details exactly as provided. Do not introduce conclusions, explanations, or recommendations that aren't supported by the report.”

6 AI prompts for fundraising that use your real data

All the prompts above can work with almost any AI tool because they're primarily drafting and summarization tasks. However, ChatGPT, Claude, and similar AI tools don't automatically know what's happening inside your organization. You have to give them the context first.

That means typing out campaign results, past giving, event details, program updates, and other information. Not only does this take time, but it also increases the chances of leaving out an important detail or entering something incorrectly.

Another way to approach AI prompts for fundraising is to connect the AI tool directly to your fundraising platform.

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Bring your Givebutter data into ChatGPT or Claude with AI connectors 🔗

Givebutter's AI connectors let you securely connect your Givebutter account to AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude. Once connected, you can ask questions about your fundraising data in plain English and get answers based on the campaigns, donors, and giving history already in Givebutter.

For example, instead of exporting a spreadsheet or gathering the numbers yourself, you could ask which donors increased their giving this year or how a campaign performed this month and have the AI pull the relevant data from Givebutter to answer.

The connector respects the permissions already set in your Givebutter account, so it shouldn’t surface information you wouldn’t normally be able to see. You also stay in control of the connection and can disconnect it at any time.

That changes the kinds of prompts you can use. The examples below assume the AI has access to your actual fundraising data through a connector, so you don't need to manually fill in all the context first.

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1. Find donors who increased their giving 🚀

Instead of comparing donor records or exports yourself, ask AI to compare giving across two periods and surface the supporters whose contributions increased.

2. Find lapsed donors worth following up with 🔎

With connected donor data, AI can narrow a large supporter list using giving history and follow-up criteria.

3. Summarize recent campaign performance 📅

Rather than pulling individual campaign metrics into a separate document, ask AI to turn the data into a plain-English performance summary.

4. Draft re-engagement messages using donor history 📨

Once AI has identified a group of lapsed donors, you can continue the conversation and use that context to prepare more relevant outreach. There's no need to copy each donor's giving history into a new prompt.

5. Identify recurring donors with upgrade potential 🔄

Connected data can also help fundraisers find useful segments without manually filtering donor records. For example, you can look for established recurring donors who may be appropriate for an upgrade conversation.

6. Prepare a fundraising update for leadership 🧠

AI can pull together fundraising activity across campaigns and supporters, giving leadership a quick overview without needing someone to assemble the numbers first.

💡 Pro tip: AI can prepare these drafts, but a fundraiser should review each message before sending it, particularly when the copy references a donor's history or relationship with the organization.

Dive deeper

Learn how to use your data to raise more with nonprofit analytics →

How to write a good AI prompt for fundraising work

Templates are well and good, but sometimes you’ll need to come up with something completely custom to your nonprofit’s needs.

When that’s the case, keep in mind that a good AI prompt doesn’t need to be long or complicated. It just needs to give the AI enough direction to understand what you’re trying to accomplish, who you’re communicating with, and what a useful response should look like.

Here’s what you want to include:

• The task: Start with a clear action. Tell the AI whether you want it to draft, summarize, brainstorm, analyze, rewrite, or something else, rather than simply giving it a topic.
• Relevant context: Add the information the AI needs to do the task well. For fundraising work, that might include your campaign goal, cause, event details, donor segment, or previous interactions with a supporter.
• The audience: Say who the output is for. An email to a longtime donor should sound different from an Instagram caption aimed at first-time supporters or a campaign update for board members.
• Tone and voice: Describe how you want the response to sound. A few specific directions, such as “warm and appreciative” or “friendly and concise,” usually work better than asking AI to “make it engaging.”
• Constraints: Set useful boundaries around the response. Specify the length, information that must be included, details to avoid, or other requirements that matter for the task.
• Output format: Tell the AI how you want the answer organized when it matters. You could ask for three subject-line options, a 150-word email, a table, bullet points, or a short donor profile.

For example, instead of prompting AI with “Write a fundraising email,” try:

“Write a 150-word fundraising email for previous donors to our community food program. We’re raising $20K to provide meals during the summer. Use a warm, personal tone, explain what a $50 donation can help fund, and end with a clear donation ask.”

This prompt gives the AI a task, audience, relevant campaign details, tone, length, and desired call to action—all of which make it much easier to produce something useful on the first try.

🪧 One important rule: Always fact-check numbers, names, dates, and other specific details before sending or publishing AI-generated content. AI can make mistakes or fill in missing information with details that sound plausible but aren’t accurate.

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Put your AI prompts to work with Givebutter

The right prompt can give your nonprofit a useful head start on everything from donor appeals to grant applications, social posts, and board updates. Start with the general-purpose prompts in this guide, customize the details in brackets, and save the ones your team returns to most often.

When you're ready to go further, data-grounded prompts can cut out much of that manual context-setting. By connecting Givebutter to an AI tool like ChatGPT or Claude, your team can ask questions and work with the fundraising information already in your account.

A good next step? Pick one task your team handles regularly and try the relevant prompt from this guide.

Then, sign up for a free Givebutter account to manage your fundraising and connect your fundraising data directly to the AI tools you already use.

AI prompts for nonprofits FAQs

Is it safe to use AI with donor data? 🔐

It can be, but nonprofits should be careful about what information they share and how the AI tool handles that data. Avoid pasting sensitive donor information into tools without first reviewing their privacy, retention, and training policies.

When possible, use approved integrations or connectors (like Givebutter’s AI connectors) that respect existing account permissions and follow your organization's data-handling policies.

Do I need a developer to set up AI connectors? 🛠️

Usually not. Many modern AI connectors are designed for nontechnical users and can be set up by signing in, choosing the account or platform you want to connect, and approving access. More advanced integrations may require technical help, but pre-built connectors generally don't require coding or API setup.

Can AI send messages to donors on its own? 🤖

Sometimes, depending on the tool and permissions involved. Some AI systems can only draft or recommend messages, while others can take actions once explicitly configured to do so.

For fundraising communications, it's still a good practice to have a person review donor-facing messages before they're sent, especially when they reference giving history or personal details.

What AI tools work with Givebutter? 🧩

Givebutter has ready-made connections for ChatGPT and Claude. It also supports other AI clients like Claude Code, Cursor, and VS Code, through its AI Connections setup.

For most nonprofit teams looking to ask questions about fundraising data or use that context for everyday work, ChatGPT and Claude are the most straightforward places to start.