AI In Grant Applications Streamlining Or Skewing The Process
Published Date, 2023

AI In Grant Applications: Streamlining Or Skewing The Process?

Created By Orr Group’s AI Taskforce: Terry Cangelosi, Bobby Hunter, Jack Little, Katie Nickels, CJ Orr, Jace Prokupek, and Rebecca Voulgarakis

December 6, 2023

The rapid adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in our daily lives has heightened discussions surrounding its ethical usage and detection. HR executives weigh the pros and cons of scanning AI-generated content in cover letters, and academic institutions are investing fervently in AI-detecting software. However, proponents of AI writing tools ask the question: why should we penalize AI-generated content and the use of AI to enhance work productivity? What if AI can help secure grants to fund nonprofit missions?

Well, we are at a point in our technological evolution where those questions are front and center.

In the nonprofit sector, AI’s application is on the rise, particularly in the realm of funding proposals (i.e., foundations, corporations, government) and grant reporting. The fast adoption of tools like Grantable has significantly accelerated the ability to create customized grant applications and reports, tasks typically known for their meticulous and repetitive nature. Yet, many seasoned grant writers would argue there is an “art” to crafting compelling grants to ensure that they not only align with the funders’ objectives but also resonate with the nonprofit’s core activities. This nuance, they argue, cannot be outsourced to a computer program.

In a 2023 Good Grants article, there was a growing concern among funders, with some contemplating the inclusion of clauses in their grant contracts to prohibit the use of AI-generated content. In response to these emerging issues and increasing concerns, Orr Group’s AI Taskforce has taken the initiative to explore the various perspectives on AI-generated content. This process has involved examining the viewpoints of both nonprofits advocating for AI to alleviate their workload and streamline grant processes and funders who oppose the use of AI in grant proposals and reports.

Position in Favor of AI-Generated Content

  • Saves Valuable Resources: On average, completing a foundation grant application can take between 20-30 hours, which equates to approximately 60% of a full work week for a single fundraiser. Typically, such applications have a success rate of around 50% in securing funding. Reducing the time required to complete a grant by just 10-20% would result in substantial savings over the course of a year. For instance, if a fundraiser is expected to allocate 250 hours (about one and a half weeks’ worth of time) to submitting 10 grants, a 15% reduction in grant writing time would free up roughly one full week annually. This additional time would allow the fundraiser to craft more grant applications, ultimately enabling the nonprofit to secure more funding for its programs. 
  • Levels the Playing Field: Smaller nonprofits often struggle to approach high-end funders. In contrast, larger and more established nonprofits, equipped with expert grant writers, advanced impact measurement methods, and support from various professionals, tend to craft more persuasive grant proposals. Now, with the assistance of AI tools, even smaller nonprofits can produce content that rivals the quality of these larger, more sophisticated organizations, essentially leveling the playing field. Beyond writing support, AI-generated design not only eliminates the need for a costly designer to create a visually persuasive proposal but also provides more cost-effective alternatives for analyzing data to demonstrate impact.
  • Enhances Conformity and Consistency in Tone/Style: When working on grant applications, consistency in tone and style is crucial to convey a unified and professional image. AI can be instrumental in achieving this, especially when multiple collaborators with varying writing styles are involved. For instance, in a situation where a grant application is composed by a team of staff across various departments such as operations, finance, development, and programs, each represents a specific viewpoint and approach to the funding pitch. AI can integrate sections from various contributors to ensure a cohesive and fluid narrative. This uniformity in tone enhances readability and strengthens the proposal’s overall impact. By providing tools for style and tone analysis, AI ensures that the final document reflects a singular, compelling voice, despite multiple contributors. AI can also identify discrepancies within your grant application, such as inconsistencies in the promised impact numbers or total costs, which can be particularly common in complex grant applications involving multiple contributors. Cohesiveness is essential in making a strong, persuasive case to funders who value clarity in grant applications.

Position Against AI-Generated Content

  • Compromises on Quality: Critics have voiced concerns about ChatGPT’s potential to spread misinformation. They highlight instances where the platform may present misleading information with a high degree of confidence, which could deceive the average user into thinking it is credible. Such misinformation can be particularly challenging for funders, who rely on accurate data and information to make informed decisions. The risk here is that they may base their funding decisions on incorrect or biased information, leading to the potential misallocation of resources.
  • Hinders Collaborative Deliberations: Many articles emphasize the benefits of a thorough grant application process, highlighting its role in providing organizations with a platform to explicitly outline their goals. Additionally, this process serves as a tool to ensure that the entire team aligns with the organization’s vision and objectives. This alignment can promote better planning, coordination, and execution of projects. That said, critics argue substituting the grant writing process with an auto-generated proposal could diminish collaboration and the necessary due process within organizations, both crucial elements for ensuring organizations can fulfill commitments made in large grant requests.
  • Potential for Plagiarism and Lack of Originality: One of the primary concerns associated with AI-generated content is the risk of plagiarism. Critics contend that AI, while capable of quickly processing and synthesizing vast amounts of information, may inadvertently reproduce existing content without proper attribution. In the context of grant funding applications and reporting, where originality and credibility are crucial to building trust with funders, this issue becomes particularly critical.  The reliance on AI to create content raises questions about the authenticity and originality of the ideas presented. These factors play a vital role in demonstrating the relevance of a project and building a strong reputation with funders.

Our Stance On AI For Nonprofit Organizations

While both sides of the argument have been explored, the Orr Group AI Taskforce supports the ethical, legal, and responsible integration of AI in grant applications and other time-consuming processes. We believe that AI’s ability to save time significant advantage for nonprofits, allowing fundraisers more time to focus on securing additional funding and furthering their missions. We recognize, however, that the use of AI is not without its complexities and potential ethical considerations.

Our commitment extends to ensuring that AI adoption in grantmaking, and beyond, is carried out thoughtfully and responsibly. We emphasize the importance of transparency, fairness, and equity in AI-driven processes, and therefore, encourage the adoption of policies and guidelines across the philanthropic landscape that promote the responsible use of AI, with a focus on mitigating potential risks and maximizing the benefits it can bring to the nonprofit sector.

Explore more tools and resources from Orr Group’s AI Taskforce in our Knowledge Center!


Orr Group’s AI Taskforce aims to address AI’s shifting and expanding landscape and ensure the firm is up to date and adapting accordingly to better serve our team and our clients. Comprised of team members across the firm’s departments, including Terry Cangelosi, Bobby Hunter, Jack Little, Katie Nickels, CJ Orr, Jace Prokupek, and Rebecca Voulgarakis, the Taskforce was formed in May of 2023 to guide AI exploration, initiatives, and strategy development.

Related Resources

AI for Nonprofits: 10 Tools and Best Practices to Know

Published Date 2025
AI for Nonprofits: 10 Tools and Best Practices to Know

Created by: CJ Orr May 19, 2025 In today’s technologically driven world, artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed various industries, including fundraising for nonprofit organizations. AI tools have proven to be significant game-changers, enhancing efficiency, creativity, and personalization in donor engagement. To capitalize on these opportunities, over 60% of nonprofits have started embracing AI in their operations. However, despite these high adoption rates, 92% of nonprofits feel unprepared for AI implementation. To prepare your team to fully leverage AI, let’s understand the landscape and discuss the benefits and challenges of using popular AI-powered tools in nonprofit work. Overview of AI for Nonprofits Leveraging AI: Best Practices for Nonprofits Top AI Tools for Nonprofits Overview of AI for Nonprofits What is AI? AI is any technology that can perform intricate tasks and mimic human intelligence. While AI has become a hot topic in recent years, it’s been around for a while, performing simpler duties like sorting emails or scheduling appointments. However, recent advancements in AI have allowed machines to better understand language, process more complex tasks, and generate original content. In the nonprofit world, organizations typically use AI to enhance and streamline: Prospecting and fundraising by analyzing existing donor data for trends, and identifying new prospects with high potential to give Donor communication by analyzing donors based on shared characteristics and tailoring outreach to them for increased engagement Grant writing by quickly reading applications and generating drafts responses, based on previous applications and organizational materials Human resources by automating interview scheduling, onboarding, training, performance management, and more Graphic design by creating visually appealing infographics or mockups Administrative functions by automating repetitive tasks like data entry, timekeeping,  and record maintenance Data insights and reporting by analyzing large datasets to forecast trends and enable better decision-making Types of AI Tools for Nonprofits The library of AI tools is vast and ever-growing. While each organization may have its own needs and goals that AI can support, below are several common types of AI tools you may encounter: Generative AI: consists of machines that create new content based on user prompts and training data. Nonprofit applications: Content creation for grant proposals, social media posts, and impact reports. Large Language Models (LLMs): systems designed to understand and generate human language by learning from vast datasets. LLMs are a subset of generative AI focused primarily on creating and understanding text. Nonprofit applications: Automatically answering routine questions via chatbots or summarizing content. Predictive AI uses statistical models and machine learning to identify patterns in large datasets to forecast future outcomes.  Nonprofit applications: Prospecting for fundraising and future financial growth. Advantages and Challenges of Using AI Advantages Increased efficiency. With AI handling mundane tasks, nonprofits can focus on more pressing mission-critical work. Easy data reporting. Humans are more prone to making errors when reporting on and analyzing data. AI can easily—and accurately—report on important data. Better decision-making. AI can provide context and information that allows nonprofits to make more informed choices faster. Scalability. Advanced AI solutions can easily adapt to a growing nonprofit’s needs, enabling organizations to handle increased workloads without overburdening staff.  Proactive growth. Most nonprofits have adopted AI, and it’s only getting more prevalent. Your nonprofit should leverage similar technology to keep up with others in the field. Challenges Data privacy/security. Nonprofits must confirm that their chosen solution complies with relevant data privacy laws, like GDPR and CCPA, to keep supporter data safe and maintain their trust. Research which regulations apply to your constituents based on their location, and ensure that AI usage is transparently communicated when necessary. Requires human oversight. AI can make mistakes in researching and synthesizing information, so nonprofit teams need to actively maintain their solutions (more on that later).  Initial and ongoing costs. Like any other software solution, AI solutions have costs associated with them, both financial and in time to implement and onboard staff.  Ethical concerns. AI can reinforce biases based on the datasets it's trained on. There are also concerns about Generative AI solutions trained on user data, which can plagiarize information from other sources. Loss of human touch. Nonprofit outreach relies on forging deep personal connections with supporters. While AI can emulate human thought, it lacks the emotional depth needed to reinforce relationships, so it still requires staff to ensure the final product aligns with an organization’s values. Leveraging AI: Best Practices for Nonprofits Establish parameters for AI privacy and ethics. Your entire team should be aligned on ethical best practices while using AI. Adopt an AI usage policy and supporting AI governance infrastructure to ensure you’re fulfilling promises to stakeholders and protecting their sensitive information. Identify areas for AI application. While AI has many different uses, your nonprofit doesn’t have to rely on it for everything. To start, identify a few pressing areas where AI could help your operations, like content creation, data analysis, or task automation.  Work with an expert to implement AI effectively. The stakes are high when implementing AI, so it’s worth consulting with a professional to cover all of your bases. Double-check AI’s work. While AI can generate human-like text, it’s not flawless. You must review and edit the generated content to ensure it aligns with your organization’s voice, mission, and fundraising goals. Properly train your team. AI can present a learning curve for teams, especially those less technologically advanced. Align everyone with comprehensive AI training and educational resources. Don’t completely replace human interaction with AI. As previously mentioned, AI can’t perfectly emulate your connections with supporters. Use AI to brainstorm ideas for communication (like an outline) and fill in the details yourself. Choosing the right AI systems, developing policies, and training your team are essential, but they take time and expert knowledge to get right. By working with a professional team like Orr Group, you can get up and running with new insights and ideal tools by your side.  Top AI Tools for Nonprofits General Use/LLM: ChatGPT Use: ChatGPT is an advanced language model that has significantly influenced the nonprofit sector’s fundraising strategies. It utilizes machine learning algorithms to generate human-like text based on the input it receives.  Best features: Live web search, DALL-E image generation, and access to a growing dataset. Cost:  Limited free tier $20 Plus tier $200 Pro tier $25/user Team tier Pro-tip: Eligible nonprofits can receive a 20% discount on ChatGPT Team and a 50% discount on ChatGPT Enterprise through OpenAI for Nonprofits.  AI Chatbot: Cody Use: Cody is a chatbot that uses organizational content to answer HR-related queries for employees based on defined knowledge sources. Best features: Easy user interface, customizable knowledge base, task automation, and specific features for IT support, business consulting, marketing, HR, and more. Cost: $29/month for the Basic tier, $249/month for the Advanced tier Writing: Grammarly Use: Grammarly is a browser extension that enhances grammar and generates written content. Best features: Tone suggestions, auto-completion of writing, and extensive user-supplemented knowledge base. Cost: Free tier, $12/month, $15/month Prospecting: Apollo Use: Apollo is a sourcing tool that collects contact information for prospective supporters. Best features: Automated outreach, meeting scheduler, and CRM enrichment tools. Cost: Free-$119/month Grantwriting: Grantable Use: Grantable is an LLM that automates aspects of the grantwriting and submission processes. Best features: Ability to train the system from writing samples, reference user-uploaded materials from a library, and include educational resources. Cost: Free-$89/month Graphic Design: Gamma Use: Gamma is a graphic design platform that facilitates the creation of presentations, documents, webpages, infographics, and more. Best features: AI-generated designs, customization options, and user-friendly interface. Cost: Free-$15/seat/month Administrative: Zapier Use: Zapier automates repetitive administrative tasks while connecting various apps and services. Best features: Configurable workflows, app integrations, and a large integration ecosystem. Cost: Free-$69/month Data Management: Microsoft Power BI Use: Microsoft Power BI is a Microsoft add-on tool that allows users to create reports, visualize data, and share insights. Can be combined with Microsoft Copilot 365 for AI data insights. Best features: User-friendly integrations with Microsoft Suite, interactive dashboards, and customizable reports. Cost: Free-$10/user/month Meeting Management: Zoom AI Companion Use: Zoom AI Companion simplifies meeting management by automatically completing tasks during the meeting. Best features: Real-time meeting transcriptions, agenda generation, and ability to assign next actions with a meeting summary. Cost: Free with paid Zoom account Now that you have a solid understanding of AI in the nonprofit world, it’s time to create and execute your own strategy! Developing policies, training your team, and staying updated on the newest best practices can be draining—but it doesn’t have to be. Having an expert team by your side allows you to play around with these tools, test them out, and see what works for you without compromising mission-critical activities. We suggest working with a team with a business-oriented mindset, embedded partnership approach, and AI-specific expertise, like Orr Group. Our well-rounded nonprofit experience and hands-on strategy can help your nonprofit become more comfortable with AI and develop a sustainable use policy in the long term. That way, you can adapt to the rapidly-changing world of AI with ease! CJ Orr is President and Partner of Orr Group. As an expert project and relationship manager with 10+ years of experience in the sector, CJ utilizes data and technology to execute on the development of strategies and tactics to drive effective fundraising plans that meet or exceed targets.