The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT has sparked a wave of curiosity among nonprofit organizations about increasing efficiency. The potential for these tools to revolutionize the grant proposal writing process (and just about everything else) is seemingly boundless.
As your nonprofit seeks ways to make the grant funding process less daunting and more efficient, no one can fault you for giving AI tools a spin. But the truth is successful grant writing, prospecting, and donor cultivation need human experts in the driver’s seat.
Grant writing is an art and science that demands a delicate balance of strategic thinking, persuasive storytelling, and personal connection. And while AI can undoubtedly streamline certain processes, a human’s knowledge and creativity unlock the likelihood of success in drafting compelling proposals, performing prospect research, and cultivating valuable relationships.
Want to win at grant writing? Here’s why AI isn’t your answer just yet.
ChatGPT Is Still a New Technology With Major Limitations
Although artificial intelligence is nothing new (as you use autocorrect in your emails), the AI tools like ChatGPT that seemingly exploded overnight are still new. As new tools, they still have limitations that don’t make them a quick fix for complex processes like grant seeking and writing.
The primary limitation of ChatGPT lies in its inability to capture the nuances of human language. The software uses natural language processing (NLP), enabling it to recognize written text patterns and produce similar results on demand. Sounds good, right? The thing is, NLP does not provide the scope or depth of understanding necessary to effectively pursue complex grants. While the AI tool enables users to create grant proposals quickly, it can’t replicate the nuanced analysis of a human expert who knows specific funding opportunities and how best to tailor applications accordingly.
Additionally, because tools like ChatGPT are what’s called “generative AI”, it means they aren’t intelligent enough to think on their own. (No, robots won’t be taking over the world anytime soon.) They generate what is already known, relying on large datasets of existing information. And while that sounds good for parts of the grant writing process, like drafting a proposal or performing prospect research, it won’t always get it right. The resulting errors can set back your grant-seeking process, draining your resources and confidence.
The Drawbacks of Leaning on AI Tools for Grant Seeking and Writing
Imagine you’re on the lookout for donors who align perfectly with your nonprofit’s mission of tackling the school-to-prison pipeline. You decide to seek guidance from ChatGPT, providing it with a detailed prompt. While the tool strives to help, it occasionally suggests common, broad options that may not be the ideal fit. You might end up with recommendations geared toward donors with a general appeal or those interested in early childhood education instead. Relying solely on ChatGPT’s suggestions could mean missed opportunities and wasted efforts.
While ChatGPT can be a valuable resource for generating ideas and exploring various topics, it may occasionally produce false information and misleading results. It’s not unusual for ChatGPT to return fake sources, made-up job titles, or misquotes. So if you lean on ChatGPT for factual information, be sure to thoroughly comb through the output for accuracy.
Lastly, when using ChatGPT, it’s also important to consider potential ethical issues related to data privacy and inadvertently using someone else’s intellectual property to obtain grant funding. Because ChatGPT’s language model is originally made up of inputs by humans, anything you use a human created at some point. And that human isn’t getting credit for their work. In terms of data privacy, there are many AI tools with various levels of security. However, you shouldn’t trust confidential information with ChatGPT, as it claims the right to use any inputs for its data-gathering purposes.
Successful Grant Writing Hinges on a Human Touch
You may have heard about ChatGPT writing exam papers, legal documents, and wedding vows. While it certainly can do those things, it doesn’t mean it can do them well. That’s especially true for grant writing, where a personal touch and high-quality thought process from prospecting to submission and follow-up can be the difference between being awarded or passed by.
AI-generated outputs often fail to meet the desired standards despite employing meticulous parameters and precise prompts. For instance, instead of producing a comprehensive 1,500-word proposal, the AI tool might generate a shorter version, only around 800 words.
And instead of a compelling story or personal, heartfelt letter of intent, AI-generated outputs often come out formulaic and clichéd. There’d be no hiding that ChatGPT concocted your proposal from the keen funder’s eye. This robotic writing is the opposite of what funders are looking for, diminishes your proposal’s effectiveness, and undermines its impact.
In the proverbial stack of grant proposals, your nonprofit’s submission must be authentic enough to stand out. It should be compelling in its storytelling and accurately connect your mission with the funder’s interests. ChatGPT doesn’t have access to the human heart. It can’t produce a nuanced narrative rich with substance, context, and emotion that captures a funder’s attention—and heart. And at the end of the day, people give money to people, not robots.
Human Experts Optimize the Nonprofit Grant Writing Process
If you were enthusiastic about using AI to help your nonprofit tackle grant writing challenges, we’re sorry to burst your bubble. The good news is that you’re not destined to go through the grant-seeking and grant-writing process alone.
Working with an agency like Spark Point offers distinct advantages over relying solely on AI or a single grant writer alone. With us as partners, you get a dedicated team, complete with a manager and grant writer. This tactical pairing ensures your grant proposals go to the right prospects and portray the right message to increase your chances of being rewarded.
But here’s where the real magic happens: Spark Point excels in taking your organization’s story and transforming it into an irresistible narrative that funders simply cannot ignore. It’s all about skillful storytelling tailored specifically to the context of each grant proposal and the intended funder. These levels of human thinking, creativity, and proven strategy go beyond AI’s current capabilities.
Unlike AI-generated tools, we bring extensive real-world experience, deep knowledge of the funding landscape, and the expertise to guide you in building meaningful relationships with funders. This experience and knowledge are crucial because, regardless of how well-crafted your grant proposal may be, submitting it without engaging with key players at the foundation significantly reduces your chances of success by at least 50%, if not more.
Here’s the bottom line: Humans outshine even the most sophisticated AI tools when it comes to the crucial tasks of grant-seeking and grant-writing. While AI tools offer convenience and a novelty ‘wow’ factor, they lack the distinctive qualities that human professionals bring to the table.
Ready to embrace the power of human expertise and strategic thinking? We’re right there with you. Let’s talk.