People are the Answer, and Technology is the Tool
Human Connection and Empathy
Only a human being will have the skills and ability to empathize with funders and understand their values and nuances related to the broader funding climate. AI simply can’t do this for you. Emotional intelligence is absolutely critical in crafting a compelling narrative that resonates with funders.
Contextual Understanding
Grant writing requires an in-depth understanding of the organization’s mission, vision, and programs. Chat GPT or any comparable AI system doesn’t have this knowledge and cannot generate it. AI will struggle with capturing the essence of what any non-profit organization does, which is vital to the storytelling part of any grant application.
Flexibility and Adaptability
Human grant writers have the flexibility and ability to adapt to tweak proposals, refine concerns, and incorporate new ideas. AI is capable of processing large volumes of data but will struggle to respond to the intricate requirements of a funder.
Creativity and Storytelling
The foundation of every winning grant is built on a great, compelling story that engages the funder, captures their attention, and evokes genuine emotions. A winning narrative needs to be crafted thoughtfully and carefully to build a compelling case for funding. AI lacks the imaginative capabilities needed to tell a compelling narrative. Technology can’t go beyond the numbers and is incapable of telling a persuasive story.
Relationship Building
Grant writers play a significant role in cultivating relationships with funders. They attend meetings with the funder and any related events to establish a personal connection and build rapport. AI will continue to revolutionize society at a rapid pace. However, the unique blend of empathy, creativity, contextual understanding, adaptability, and relationship-building skills that human grant writers have can never be replicated by AI.
Okay, so what can I use AI for?
AI can be used to enhance certain aspects of the grant writing process. It can be used to brainstorm ideas and generate simple content very well with the right prompts. It can be used to assist in the research process as long as you are verifying the sources again yourself because
AI makes mistakes. AI can also be used to create more concise text from a larger amount of words.
By: Jodi Riley, Principal Consultant
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