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Free AI tools for nonprofit teams

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Nonprofit Prompt Library

15 copy-and-paste prompts. Fill in the [brackets], paste into any AI chat tool, then keep the conversation going until it's right.

Download (Word)

How to use these

  • Fill every [bracket]. The details you add are what make the output usable.
  • Paste an example when you have one. “Match the tone of this email” beats any description of tone.
  • Treat the first answer as a draft. Reply with “shorter,” “warmer,” or “cut the second paragraph.”
  • Never paste confidential details. Use placeholders like “Client A” or “a donor who gave $500” for anything about clients, patients, residents, donors, or staff. (Lesson 5 covers this.)
  • Check every fact, number, and date before anything goes out. AI makes up plausible statistics.

Writing

1. Donor thank-you

You're the [role] at [org], a [type of org] in [city] that [what you do, with one number]. Write a thank-you email to a donor who gave [amount] [first time / monthly / after an event]. Mention [one specific thing their gift supports]. Under 120 words, warm but not gushing. Avoid words like "impactful" and "journey."

2. One appeal, three audiences

Here is our fundraising appeal: [paste]. Rewrite it three ways: (1) for first-time donors, (2) for monthly donors, (3) for donors who haven't given in over a year. Keep the same story and facts. Change only the ask and the framing. Under 200 words each.

3. Board update

Turn these notes into a one-page board update: [paste notes]. Sections: wins, numbers, challenges, decisions we need from the board. Plain language, no jargon, bullets where possible. Flag anything in my notes that sounds like it needs more context for board members.

4. The hard email

I need to write an email to [who] about [situation]. I want to [goal, e.g. say no while keeping the relationship]. Here's what I'd say if I were blunt: [paste]. Rewrite it so it's clear, kind, and short. Give me two versions: one more direct, one softer.

Summarizing & organizing

5. Meeting notes → action items

Here are notes from a [staff / board / program] meeting: [paste]. List (1) every decision made, (2) every action item with its owner and due date if mentioned, (3) every open question. Keep it short. Flag any action item without a clear owner.

6. Long document → the five things that matter

I'm a [role] at a [type of org]. Summarize this [policy / report / contract / guidance] in five bullet points, focused on what changes for us and anything with a deadline: [paste]. Then list any terms I should look up or ask about.

7. Open-ended feedback → themes

Here are [number] open-ended responses from [clients / volunteers / staff / event attendees] (names removed): [paste]. Group them into 3–6 themes. For each: a one-line description, roughly how many responses fit, and one representative quote. Then list the two things we could act on soonest.

8. Messy list → clean table

Clean up this list into a table with columns [name, organization, email, phone, notes]. Standardize formatting (capitalization, phone format), and flag duplicates or rows missing an email: [paste].

Only for lists your org’s policy allows in an AI tool, like vendors or partners. Never client, patient, or donor lists in a public AI tool.

Mission work

9. Grant narrative first draft

You're helping write a grant to [funder]. Their question is: "[paste exact question]" with a [word / character] limit of [number]. Here is our real program information: [paste outcomes, numbers, program description]. Draft an answer using ONLY the facts I gave you. Where a strong answer needs a fact I didn't provide, write [NEED: description] instead of inventing it.

Check whether the funder has rules about AI-assisted applications, and verify every number before submitting.

10. Program description for a new audience

Here's how we describe our [program] internally: [paste]. Rewrite it for [audience: a first-time donor / a city council member / a potential volunteer / a family who might need us] in under 100 words. Lead with what changes for the person served.

11. Plain-language public content

Rewrite this [policy / ordinance / services page / eligibility rule] as a plain-language FAQ for [residents / clients / families], at an 8th-grade reading level. Use 5–8 questions people would actually ask. Keep every requirement and deadline accurate: [paste].

12. Social posts from one story

Here's a story from our work (details anonymized): [paste]. Write three social posts: one for LinkedIn (under 150 words), one for Facebook (under 80 words), one for Instagram (caption under 60 words with 3 hashtags). Same facts, different tone for each.

Thinking partner

13. Find what to automate

I'm a [role] at a [type of org] with [number] staff. Here are the tasks that eat my week: [list 3–5]. For each one, tell me honestly whether AI can help, how (with a sample prompt), and how much time it might realistically save. Say so plainly if a task isn't a good fit.

14. Poke holes in a plan

Here's a plan for [event / program / campaign]: [paste]. Act as a skeptical board member. List the five biggest risks or gaps, the questions you'd ask, and what you'd want to see before approving it. Be direct.

15. Brainstorm, then narrow

Give me 15 ideas for [fundraising event names / volunteer recruitment angles / ways to explain our program]. Our org is [one-line description] and our audience is [who]. Then pick the 3 strongest and explain why in one sentence each.

One-Page AI Use Policy Template

A fill-in-the-blanks policy for nonprofits and government teams. Replace every [bracket], cut what doesn't apply, and get sign-off from your ED or department head.

Download (Word)

How to use this template

  • Keep it to one page. Staff read a page; they don’t read a handbook.
  • Fill the brackets with your real tools and data types. A generic policy doesn’t help anyone.
  • If you handle health, education, or justice-system data, have whoever owns compliance (HIPAA, FERPA, 42 CFR Part 2, or state rules) review the “never” list. This template is a starting point, not legal advice.
  • Review it every six months. The tools change fast.

[Organization Name] AI Use Policy

Effective: [date] · Owner: [name, title] · Next review: [date, six months out]

1. Why we use AI

We use AI tools to save staff time on routine work (drafting, summarizing, organizing) so more of our time goes to [our mission / the people we serve]. AI supports staff judgment. It never replaces it.

2. Approved tools

Staff may use these tools for work:

  • [Tool name] — [account type, e.g. our organization’s business account] — [what it’s approved for]
  • [Tool name] — [account type] — [what it’s approved for]

Ask [owner] before using any tool not on this list for work. Use work accounts only, with [training on our data turned off / business data protections on].

3. Never put these into an AI tool

  • Names or identifying details of [clients / patients / residents / students]
  • Health, case, legal, or financial information about anyone we serve
  • Donor financial details or exports from our [CRM / donor database]
  • Staff HR or personnel information
  • Passwords, account numbers, or anything confidential under [contracts / regulations that apply to us]

Use placeholders instead (“Client A,” “a donor who gave $500”).

4. A person reviews before it goes out

Anything AI helped create gets reviewed by a staff member before it is sent, published, or submitted. The reviewer checks every fact, number, name, and date. The person who sends it is responsible for it.

5. When we disclose AI use

  • Grants: follow each funder’s rules. If a funder asks, we answer honestly.
  • Public communications: [e.g. we disclose AI use when content is substantially AI-generated / we don’t disclose routine drafting help].
  • Decisions about people: AI is never the deciding factor in decisions about [services, eligibility, hiring, or discipline].

6. Questions and problems

If you’re unsure whether something is allowed, ask [owner] first. If confidential information is entered into an AI tool by mistake, tell [owner] the same day. No blame. We just need to know.

Approved by: [name, title] · [date]

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