How to Use ChatGPT and Claude to Streamline Your Grant Writing Process: A Practical Guide

While there is a lot AI won't replace in nonprofit grant writing, it can dramatically speed up the routine work and even be a partner to work through more complex funding narratives. Here's some practical tips on how to use AI assistants effectively in your grant writing process.

1. Converting Boilerplate Content

If you have a content library of past grant applications, you can use those to generate tailored responses for new funding opportunities. Here's an example prompt:

Here is our previous response to a similar grant question:

[paste previous response]

Here is the new question from the grant application:
[paste new question]

Please create a new response that:
- Uses active voice
- Maintains specific program outcomes and organizational credentials
- Adapts the content to exactly match the new funder's requirements
- Uses a professional, mission-focused tone

If you don't have a content library already but do have some past grant applications, you should take a look at our guide to creating an intelligent grant writing library.

2. Making Generic Content Specific

A common complaint about AI-generated grant content is that it can sound generic and fail to highlight your nonprofit's unique value. Here's how to get more specific responses that will impress funders:

Please enhance this grant narrative by:
- Adding specific program methodologies we use: [list them]
- Including relevant impact metrics from our past programs: [add metrics]
- Referencing our actual community partnerships and resources: [list them]
- Using terminology specific to our mission area: [e.g., education, healthcare, environmental conservation]
- Incorporating our organization's core values: [list values]

This is also somewhere that I would recommend using certain specific AI models for their better writing performance. If you are using Claude, you should consider using their Opus model, which is specifically designed for writing. Or you could take a look at Google's Gemini 2.0 model which also excels at writing compared to ChatGPT's models.

3. Brainstorming Ideas for Challenging Grant Sections

One of the most valuable but overlooked uses of AI is as a brainstorming partner for difficult grant application sections. Modern AI models like Claude-3 and GPT-4 can help explore different angles and approaches, especially for questions where there's no clear "standard" response.

This is where I would typically reach for a reasoning model such as ChatGPT o1 or Gemini. The strength of these models is that they're able to think through complex problems systematically, often leading to more robust and creative narratives.

Setting Up the Brainstorming Session

The key is to give the AI enough context to think through the grant requirements systematically. Here's an effective prompt pattern:

I'm working on a grant application for [type of funder] and need help brainstorming approaches for this section:
[paste question]

Our nonprofit's relevant experience includes:
[list 2-3 key programs or initiatives]

Our main strengths and unique approaches are:
[list differentiators]

Please:
1. Break down the different aspects we should address in this section
2. Suggest 3-4 different approaches we could take to frame our response
3. For each approach, note potential strengths and weaknesses from the funder's perspective
4. Identify any evidence, outcomes, or testimonials we'd need to support each approach

Example: Program Sustainability Question

Let's say you're facing this common grant question: "Describe how your organization will sustain this program after the grant period ends."

Rather than jumping straight to an answer, use AI to explore different frameworks:

For this program sustainability question, please help me think through:
1. What are the key sustainability challenges we need to address?
2. What different funding and resource models could we present?
3. What concrete examples of past program sustainability would strengthen each approach?
4. What realistic challenges should we acknowledge and how might we address them?

Tips for Effective AI Brainstorming

If you use one of the reasoning models mentioned above you will get a lot of this behaviour for free. However, if you want to use a more standard model you can use these tips to get better results from your brainstorming session:

1. Start Broad, Then Narrow: Begin with wide-ranging exploration, then use follow-up prompts to focus on the most promising approaches.
2. Use "Chain of Thought" Prompting: Ask the AI to explain its reasoning step by step. This often surfaces interesting considerations you might have missed.
3. Challenge the AI's Assumptions: When it suggests an approach, ask it to identify potential weaknesses or counter-arguments. This can lead to more robust responses.
4. Connect to Past Successes: Have the AI help you identify relevant examples from your past work that could support each approach. This is where your intelligent grant library can be of assistance.

Example Dialogue

Here's how a brainstorming session might flow:

When to Use AI Brainstorming

This technique is particularly valuable for these grant writing challenges:

• Needs statements that must balance urgency with hope
• Program sustainability and funding diversification plans
• Areas where you need to differentiate your nonprofit from similar organizations
• Complex impact measurement and evaluation frameworks
• Collaborative partnership descriptions and community engagement strategies

Remember: AI brainstorming is about generating ideas and approaches, not creating final content. Use it to explore possibilities, then apply your nonprofit expertise to shape a compelling grant narrative.

Best Practices from the Field

Here are some final points to bear in mind when using AI for grant writing:

1. Always Double-Check Claims: AI can hallucinate or make incorrect assumptions. Never submit AI-generated content without careful review, especially when describing your organization's history, impact metrics, or community relationships.
2. Use AI as a colleague: Think of AI as a team member - good at some things but not perfect. It's particularly useful for drafting initial responses or quickly generating answers to common grant questions. But work collaboratively with it throughout the process.
3. Don't skip the human touch: Winning grants comes from understanding what really matters to the funder - information AI tools often won't have. Remember to pay attention to funder relationships, pre-application meetings, and research into the funder's priorities and values.

Looking Ahead

The nonprofit grant writing landscape is evolving rapidly. We're seeing:

• Increased acceptance of AI as a grant writing tool among foundations
• New specialized AI tools designed specifically for nonprofit fundraising
• Growing emphasis on data-driven outcomes and impact measurement
• More funders asking about technology and innovation in nonprofit operations

The key is finding the right balance - using AI to handle routine grant writing tasks while maintaining the authentic voice and mission-driven perspective that only humans can provide. As one nonprofit leader put it: "AI doesn't replace good grant writing - it just helps resource-constrained nonprofits compete more effectively for funding."

By following these guidelines and maintaining clear processes, you can effectively integrate AI into your grant writing workflow while avoiding common pitfalls and maintaining the authentic voice and compelling narratives that funders respond to.