I’m a former tech executive who co-founded two nonprofits. One of them, Hack the Hood, is now 11 years old and has served over 3,000 young people. As an executive director for a decade, I raised over $25 million from various funding sources.
As a nonprofit development consultant, I’ve developed a passion for helping organizations utilize AI to achieve similar or even better results with significantly fewer resources. Today, I’m sharing how I incorporate AI into my daily work.
My AI Workflow: Before and After
Before AI: I spent countless hours each week writing grant narratives, crafting emails, summarizing research, and creating content. These essential yet time-consuming tasks restricted my ability to concentrate on strategy work.
After AI: I’ve restructured my workflow to utilize AI for regular summarizing and research tasks, freeing up more than 10 hours each week for the work only humans can do: writing, building relationships, developing strategies, and guiding clients.
Here’s my actual workflow:
Grant Development and Research
I’ve created custom GPT Research Brains for client work. For example, one GPT for a small nonprofit organization contains:
- Selection of previous successful grant applications
- Program descriptions and impact data
- Strategic plans and evaluation results
- Testimonials and user stories
When a new funding opportunity appears, I:
- Upload the RFP to my client’s custom GPT
- Ask it to analyze alignment with our programs
- Have it highlight points of alignment and difference with the funder and the RFP
- Incorporate these findings into my starting point to develop a draft proposal
This approach cuts proposal development time by roughly 30% while ensuring I leverage substantial past narratives.
Content Development and Communications
For my own marketing and client communications work:
- I use my “Susan’s Brain” custom GPT to edit content in my authentic voice
- It creates consistent blog posts, newsletters, and social media that sound like me
- I review, refine, and approve everything before it goes out
The results? My content production has increased while improving consistency and engagement rates.
Meeting Follow-up and Relationship Management
After client meetings or funder conversations:
- I dictate rough notes into my phone or a notepad
- Ask AI to organize and structure them into coherent summaries
- Have it draft follow-up emails that maintain my voice and relationship style
- Review and personalize before sending
This system ensures I have good follow-up and notes.
Lessons Learned (Sometimes the Hard Way)
Here’s what I’ve discovered through this process:
What Works Best:
- Using AI to edit drafts and outlines rather than creating first drafts.
- Creating custom GPTs that know your specific context and voice
- Maintaining human review of all AI-generated content
- Starting with non-critical applications before expanding
Common Pitfalls:
- Accepting AI outputs without verification (I once caught and removed fabricated statistics)
- Not documenting successful prompts for repeated use
- Using the wrong AI tool for a specific task and feeling frustrated because it doesn’t work well.
The key insight: AI is a thought partner, not a replacement for human judgment. Organizations that see the greatest benefits maintain this balance.
Measuring the Impact
The metrics that matter most to me:
- Time saved: About 15 hours weekly redirected to higher-value work.
- Proposal output: It is so much easier to generate quality drafts more quickly.
- Content production: Increased without sacrificing quality.
- Client satisfaction: Improved as I spend more time on strategic guidance.
But perhaps most importantly, I’ve reduced “administrivia,” making my work more sustainable.
Start Your AI Journey
If you’re inspired to try a similar approach:
- Begin with one repetitive writing task you do frequently
- Experiment with AI assistance for that specific application
- Document your process and results
- Gradually expand to other areas as you build confidence
The nonprofit sector faces increasing demands with limited resources. AI won’t solve all our challenges, but it can help us focus our human talents where they matter most—on the relationships, creativity, and strategic thinking that drive real impact.
I’d love to hear about your experiences with AI or answer questions about adapting these approaches to your specific context. Contact me or schedule a consultation to discuss your organization’s unique opportunities!
This post is part of a four-part series. See all the posts here:
I’m a former tech executive who co-founded two nonprofits. One of them, Hack the Hood, is now 11 years old and has served over 3,000 young people. As an executive director for a decade, I raised over $25 million from various funding sources.
As a nonprofit development consultant, I’ve developed a passion for helping organizations utilize AI to achieve similar or even better results with significantly fewer resources. Today, I’m sharing how I incorporate AI into my daily work.
My AI Workflow: Before and After
Before AI: I spent countless hours each week writing grant narratives, crafting emails, summarizing research, and creating content. These essential yet time-consuming tasks restricted my ability to concentrate on strategy work.
After AI: I’ve restructured my workflow to utilize AI for regular summarizing and research tasks, freeing up more than 10 hours each week for the work only humans can do: writing, building relationships, developing strategies, and guiding clients.
Here’s my actual workflow:
Grant Development and Research
I’ve created custom GPT Research Brains for client work. For example, one GPT for a small nonprofit organization contains:
- Selection of previous successful grant applications
- Program descriptions and impact data
- Strategic plans and evaluation results
- Testimonials and user stories
When a new funding opportunity appears, I:
- Upload the RFP to my client’s custom GPT
- Ask it to analyze alignment with our programs
- Have it highlight points of alignment and difference with the funder and the RFP
- Incorporate these findings into my starting point to develop a draft proposal
This approach cuts proposal development time by roughly 30% while ensuring I leverage substantial past narratives.
Content Development and Communications
For my own marketing and client communications work:
- I use my “Susan’s Brain” custom GPT to edit content in my authentic voice
- It creates consistent blog posts, newsletters, and social media that sound like me
- I review, refine, and approve everything before it goes out
The results? My content production has increased while improving consistency and engagement rates.
Meeting Follow-up and Relationship Management
After client meetings or funder conversations:
- I dictate rough notes into my phone or a notepad
- Ask AI to organize and structure them into coherent summaries
- Have it draft follow-up emails that maintain my voice and relationship style
- Review and personalize before sending
This system ensures I have good follow-up and notes.
Lessons Learned (Sometimes the Hard Way)
Here’s what I’ve discovered through this process:
What Works Best:
- Using AI to edit drafts and outlines rather than creating first drafts.
- Creating custom GPTs that know your specific context and voice
- Maintaining human review of all AI-generated content
- Starting with non-critical applications before expanding
Common Pitfalls:
- Accepting AI outputs without verification (I once caught and removed fabricated statistics)
- Not documenting successful prompts for repeated use
- Using the wrong AI tool for a specific task and feeling frustrated because it doesn’t work well.
The key insight: AI is a thought partner, not a replacement for human judgment. Organizations that see the greatest benefits maintain this balance.
Measuring the Impact
The metrics that matter most to me:
- Time saved: About 15 hours weekly redirected to higher-value work.
- Proposal output: It is so much easier to generate quality drafts more quickly.
- Content production: Increased without sacrificing quality.
- Client satisfaction: Improved as I spend more time on strategic guidance.
But perhaps most importantly, I’ve reduced “administrivia,” making my work more sustainable.
Start Your AI Journey
If you’re inspired to try a similar approach:
- Begin with one repetitive writing task you do frequently
- Experiment with AI assistance for that specific application
- Document your process and results
- Gradually expand to other areas as you build confidence
The nonprofit sector faces increasing demands with limited resources. AI won’t solve all our challenges, but it can help us focus our human talents where they matter most—on the relationships, creativity, and strategic thinking that drive real impact.
I’d love to hear about your experiences with AI or answer questions about adapting these approaches to your specific context. Contact me or schedule a consultation to discuss your organization’s unique opportunities!
This post is part of a four-part series. See all the posts here: