Today’s AI Tools Help Nonprofits Better Focus On Their Mission

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools aren’t reserved exclusively for Silicon Valley giants or big corporations.  More than 80% of nonprofits now report that they use AI to help streamline their operations, improve communications, multiply the impact their staff can achieve, and better deliver on their mission.

In fact, small nonprofits often report high levels of AI engagement.  This may be a reflection of the importance of efficiency for groups where staff members often wear multiple hats.

At the same time, many nonprofits have leveraged the powerful data analysis opportunities available through AI to help them make better decisions on where to allocate their organization’s limited resources.  These insights are helping nonprofits deliver greater mission impact – even with limited budgets.

5 Ways Today’s Nonprofits Are Working Smarter with AI

Incorporating AI into your nonprofit’s workflow can help smaller teams confidently reach bigger mission goals.  By using AI to automate routine tasks, your organization can free up staff bandwidth so they can devote their time to higher-value work.  Consider these time-intensive tasks as you think about ways your group might benefit from using AI:

1. Grants.  Whether your group actively applies for grants to help fund projects or you’re responsible for evaluating grant applications to select recipients of funding, AI can help streamline the process.  Tools such as ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot can help develop initial answers to grant questions or suggest ways to incorporate your organization’s strengths into grant responses.  For groups needing to sort through grant applications, AI can be used for an initial pass to help identify applications which may best meet the goals of a grant.

• Content creation and marketing.  Maintaining a regular cadence of social media communications or developing effective marketing materials to publicize your nonprofit’s events often requires significant time from staff members.  AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude and Canva can be instrumental for groups that need to quickly develop professional-looking materials on a budget.

• Fundraising and donor engagement.  Many nonprofits leverage AI-based data analytic tools to help identify high-value donors, uncover predictive giving patterns, and to develop customized donor outreach campaigns.  The American Cancer Society achieved a 400% increase in donor conversion rates by working with AI machine learning to optimize donor communication channels. 

But these strategies aren’t only for larger nonprofits.  Smaller groups like Austin Pets Alive! use AI for fundraising emails and social media posts – especially during critical periods.  The result has been an increase in funding to help them further their mission.

• Automation of repetitive tasks.  Many organizations use free AI tools like ChatGPT or Google Gemini to make administrative tasks like data entry more efficient.  Staff members at many nonprofits spend hours drafting reports highlighting progress toward their mission or the results of recent events.  Tools like ChatGPT can help develop initial drafts of these communications which can then be quickly edited into a final version.

• Volunteer coordination and communications.  AI matching programs such as Golden or VolunteerMatch can help your nonprofit pair volunteers with opportunities that fit their skills and interests.  Matching people with more meaningful work that aligns with their skills can result in a more dedicated and engaged team of volunteers. 

At the same time, automated outreach regarding upcoming opportunities and reminders of events a volunteer has committed to participate in can be an effective way to reduce no-shows … especially during big events which require significant levels of volunteer support.

AI can deliver game-changing efficiency for nonprofits – especially for smaller groups that operate with leaner teams and smaller budgets.  Streamlining tasks which may have taken many hours or days into efficient solutions can help organizations focus on executing their mission instead of becoming bogged down in day-to-day operations minutia.

Responsible AI Implementation

Stories of AI that went awry are common.  As a result, it makes sense for nonprofits to take a measured approach as they begin using AI tools.  While this technology can be incredibly efficient in developing first-draft materials, it’s critical to keep a human in the loop to review output and make edits. 

For organizations considering the adoption of AI tools, first develop strategies to strengthen your group’s technological leadership.  If your budget cannot afford full-time IT staff, brainstorm opportunities to add tech experience to your board of directors or share IT resources with other groups your nonprofit may already be allied with.

In addition to sharing tech staff, explore projects where your organization could collaborate with other nonprofits.  Setting up an AI working group with other nonprofits in your area can be a smart way to accelerate your learning and develop new ways to use AI more efficiently within your organization.

If you’re looking for help in developing HR forms, training tools or checklists for your nonprofit, take advantage of your FREE 60-day trial of HR Workplace powered by Mineral.  This valuable tool helps nonprofits navigate challenging HR situations and develop helpful training materials to provide better training for new staff members.

SOURCES:

“How Nonprofits Are Using AI for Greater Social Impact in 2025,” sigmaforces.com, 9/29/25

https://www.sigmaforces.com/post/nonprofits-ai-social-impact-2025

“How nonprofits use AI: The 2025 AI for Humanity Report”, Ben Matthews, 10/1/25

https://benrmatthews.com/how-nonprofits-use-ai-the-2025-ai-for-humanity-report

“AI Can’t Be Ignored: Exploring the Opportunities for Nonprofits and the Social Sector”, bridgespan.org, 7/22/25

https://www.bridgespan.org/insights/exploring-ai-opportunities-for-nonprofits-and-the-social-sector