As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly prevalent in all aspects of life, more and more nonprofits are adopting AI tools. Recent studies show that 92% of nonprofits use AI tools in some capacity, joining the many other organizations and companies that leverage this technology to streamline their operations.

AI tools offer nonprofits many benefits, such as increased efficiency and time saved for other initiatives. However, when using this technology, you still need to maintain that human element that makes your cause stand out. This guide will explore tips to keep the human touch in your AI fundraising efforts.

1. Review all AI outputs carefully.

As AI evolves, it becomes more accurate. However, that doesn’t mean you can solely rely on AI outputs without human intervention.

Always have a team member verify anything created by AI. Ensure your content upholds the high-quality standards your supporters are used to, aligns with your nonprofit’s brand, and encourages giving.

Check all AI outputs for:

• Errors. Fact-check AI responses to ensure you never share incorrect information with donors, whether it’s details about your mission or their specific relationships with your nonprofit. For example, if a donor has been giving to your nonprofit for five years, but an AI-drafted email thanks them for the three years they’ve spent with your organization, the recipient may be upset that you’ve disregarded the time they’ve dedicated to your cause.
• Unhuman-like tone. Generative AI tools try to mimic human writing, but they don’t always get it right. Edit AI-written content to make it more conversational and remove any strange phrasing or sentence structure that doesn’t reflect how real people write and speak.
• Brand alignment. Feed your brand assets to generative AI to help align its responses with your style guidelines. However, you should still check to ensure this content fits your nonprofit’s unique voice and point of view.
• Bias. Based on the data it’s trained on, AI can sometimes give biased responses. Adjust outputs as needed to ensure your content remains inclusive and reflective of your entire supporter base.

2. Incorporate storytelling.

Nothing humanizes content like storytelling. People will connect with personal stories that detail how your nonprofit has helped affected individuals thrive.

Infuse all of your content with a human touch through storytelling. From your donation page to your social media to your individual outreach and everywhere in between, stories can enrich your content across channels and help people form an emotional connection to your cause.

For example, an animal shelter’s donation page may feature a carousel of photos of real animals they’ve rescued, with a sentence or two summarizing how their staff found and helped each one. Even short snippets of beneficiary stories can humanize your asks and encourage contributions.

Then, try having AI handle the regimented, logistical aspects of the fundraising content creation process, such as:

• Developing first drafts of fundraising appeal emails
• Segmenting supporters
• Checking for typos

3. Use AI to implement hyperpersonalization.

While you can learn a lot about your supporters through your interactions with them, AI can help you synthesize this information and leverage it to personalize your outreach. That way, you don’t have to remember every detail about each donor or manually sift through your database to find the right information.

Have a staff member craft your content strategy and create detailed instructions (also known as prompts) for the AI to execute. Then, AI can do the heavy lifting of pulling the data you need.

For inspiration, Bloomerang’s AI for nonprofits guide provides examples of prompts for generating highly specific AI responses. Let’s take a look at one of their examples:

• Role: You are a Communications & Development Manager.
• Context: The templates you currently use for donor thank yous feel generic; they need more heartfelt personalization, tailored to each donor’s giving history.
• Goal: Write meaningful, personalized thank you emails to donors.
• Output: Provide three thank-you email examples and list best practices for personalizing donor acknowledgments.

This example demonstrates an applicable AI use case and shows the structure nonprofits should use to frame prompts. By telling generative AI the role it should play, the context behind your ask, the goal you’re looking to achieve, and the output you need, you’ll receive better responses aligned with your vision. Remember to review the output and adjust it to reflect your nonprofit’s unique brand voice.

4. Let AI spot patterns and humans take action.

One of AI’s strong suits is pattern recognition. AI can quickly sift through large amounts of data and identify recurring similarities. Humans can then act on those patterns, developing personal outreach strategies that resonate with supporters.

For example, let’s say you use your nonprofit CRM’s predictive AI tools to flag at-risk donors. Once AI has pinpointed these supporters, you might send them a feedback survey that asks why they’ve stopped engaging with your nonprofit and what you can do to win back their support. This approach mixes data with empathy, ensuring you reach the right supporters with your heartfelt messaging.

5. Reinvest time saved strategically.

AI can streamline previously manual tasks, saving your team time. Consider reinvesting that time into intensive, personal outreach.

Let’s say AI saves you five hours a week that you used to spend on manual donor segmentation and fundraising emails. Instead of using that time to send more emails, spend it calling major donors just to check in and maintain your relationships with them. They’ll appreciate the time you’ve dedicated to them and feel more connected to your organization as a result.

To ensure ethical AI use that prioritizes a human touch, develop an AI usage policy and share it across your organization. This type of policy aligns your team on how you’ll leverage AI, keeping the donor experience at the forefront every step of the way.