Fundraising.AI
Episode 13
Episode 13 - AI's Impact on Grant Writing with Joanna Drew
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OVERVIEW
Engage with AI technology as a catalyst for positive change in grant writing!
Meet Joanna Drew, founder of Hilo Consulting. Hilo Consulting boasts a decade of global expertise, facilitating over $1,000,000 in client funding. Their adept team orchestrates comprehensive grant processes—from research to administration—with finesse honed by diverse international engagements.
Starting today’s conversation, Joanna shares her journey from navigating fundraising roles internationally to founding her consulting firm amid the pandemic. Also, she reflects on the challenges and inequalities in the philanthropic sector. As the discussion unfolds, she explores the implications of AI adoption in grant writing, from enhancing efficiency to potentially reshaping traditional grant funding structures. She shares her belief in the potential of technology to revolutionize the sector while acknowledging the importance of responsible stewardship and ethical considerations.
Embracing a techno-optimistic perspective, Joanna emphasizes the importance of leaning into curiosity over fear and actively participating in shaping the future of AI development and utilization. Moreover, she envisions a future where responsible AI adoption leads to a more equitable distribution of resources and fosters authentic human connections within the philanthropic ecosystem.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
- [02:20] Empowering Small Organizations for Big Impact
- [05:36] Power Dynamics of Philanthropy
- [08:55] Stitched with Purpose: Weaving Threads of Opportunity for Nonprofits
- [10:49] Grant Writing in the AI Era: Leveraging Tools for Success
- [13:50] Augmented Impact: Intersection of AI and Grant Funding
- [18:09] AI in Grant Writing for Larger Organizations
- [20:10] Adapting to Change: Future of Grant Writing in an AI Era
TIPS AND TOOLS TO IMPLEMENT TODAY
- Instead of succumbing to fear, embrace curiosity about AI technology and its potential applications in grant writing and fundraising.
- Start small and break down tasks into manageable sections to experiment with AI tools and their integration into grant writing processes.
- Utilize AI tools to brainstorm ideas and draw parallels between funders' priorities and organizational goals.
- Input grant proposals into AI systems to receive feedback and suggestions for improvement, enhancing the quality and effectiveness of proposals.
- Embrace the concept of augmented intelligence rather than viewing AI as a replacement, leveraging technology to enhance human capabilities and efficiency.
- Advocate for responsible AI adoption within the philanthropic sector, ensuring awareness of algorithmic bias and promoting equitable access to resources.
- Engage in discussions and collaborations to shape the future of AI development and utilization, contributing to a more inclusive and impactful philanthropic ecosystem.
- Explore Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini to use data analysis and creativity to enhance grant writing and fundraising strategies.
- Utilize Otter.ai for transcribing meetings and discussions facilitating documentation and analysis of conversations related to grant funding.
- Consider incorporating Fathom for transcribing meetings and exploring its potential for grant management and organization.
FAVORITE QUOTES
- "Now, the more common understanding is that AI isn't going to replace you. But people who don't know how to use AI will be replaced." - Joanna Drew
- "I just want to remain hopeful. I think that truly, right now, we are at this inflection point where we, as individuals in civil society, can take part and shape the way that AI is developed and going to be used in the future." - Joanna Drew
- "The democratized access of AI tools currently lends itself to how AI is developed and will be used in the future." - Joanna Drew
- "The social sector plays a role in responsible AI adoption." - Joanna Drew
- "There's so much potential to upend the nonprofit sector, as it exists today, through the use of AI." - Joanna Drew
- "Getting more people on board and leaning again into that curiosity over fear and participating in the way that they can and how these systems are developed and used, I think we can stay on the optimistic, hopeful side." - Joanna Drew
- "Just playing around with AI tools. The phase that we're at is just encouraging experimentation. And start small. It doesn't have to write your whole grand proposal for you, but let's break it down section by section." - Joanna Drew
- "The whole sector will change and can change with AI, and I'm okay with that. I'm leaning into it. If it moves into a space where funding is distributed more equitably, reaches these smaller organizations, and is deployed faster, then that's for the betterment of the sector as a whole." - Joanna Drew
- "The more that individuals weigh in, the more that we participate in it, I think, the better off AI is going to serve everyone as a whole." - Joanna Drew
- "There's always going to be a need for a person to be involved in the grants process. So, while the writing can be made more efficient, creative, and automated, there are still the funder meetings, strategic outreach, prospect research, and all other human-in-the-loop pieces of the grants management process and managing the grants calendar. So, there are certain elements to the whole philanthropic process that require a human." - Joanna Drew
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MEET YOUR HOSTS
Nathan Chappell
As a thought leader, public speaker, author and inventor, Nathan is one of the world’s foremost experts on the intersection between Artificial Intelligence and philanthropy. Nathan serves as Senior Vice President of DonorSearch AI, where he leads AI deployments for some of the nation’s largest nonprofit organizations. Nathan’s subject matter expertise has been featured in several publications, including Fast Company, University of Notre Dame and the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy. In 2021, Nathan founded Fundraising.Ai as a member-centric collaboration of nonprofit professionals with a focus on data ethics, data equality, privacy and security, sustainability. Nathan presented the first TEDx on the topic of artificial intelligence and the future of generosity in 2018. Nathan is a member of the Forbes Technology Council and holds a Masters in Nonprofit Administration from University of Notre Dame, an MBA from University of Redlands, a certificate in International Economics from University of Cambridge and a certificate in Artificial Intelligence from MIT.
Scott Rosenkrans
Scott Rosenkrans is the Assistant Vice President of DonorSearch Ai and has been with the organization for three years. He began his journey in the nonprofit sector twelve years ago as a prospect researcher. He quickly became fascinated with data as he noticed the organization that he previously worked for was amassing a wealth of information but was unsure how to efficiently use the data and resources to its full potential. This led him to become interested in predictive modeling and data analytics. During this time, he began to create an immense commitment to delivering tailor-made machine learning models to nonprofits.
The thing that Scott loves most about working for DonorSearch is the ability to prioritize what is best for the client and nonprofit sector above all else. He believes that growth is our most important core value because the DSAi team continuously evolves and brings a unique perspective that provides value to our clients. He stays ahead of industry trends because of his insatiable drive to constantly try out new things.
Favorite nonprofit: Shriner’s Children Hospital because of their extreme commitment to providing exceptional medical care, while also alleviating the financial burdens on families.
