Are You Using AI in Your Fundraising? (You Might Already Be)
A Veteran Grant Writer’s Practical Guide to Ethical AI—for Environmental Fundraisers Who Care Where the Power Comes From
Let’s talk about the genie in the room
Not the “three wishes, poof, done” kind. More like the genie that escaped the bottle, whether you rubbed it or not—now running spreadsheets, drafting proposals, and building donor prospect lists for your colleagues. AI is embedded in nearly every tool we use. Pretending otherwise won’t make it go away. It’ll just leave you holding a hand-drawn map while everyone else is using GPS.
I say this as someone who has spent 25 years in the grant trenches, raising millions for environmental and conservation organizations. I’ve written thousands of proposals, cultivated hundreds of relationships, and lost sleep over more than a few funding cliffs. I also have real concerns about AI—especially the energy and water it guzzles. Fellow environmentalists, I see you.
But my pragmatic take: AI is already shaping our field. The question isn’t whether to engage—it’s how to do it responsibly.
