How to Find, Open, and Use AI for Your Nonprofit — Starting Today
If you have never used artificial intelligence before, this post is written specifically for you. Not for tech people. Not for large organizations with IT departments. For the Executive Director juggling twelve things at once, the Program Manager who never has enough hours in the day, and the Development Associate writing grants alone at 9pm.
By the time you finish reading this, you will know exactly how to find an AI tool, open it, create an account, and type your first request. The whole thing will take about ten minutes.
Let's start at the very beginning.
What is an AI tool?
Think of an AI tool as a brilliant assistant who is available around the clock, never gets tired, and can write, research, summarize, edit, brainstorm, and organize on demand. You communicate with it in plain, everyday English — just like texting a colleague. You describe what you need, and it produces a response in seconds.
You do not need to understand how it works. You do not need any technical background. You just need to know how to type.
The Four Tools Worth Knowing
Right now there are four AI tools that nonprofit leaders should be aware of. All four are free to start. All four work in plain writing. Here is what you need to know about each:
ChatGPT — chat.openai.com Made by a company called OpenAI, ChatGPT is the most widely used AI tool in the world. It is powerful, flexible, and capable of handling almost any writing or research task — grant narratives, donor emails, social media posts, volunteer job descriptions, board reports, and more. If you are not sure where to start, start here. It has the largest online community and the most tutorials available if you ever get stuck.
Free to start. A paid version called ChatGPT Plus is available for $20 per month with additional features, but the free version is plenty powerful for most nonprofit work.
Claude — claude.ai Made by a company called Anthropic, Claude is known for producing careful, thoughtful, and well-organized writing. Many users find it particularly strong for longer, more complex documents — grant narratives, program reports, strategic plans, and board presentations. It tends to follow instructions closely and produces writing that feels measured and precise.
Free to start. A paid version is available for $20 per month.
Gemini — gemini.google.com Made by Google, Gemini's biggest advantage is that it works directly inside tools you may already use — Gmail, Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Sheets, and Google Slides. If your organization runs on Google Workspace, Gemini can draft emails while you're already in Gmail, or summarize a document while you're already in Google Docs, without switching between applications.
Free to start. A more powerful version is available through Google Workspace plans.
Copilot — copilot.microsoft.com Made by Microsoft, Copilot works directly inside Microsoft Word, Outlook, Teams, Excel, and PowerPoint. If your organization runs on Microsoft, Copilot may be the most seamless place to begin because it lives inside the tools you already use every day.
Free to start. A more powerful version is available through Microsoft 365 plans.
Which One Should You Choose?
Here is a simple way to decide:
Already use Google Docs and Gmail every day? → Start with Gemini
Already use Microsoft Word and Outlook every day? → Start with Copilot
Not sure, or want the most popular option? → Start with ChatGPT
Do a lot of long, complex writing like grant narratives? → Try Claude
If you are still not sure, start with ChatGPT. You can always try others later.
How to Open an AI Tool: Step by Step
Here is exactly what to do (I’m going to keep this super simple, even though you may know this already!). We will use ChatGPT as the example, but the steps are nearly identical for all four tools.
Step 1: Open your internet browser This is the application you use to browse the internet — Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Microsoft Edge. Click on it to open it.
Step 2: Go to the website Click on the address bar at the very top of your browser — it's the long white bar where web addresses appear. Type chat.openai.com and hit the Enter key on your keyboard.
Step 3: Create a free account You will land on the ChatGPT homepage. Look for a button that says "Sign Up" — it is usually in the top right corner of the screen. Click it.
You will be asked to enter your email address and create a password. You can also sign up using an existing Google or Microsoft account if you prefer — just click "Continue with Google" or "Continue with Microsoft" and follow the prompts.
Step 4: Confirm your email if asked Some tools will send you a confirmation email. Open your email, find the message, and click the confirmation link inside it. Then return to the website and log in.
Step 5: Find the text box Once you are logged in, you will land on a simple, clean screen. At the bottom or center of the screen you will see a text box — it may say something like "Message ChatGPT" or "Ask anything." That text box is where everything happens.
Click on it. You are ready.
How to Write Your First Prompt
A prompt is simply a clear description of what you need, written in plain English exactly as you would ask a smart, capable colleague. There is no special language or code to learn. Just describe what you want.
Here is a prompt to try right now:
"Write a thank you email to a donor who just gave $500 to our food pantry. The tone should be warm and genuine. Keep it under 200 words."
Type it into the text box and hit enter or click the send button. Read what comes back.
If you want it adjusted, just say so in the same text box:
"Make it shorter."
"Make it more personal."
"Add a sentence about the impact of their gift."
The AI will revise it. Keep going until you have something you like.
That back-and-forth conversation is all AI is. You ask, it responds, you refine. Just like working with a colleague.
A Few Things to Know Before You Start
It is not always perfect. AI tools sometimes get things wrong or produce writing that does not sound like you. Always read the output carefully before using it, and edit as needed. Think of it as a very strong first draft, not a finished product.
Do not share sensitive information. Do not type confidential client data, social security numbers, or private financial information into these tools (we will address this more in future posts).
The more specific you are, the better the output. "Write a donor email" will produce a generic result. "Write a thank you email to a major donor who funded our after-school tutoring program, in a warm but professional tone, under 150 words" will produce something much more useful.
You cannot break it. If you type something and do not like the result, just try again. There is no wrong way to start.
You Are Ready
Pick one tool. Open it today. Try one prompt. That is all.
You do not need to become an AI expert. You just need to find one thing it can do that saves your team time — and build from there.
Follow Nonprofit AI Studio on LinkedIn and Instagram for weekly prompts and step-by-step guidance built specifically for organizations like yours. No jargon. No technical background required. Just practical tools for the work you are already doing.